Full Name: Daniel Jacob Radcliffe
Date of Birth: July 23, 1989
Place of Birth: Fulham, England
Star Sign : Leo (that's my star sign too!)
Chinese Zodiac Sign : Snake
Hair : Brown
Eyes : Gray/Blue
Pets : Binka and Nugget (Two border terrier dogs)
Glasses :
He's
supposed to but he always lose or break them. He even managed to break my
Harry Potter glasses once, but luckily for him, the props department has
lots of spare pairs.
His hobbies are:
Writing,
running, watching movies, music, reading, Playstation, learning magic
(he took magic lessons with British illusionist Paul Kieve)
Music Interests :
Rolling Stones, Modest Mouse, The
Stranglers, The Undertones, David Bowie, ColdPlay, Deftones, Blur, The
Music, Muse, Zwan, The Clash, Brendan Benson, The Rapture and Johnny
Cash.
Harry Potter Book : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter Script : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter Character : Hagrid and the Weasleys
Harry Potter Scene : Shrieking
Shack (from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban); The Chess Board,
Final Chamber, Devil's Snare scenes (from Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone)
HP Word : "Voldemort"
Magic Ability : Invisibility
Movies : 12
Angry Men, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Bowling for Columbine, LA
Confidential, The Usual Suspects, Lost In Translation, Fear And
Loathing In Las Vegas, Crash
TV Show : The Simpsons (that's one of my favourite TV shows too!)
Classic TV Show : Dad's Army, Yes Minister
Author : Iain Banks
Books : The
Power and the Glory by Graham Green, Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K
Jerome, In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan, Germinal by Emile
Zola, and The War of Don Emmanuels Nether Parts by Louis De Bernieres.
Video Game : Simpsons "Road Rage" and sport games
Gadget : iPod
Soccer Team : Fulham Football Club
NHL Hockey Team : Phoenix Coyotes
Candy : Mars Bar
Dessert : Vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce
Soda : Diet Coke
Breakfast : Toast with chocolate spread
Food : Fish
Munchies : Honey Nut Cheerios or a glass of milk with Jammy Dodgers Biscuits.
Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor : Phish Food, Caramel Chew Chew
Animal : Wolf
Car : Red Cadillac (like The Great Red Shark in the movie "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas")
Color : Blue and Yellow
Holiday : Christmas
Season : Summer
Number : Nine
Country : America
Actresses :
Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet,
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kate Hudson, Renee Zellweger, Jodie Foster,
Kirsten Dunst, Natalie Portman, and Cameron Diaz
Actors :
Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Jude Law, Ed Harris, Robert DeNiro, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cary Grant and Peter Sellars
Idol : Gary Oldman
Guys' Guy : Sid Vicious
Superhero : Spider-Man
PS2 or XBOX? : PS2
Dislikes :
Food : Junk food, cake (well, OK, maybe he might have a piece occasionally...)
Subject in School : Math, French
Chores : He has to make his bed and tidy his room
Pet Peeve : Being patronized
The Role Of A Lifetime
It
was Dan's "charm and simplicity" that caught the eye of Chris Columbus
and David Heyman whilst on the search for a young British actor to
bring to life the lead character of what is arguably the modern
literary world's most successful phenomenon: Harry Potter. This was
going to be no mean feat for whoever won the role and superb casting of
the part was, of course, vital to the film. Director Columbus had seen
a tape of "David Copperfield" and had badgered his casting director
into calling its young star in for an audition. However, Dan's
understandably protective parents were reluctant to subject their son
to any gruelling audition process only to have his hopes dashed and so
the life-altering role was at first turned down. But serendipity
smiled down on Dan one evening in a theatre: producer David Heyman and
screenwriter Steve Kloves spotted him with his parents in the audience
while watching the play 'Stones in his Pockets'. Heyman knew
Dan's father through business connections and introduced himself to Dan
during the interval. He then spent the second half of the play
totally distracted by his potential Harry. The next morning,
Heyman called Dan's parents to try to persuade them to change their
minds about letting him audition and... discovered that they had
already had the same idea! They agreed to an informal meeting
between Dan and David Heyman and, once they were confident that he
would be protected as much as possible from the media glare if offered
the role, agreed that Dan should go for an audition. Then one night
while taking a bath, Dan heard his father answer the phone:
"My
dad came in and told me I'd got the part of Harry Potter. I cried, I
was so happy. I woke up in the middle of the night, around half two,
and I woke up my dad too, just to check with him that it wasn't all a
dream. That I really was going to be Harry Potter."
