Daniel Radcliffe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Radcliffe
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Radcliffe at the 2022 New York Comic Con
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Daniel Jacob Radcliffe
23 July 1989 London, England
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| Other names | Jacob Gershon (pen name) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1999–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Partner(s) | Erin Darke (2012–present) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
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Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. He became famous at age 12 for playing Harry Potter in the film series. He starred in all the films, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). This role made him one of the world's highest-paid actors.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born in Hammersmith, London, England, on 23 July 1989. He is the only child of Marcia Jeannine Gresham and Alan George Radcliffe. His mother has Jewish roots from different European countries. His father grew up in a Protestant family in Northern Ireland. Daniel explored his family history in a BBC show called Who Do You Think You Are? in 2019. Both of Daniel's parents acted when they were children.
Daniel went to three private schools for boys in London. After the first Harry Potter film came out, school became difficult for him. Some students were not friendly. As his acting career grew, he continued his education with tutors on set. He has said he wasn't a great student and found school work "really difficult". He passed three AS level exams in 2006. However, he decided not to go to university. He knew he wanted to be an actor and writer, and felt it would be hard to have a normal college life.
Career Highlights
Acting Debut and Early Roles (1999–2001)
Daniel first wanted to act when he was five years old. He got his first acting job at age ten in a BBC One TV show. It was a two-part story based on the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield (1999). He played the main character as a young boy. His first movie role was in The Tailor of Panama (2001). This American spy film was quite successful.
Becoming a Star with Harry Potter (2001–2011)
In 2000, producer David Heyman met Daniel and asked him to audition for Harry Potter. This was for the film based on J. K. Rowling's best-selling book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Rowling wanted an unknown British actor for the role. The director, Chris Columbus, saw Daniel in David Copperfield and knew he was the right choice. After many auditions, Daniel was chosen. Rowling agreed, saying she couldn't imagine a better Harry.
Daniel's parents first said no to the offer. They heard it would involve six films shot in Los Angeles. But Warner Bros. offered a two-film contract with filming in the UK. Daniel wasn't sure if he would do more than two Harry Potter movies at the time.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone came out in 2001. Daniel earned a lot of money for the role, but he said the fee wasn't that important to him. His parents invested the money for him. The film was very popular and got good reviews. Critics noticed Daniel's performance. One critic said, "Radcliffe is the embodiment of every reader's imagination."
A year later, Daniel starred in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This was the second film in the series. Reviewers liked the actors' performances. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) was the third film. Some critics felt his co-star Emma Watson had to help carry his performance. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) was very successful. Daniel thought the humor helped make the film great.
There was some doubt about the future of the series. Daniel, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint weren't sure about continuing their roles. But by March 2007, Daniel signed on for the last films. He played Harry for the fifth time in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). Daniel said working with director David Yates and co-star Imelda Staunton made this film the "most fun." His acting earned him several award nominations. He won the 2008 National Movie Award for "Best Male Performance." Daniel, Rupert, and Emma left hand, foot, and wand prints in Hollywood. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth film, was released in July 2009.
The last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was split into two films. This was done for financial and story reasons. Some fans didn't like this idea. But Daniel said it would have been impossible to fit the whole book into one movie.
The two final films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2, came out in November 2010 and July 2011. Part 1 earned $960 million, and Part 2 earned over $1.3 billion worldwide. Part 2 was highly praised by critics, and so was Daniel's acting. One critic asked, "Who could have predicted that Radcliffe, Grint and Watson would turn out to be good actors?"
Daniel knows that some people will always see him as Harry Potter. However, he is "proud to be associated with this film series forever." He has no interest in making more Harry Potter films. When asked about an eighth book, he said it was "very doubtful." He felt "10 years is a long time to spend with one character." Despite spending so much time on the series, Daniel believes he had a good childhood. He said, "I've been given a much better perspective on life by doing Potter."
Stage Debut and Independent Films (2002–2018)
In 2002, Daniel first acted on stage in a West End show called The Play What I Wrote. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also acted with him in a Harry Potter film. He also appeared in the film December Boys (2007), an Australian drama about four orphans. In 2006, a portrait of Daniel was shown at the National Portrait Gallery.
