Sunday Times Interview

Interviews by Bryan Appleyard and Caroline Scott, 7 October 2001

Every child in Britain dreamt of acting in the Harry Potter film, but only three had the magic touch needed to win them the lead roles.

Harry

Daniel Radcliffe has two talents that he believes were the key to getting the part of Harry Potter. He can make his stomach ripple, and he can play recognizable tunes by tapping on his cheeks. "I thought," he says, "if that doesn't do it, nothing will."

Daniel was born in London, the only child of Marcia Gresham, a casting director, and Alan Radcliffe, a literary agent. Curiously, he never acted in school plays. "I knew I'd do something wrong. I'd be fine during rehearsals, then when all the parents were there, I'd fall down and twist my ankle or something."

But he was a player from an early age: the TV part of David Copperfield came along soon after he failed to get Oliver Twist. Harry is a similar character to both, in that he lacks a proper family: "I seem to have a talent for playing orphans," says Daniel, now aged 12.

He auditioned for Harry in July last year, and a few weeks later he was having a bath when the telephone rang. "My dad picked up the phone in the kitchen. He said, 'Right... okay... yes.' He came up a few minutes later and told me I was going to play Harry Potter. We all cried. That night I woke up at 2:30 and had to wake my dad to ask him if it was a dream."

It was announced at school assembly. "It was only the third time I've been mentioned in assembly. One was bad, and the other was scoring a hat trick for the B team." He keeps in touch with his school friends by having them over as visitors to the set.

Were they jealous? "I don't think so. Everybody has been really nice." When the film comes out, he will be one of the most famous faces in the world. Does he think he can handle it? "It will be cool."

"But I don't think you should regard yourself as famous, because then it goes to your head." I ask him which actors he admires. A list trips off his tongue: "Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cameron Diaz, Renee Zellweger, Kate Hudson..."

He loves being in the same business as his heroes. He is thrilled that he can now watch a film and know how it is done. "The camera loves him," says Chris Columbus, the director.

But Daniel just says, "I don't know what they liked about me," and, as he spots my raised eyebrows: "I don't know, really."