The
casting of Dan, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in the lead roles of Harry
Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger was subsequently announced in
August 2000. Importantly, Potter author Joanne Rowling gave Dan
her seal of approval - when she saw Dan's screen test, she claimed that
she felt that "it was like being reunited with [her] long-lost son":
"Having
seen Dan Radcliffe's screen test I don't think Chris Columbus could
have found a better Harry... I think Dan nailed it, and I am
really pleased."
Production
of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" began in September
2000 and the worldwide interest in the film was unprecedented. It was
released on 16th November 2001 and was praised widely for its faithful
adaptation of Rowling's book, going on to become the second-highest
grossing film of all time, behind "Titanic". Also praised widely
was its young star ("... a wonderful Harry... young Radcliffe is
perfect as Harry... seems to have been born to play the part...") who
found himself on the cover of Vanity Fair, The Face, Empire, Premiere
and practically every other entertainment magazine of the moment.
Numerous TV appearances in the UK and US followed and curious audiences
began to discover the boy behind the lightning-bolt scar. Fan
sites began to spring up across the Internet. A star was born.
Into The Chamber
Filming
of the sequel, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", began a mere
three days after the first film was released. Frequently
described as "a lot darker, a lot scarier... and a lot funnier" than
the first film, "Chamber of Secrets" was more of a straightforward
action movie and received generally positive reviews when it was
released on 15th November 2002. History repeated itself as the
film smashed transatlantic box office records and it is currently the
seventh-highest grossing film of all time.
Those
who worked with Dan on the film have lavished praise on him. Kenneth
Branagh has spoken of his joy to work with such a well-balanced young
cast and Rupert has admitted that Dan always knows his lines! The
special effects team were amazed by his ability to act convincingly
opposite a ball on a stick in the scenes involving Dobby the House Elf,
before the CGI creature was added. Chris Columbus, speaking after
the release of "Chamber of Secrets", was more precise:
"What
used to take eight or nine takes, now we do it in two or three.
Particularly Dan. He has almost become a mini action hero. He is really
strong and I like that strength about him because Harry Potter needs to
develop that strength... He is incredibly focused. I've seen
actors twice his age who couldn't give as convincing a performance."
After
the promotional whirl of the UK and US, Dan took a little time out from
promoting the film to make his West End stage debut in November 2002 in
"The Play What I Wrote", directed by Kenneth Branagh. The play,
which is a tribute to former top British comedy duo Morecambe and Wise,
has a different surprise guest every night and makes them perform a
humorous sketch. Actor Toby Jones, who voiced Dobby in "Chamber
of Secrets" was one of the stars in the play. Says Dan of his
experiences:
"It
was great fun. I had never been on stage before so it was a
little scary at first but it certainly gave me the desire to do more on
stage."
In
December 2002, Dan and producer David Heyman paid a special visit to
the Far East to attend film screenings and press conferences to promote
"Chamber of Secrets". Hundreds of screaming fans gathered at
Tokyo's Narita Airport to welcome them at the start of their three-day
visit to Japan, which was then followed by two days in
China.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The
majority of 2003 was taken up with the filming of "Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban". In preparation, new director Alfonso Cuaron
(who has a "much more laid back, emotional, intense way of directing")
had Dan, Rupert and Emma write essays on their characters, which Dan
found useful. An excellent interview by TLC editor Melissa Anelli
quotes Dan as listening to music to prepare for particular scenes, and
having lengthy conversations with his father regarding his life
experiences in order to portray the passionate emotions that Harry
displays in the book.
"There's
a lot of teenage angst in this one, probably more than the book.
It's much more of an internal journey for the children, especially for
Harry. And he's much more comfortable with confrontation, especially
with Snape. He's a lot angrier. If you had all this stuff happening to
you in real life, you'd be pretty angry too."
This
year promises to be even more exciting for Dan and his fans when
"Prisoner of Azkaban" is released on June 4th. It is one of the
most anticipated films of 2004, and Harry Potter fans everywhere are
looking forward to seeing where the new direction takes the highly
successful franchise. The films to date have certainly delighted
Potterphiles.
