50 Fascinating Facts About Daniel Radcliffe

Lizzie Robinson
5 Minutes Read
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Daniel Radcliffe broke over 80 wands while filming the Harry Potter movies because he used them as drumsticks.

    Even if you’re not a fan of the Harry Potter movies, it’s impossible not to recognize the name, Daniel Radcliffe.

    Alongside Emma Watson, he became not only one of the most-loved characters on screen but also one of the world’s favorite actors.

    His full name is Daniel Jacob Radcliffe. He is 34 years old and born on July 23, 1989.

    While most people knew him after the Harry Potter movies were released, this wasn’t his first appearance on the screen.

    When he was just 10 years old, he played the young David Copperfield in the BBC’s adaptation of David Copperfield.

    He got the part after his mother sent in a Polaroid photograph of her son to the BBC.

    His first major movie was The Tailor of Panama, in which he played Mark Pendel.

    He was 11 years old when he was cast in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – the first Harry Potter movie to be created.

    Daniel Radcliffe broke over 80 wands while filming the Harry Potter movies because he used them as drumsticks!

    Radcliffe played Harry Potter for ten years, before finishing in 2011 with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

    During his later years on the set of Harry Potter, he was nicknamed Harry Puffer as a result of his smoking habit.

    He is known for losing his cigarette lighters and regularly asks his fans if he can borrow one.

    Can you imagine Harry Potter as anybody other than Daniel Radcliffe? His parents almost didn’t let him take on the role since they thought it might be too big a commitment for him.

    He found out he had got the part while he was at home in the bath.

    Both J. K. Rowling and Chris Columbus stated that Radcliffe was their first choice for the part.

    In a bid to convince Radcliffe’s parents to let him take the part, Warner Bros. agreed to a contract where filming would be in the United Kingdom only. This meant he didn’t have to travel to Los Angeles.

    David Heyman, the producer of the Harry Potter movies, met Daniel and his father Alan at a play. Heyman thought Radcliffe would be perfect for the part and invited him to audition.

    His favorite of the Harry Potter books is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

    He proved himself to be an extremely reliable cast member and only took two days off in all the ten years of filming.

    While most fans of the movies would think the other actors would be his closest friends, he actually found a best friend in one of the costume department staff who was 41 years old with two children.

    Daniel Radcliffe has described himself as having an addictive personality and has said that he almost developed an alcohol addiction in 2009.

    In interviews, he mentioned how he would sometimes turn up for work half-drunk.

    He suffers from Dyspraxia, a condition that affects coordination and movement.

    In the Broadway production of Equus, Daniel Radcliffe appeared nude and says he doesn’t have a problem with it at all.

    He is 5’5 tall, which many fans are surprised to discover.

    Radcliffe was concerned that Emma Watson and Rupert Grint would surpass him in stature during the filming of the Harry Potter movies.

    When he first read the Harry Potter books, he didn’t like them; however, he finished reading them all after being offered the title role.

    Daniel Radcliffe Facts - Harry Potter

    A lock of his hair was auctioned off during the 2003 Comic Relief show, and the highest bid was £751 (roughly $1000).

    As well as acting, Daniel Radcliffe has a talent for poetry. He has published some work under the name Jacob Gershon.

    He has also written a few short stories and said he would consider writing a play. He is not interested in ever writing a full novel.

    He is a huge supporter of The Trevor Project, a charitable organization that helps prevent the suicide of LGBTQ teens and young people.

    At the age of 14, Daniel Radcliffe had his portrait drawn by artist Stuart Pearson Wright. The artwork was displayed in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

    He has admitted to never reading stories about himself in the news and avoids reading reviews of his movies or plays.

    He doesn’t enjoy it when his female fans cry as it makes him feel uncomfortable.

    If he got a tattoo, he stated it would be something “pretentious.”

    He starred in the movie Swiss Army Man in 2016 and promoted it by traveling around New York and Los Angeles with a mannequin of himself.

    The producers of the Harry Potter movies wanted Daniel Radcliffe to wear colored contact lenses to make his eyes green. However, he suffered a reaction whenever he put them in, which resulted in J. K. Rowling telling the producers that green eyes were not necessary.

    After the filming of the movies, Radcliffe kept two pairs of his famous round-rimmed glasses. These were apparently his favorite prop from the entire series.

    When he was younger, he wanted to be a professional cricket player and play for England.

    Daniel Radcliffe is very self-critical and doesn’t like to watch himself on screen. He has said that he criticizes his appearance, among other things.

    When he first heard Justin Bieber singing, he believed it was a woman rather than a young boy.

    In 2013, Radcliffe won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play after playing the lead role in The Cripple of Inishmaan.

    When he started filming the Harry Potter movies, he was taken out of school and given private tuition by tutors on set.

    His favorite TV show is The Simpsons, and he once had a voice-over part for a parody character of Edward Cullen.

    Daniel Radcliffe is a well-known and fervent supporter of the Labour Party.

    Radcliffe identifies as Jewish, and his mother is Jewish too.

    However, he doesn’t believe in a creator or a god and has become an atheist.

    He often got in trouble while on the set of Harry Potter for scratching the scar off his forehead.

    Radcliffe received $110,000 for the first movie.

    Although he has starred in many movies which relate to the supernatural, including the 2012 film The Woman in Black, Radcliffe doesn’t believe in ghosts or mythical creatures and said he has never seen one.

    On his 21st birthday, Radcliffe went to Moscow to visit the apartment of Mikhail Bulgakov, the author of one of his favorite books, The Master and Margarita.

    Daniel Radcliffe said that one of his favorite foods is sushi, and he also enjoys chocolate frogs and all types of candy!

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About The Author

Lizzie Robinson
Lizzie Robinson

Lizzie Robinson has been a freelance writer since 2011. She studied English Literature at university and enjoys sailing & playing the piano in her free time. Lizzie enjoys writing about current issues & business.

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