Why Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe Wore The Same Outfit Everyday When Struggling With The Paparazzi

Daniel Radcliffe on the Harry Potter 20th anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.
(Image credit: HBO Max)

Just like his Harry Potter counterpart, Daniel Radcliffe experienced a ton of fame in real life. After playing our favorite boy wizard, he hopped to the theater world where Radcliffe bared all in Equus. Unfortunately, hopping fields didn't dilute the paparazzi, as they would wait for him outside of his theater work in order to nab new pics. Luckily, the British actor developed tacts to avoid getting hounded day in and day out. 

Daniel Radcliffe may not have had his own invisibility cloak to hide behind when it came to avoiding a parade of photographers, but he did have a clever strategy up his sleeve. On The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 33-year-old actor shared why he felt the need to wear the same outfit every day. It all had to do with dashing from the paparazzi that was outside of a theater he was working in. As he put it,

It was three or four months. Because I was doing a play in London and every night there was paparazzi outside. And I suddenly realized after like after I just had just been lazy and not changed my clothes for a few days, that they were not there. And I realized it’s probably because I’m wearing the same thing so it all looks like photos from the same day. So I was like ‘I’ll just continue wearing this.’ And they never came back because it all looks like the same picture in front of the same door.

While this may not be the most hygienic thing to do, Radcliffe's story seems to show repeat outfits can be a great way to confuse the drama-chasing paparazzi. In the interview, Clarkson remarked she might even want to steal that idea for herself.

 

Another brilliant strategy Daniel Radcliffe shared with Kelly Clarkson was thanks to a friend who gave him a jacket made out of a reflective surface. One flash from a photographer and the photo really would make the Horns actor invisible under the brightness! While the paparazzi may never give up wanting to create a spectacle out of this young actor, at least he’s got some savvy tricks that don’t involve running over someone’s foot, as Justin Bieber did.

The Harry Potter actor is not the only celebrity who knows how to thwart the paparazzi. While in Italy, Aquaman’s Jason Mamoa hid behind the Hells Angels to escape the paparazzi. Seven-foot-one slam-dunker Shaquille O’Neal would even hide behind trees. The paparazzi may be a scary factor to fame, but like Panic Room actress Jodie Foster told Kristen Stewart, eventually the horrors of being in the public eye will pass, and to not let the paparazzi get to you.

The Harry Potter star did not always have these strategies to handle fame. Previously Radcliffe said he would turn to alcohol to deal with his big screen notoriety. Now, he's getting into the next stage of his career, he has more freedoms, and seems to be enjoying getting totally weird with roles. Next up he's playing song parody singer-songwriter Weird Al Yankovic in a new biopic hitting theaters soon. I can't wait to see what projects (and repeat outfits) he tackles next. 

Carly Levy
Entertainment Writer

Just your average South Floridian cinephile who believes the pen is mightier than the sword.