Behind The Glasses
There
are a few parallels to be drawn between the apprentice wizard and Dan.
Thrust into the limelight at an early age, both Harry and Dan have had
to deal with the hazards of the media circus. Both are coping well. It
is possible to imagine Dan walking the corridors of his school with
people muttering "Bless my soul, it's Daniel Radcliffe!" but happily,
this does not seem to be the case! The words of the Sorting Hat could
also ring true: "Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind, either.
There's talent - and a thirst to prove yourself." When Dan
himself is asked what qualities he shares with the bespectacled
schoolboy hero, he states that loyalty, curiosity, standing up for
himself and a propensity to land himself in trouble are the greatest
similarities. His friends are, like Harry's, incredibly important and
they have not changed their attitude towards him since stardom has
struck.
Dan
attends an all-boys private school in London when not receiving private
tuition on set and he has diverse interests. He supports his local
football (soccer) team, Fulham, and looks after his two dogs, Binka and
Nugget. He has credited Chris Columbus with giving him a love of film,
and counts '12 Angry Men' and 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' among his
favourites. He has developed a love of classic punk music (The Sex
Pistols, The Clash, The Pixies) and still has a passion for the
Simpsons! He has a lot to keep him occupied in his free time -
practising the bass guitar, really studying magic (he's a dab hand at
card tricks) and he has recently expressed a desire to learn how to
cook, which inspired the staff and fans at DanRadcliffe.com to create
and send him a recipe book!
Over
the last couple of years, Dan has begun to put his fame and influence
to good use, quietly engaging in charity projects. In May 2002,
Dan contributed to a video which is designed to help autistic people
learn to recognise facial expressions, an act which inspired fans at
DanRadcliffe.com to raise over £2000 for the National Autistic Society
to mark his 14th birthday. Then in March 2003, a lock of his hair and
an autograph raised over £750 for the British charity Comic Relief,
which benefits deprived areas in the UK and around the world.
Another very worthwhile cause that he has chosen to support is Demelza
House Children's Hospice in Kent, south-east England. Dan's
request to fans that they make a donation to Demelza House for
Christmas 2003 raised more than £1850 to help improve the quality of
life for terminally ill children.
Reviews
of Dan's portrayal of Harry Potter thus far have been consistently
positive and, in February 2002, he won the Variety Club Award for
Outstanding New Talent. Since then, he has received a number of
popular awards, including two Silver Otto Awards from German magazine
"Bravo" and a "Relly" Award for Junior Achiever of the Year from the
Regis and Kelly show in the US in September 2003.
The
enormous success of the Potter franchise doesn't seem to faze the young
actor. He has stated that he never watches his performances once
the premieres are over and, in order to stay focused and grounded, does
not pay attention to his own press.
"To
this day I have never ever read a word that has been printed about me
or the films - and I never ever watch interviews I have given on
television."
Playing
the worlds most beloved young wizard has had another side effect - Dan
has earned quite a large female following recently, which is doubtless
set to increase this year! He has received thousands of letters,
but does he consider himself a heartthrob? Comes the modest reply:
"Personally I can't see it, but if other people can, fine. Cool!"
Unfogging The Future
What
next for the remarkably mature young thesp, whose exquisite manners,
talent and charm have cast such a spell over the cinematic world?
The press delights in speculation regarding how long Dan and his
friends will remain in their current roles post-'Goblet of Fire'.
(Mike Newell is set to direct this fourth installment and filming
begans in Spring 2004.) At this stage, future casting
remains just speculation, as the children are growing at the same rate
as their fictional counterparts. However, Dan has wisely refused to
commit.
"At the moment, Im just looking forward to playing Harry for the fourth (film), because its such a fantastic book."
Of
course, the fifth Harry Potter book was released last June and Dan
loved it. He commented that it was difficult not to imagine
himself as Harry when reading it!
"There
are lots of interesting parts but I thought the detention scenes
between Harry and Professor Umbridge were particularly dark."
In
the longer term, Dan has expressed an interest in writing and in
directing. We could possibly be following Dan's progress behind the
camera in years to come. So does he intend to continue
acting in the future? Does he have any preference with regard to
role or genre?
"I would consider doing any part as long as the script is good and the film has an interesting director."
As an experienced actor, Dan is well aware of whats important in the film industry!
Adapted from:
DanRadcliffe.com
