The Harry Potter movies will always have a cultural legacy. Warner Bros. took a whole decade to film the series, creating J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World detailed down to Dumbledore’s half moon glasses. However, the craziest part of it all was watching the main cast grow up before our eyes. Now, as HBO repeats the process with its own book to screen adaptation of the magical franchise with a Potter TV show, Daniel Radcliffe says there is one big thing he and his former co-stars are bonding over.
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson's careers were launched due to their roles as Harry, Ron and Hermione, respectively. Much like the new actors stepping into their former characters, Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Arabella Stanton (Hermione), and Alastair Stout (Ron), the original trio were ages 10-12 when they were cast in the titular roles. People recently asked Radcliffe if he’s talked to Watson and Grint about the new TV series, and the Weird actor said there was one thing they all connected with:
Yeah, [we’ve talked about it] a little bit but not much beyond like, how surreal is this to like, watch people starting off on that journey all those years later. But yeah, like not a ton of communication about the show specifically.
The former child co-stars might not have talked with each other much, but a few of the OG Harry Potter actors have sent letters to their younger counterparts, including Daniel Radcliffe. However, the Merrily We Roll Along actor says he doesn’t need to ask Watson or Grint on their feelings, as he already knows. Radcliffe also shared another sweet sentiment regarding their successors:
It’s one of those [things] where we just like, know how the others feel, because we’re also feeling it. And it is just like, it’s both really — we have all said, just having the same… you just see pictures of these kids, and you just want to grab them and hug them. That’s the impulse that I think that we mainly all have.
Imagine if as an adult, you had the chance to give your 11-year-old self advice about the next 10 years of their life. That's not the exact case here, of course, but it's cool that the OGs are now having such feelings due to the new show. Rupert Grint said the TV casting announcement took him straight back to his own Ron casting in 1999, and how exciting yet challenging the journey that followed was. In many cases, actions can speak louder than words and, given the circumstances, I think a hug is appropriate.
Who knows when McLaughlin and his predecessor might get to finally meet in person, but the sentiment from Radcliffe is sweet. I do appreciate that a lot of the OG Harry Potter actors are giving the new generation space to find their own place in the Wizarding World. The Harry Potter movies were so immersive and successful, there’s already a pressure to match the standard set, if not exceed it, without the former actors telling you how to play your role.
I personally would love to see a red carpet meet-up involving the new and veteran casts when the HP show premieres in early 2027. But, given some of the OG stars have had somewhat tense relations with author and series EP J.K. Rowling over her controversial comments, there’s no guarantee Radcliffe, Watson, or Grint would show up.
However, they clearly are very supportive of the young actors carrying on Harry Potter’s legacy. As a fan myself, I am curious to see how HBO puts its spin on this fictional universe.
All the Harry Potter movies are available to stream with an HBO Max subscription, and you can also catch Daniel Radcliffe in the new NBC series, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, which is now airing as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
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