In 2007, Daniel starred with Carey Mulligan in My Boy Jack, a TV drama. He played an eighteen-year-old who goes missing in a battle during World War I. Critics mostly liked the film and praised Daniel's performance. He said, "For many people my age, the First World War is just a topic in a history book." Later that year, he published some poems under the pen name Jacob Gershon.
At age seventeen, Daniel wanted to show he could play adult roles. He starred in a play called Equus in the West End. He played Alan Strang, a stable boy obsessed with horses. The play was very popular, selling over £1.7 million in tickets before it even opened. Equus opened in February 2007. Daniel's performance was highly praised. Critics were impressed by his different kind of role. The play then moved to Broadway in New York in September 2008. Daniel continued in the lead role. He was nervous about performing on Broadway. His performance was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.
After lending his voice to The Simpsons in 2010, Daniel starred in a Broadway musical in 2011. It was a show called How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Both Daniel and the show received good reviews. USA Today said Daniel "succeeds not by overshadowing his fellow cast members, but by working in conscientious harmony with them." His performance earned him several award nominations.
Daniel's first project after Harry Potter was the 2012 horror film The Woman in Black. He played a man who experiences strange events and hauntings. He said he was "incredibly excited" to be part of the film.
In 2013, he played American poet Allen Ginsberg in the film Kill Your Darlings. He also starred in a romantic comedy called The F Word and a dark fantasy horror film called Horns. Both films were shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Also in 2013, Daniel performed in the play The Cripple of Inishmaan. He won an award for Best Actor in a Play for this role.
Daniel starred as Igor in the science fiction horror film Victor Frankenstein (2015). He also played Sam Houser, a founder of Rockstar Games, in the film The Gamechangers.
In 2016, Daniel was in the action film Now You See Me 2. He played a smart, wealthy villain who dislikes magic. He also starred in the indie film Swiss Army Man. That same year, he was in the independent film Imperium. He played Nate Foster, an FBI agent who goes undercover to stop a white supremacy group. The film was well-received.
In 2017, he starred as Yossi Ghinsberg in the thriller Jungle, based on a true story. In 2018, Daniel starred in the action-thriller Beast of Burden. He also returned to Broadway in the comedy play The Lifespan of a Fact.
Career Expansion (2019–present)
Since 2019, Daniel has starred as Craig in the TBS comedy series Miracle Workers. He also voiced Rex Dasher in the animated film Playmobil: The Movie. In 2020, Daniel starred in the action comedy film Guns Akimbo. He also played Tim Jenkin in the thriller film Escape from Pretoria, based on a real prison escape in South Africa. He appeared as Prince Frederick in the Netflix special Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Daniel reunited with many Harry Potter cast members for an HBO Max special in 2022. He also played the villain in the action-adventure comedy film The Lost City. He portrayed musician "Weird Al" Yankovic in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, a funny biographical film. For this role, he received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
In 2022, Daniel returned to the stage in the musical Merrily We Roll Along. He played Charley Kringas. The show was very popular and moved to Broadway. For his performance, Daniel won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Daniel will also star in an upcoming film called Batso.
Other Ventures
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Daniel Radcliffe supports many charities. He designed a special cube-bed for a furniture company. All the money from its sales went to Demelza House Children's Hospice. He has asked fans to donate to this charity instead of giving him Christmas presents. In 2008, he gave his old glasses to an exhibit honoring victims of the Holocaust. He also auctioned off items to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He has also donated to Get Connected UK, a helpline for young people.
Views and Personal Life
Political and Social Views
Daniel Radcliffe supports the Labour Party in the UK. He believes the British monarchy should be replaced with a republic. This means the country would be led by an elected president instead of a king or queen. He also supports British unionism. This means he likes the UK staying together as it is, and he was against the idea of Scotland becoming independent in 2014.
Personal Life
Daniel lives in both London and New York City. He has been in a relationship with American actress Erin Darke since 2012. They met while filming Kill Your Darlings. In March 2023, it was announced they were expecting their first child. Their child was born the following month.
In 2008, Daniel shared that he has a mild form of dyspraxia. This is a neurological condition that can sometimes make simple tasks like writing or tying shoelaces difficult.
Daniel enjoys hip hop music. He likes to memorize complicated, fast songs with many lyrics. In 2014, he rapped the song "Alphabet Aerobics" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Daniel earned a lot of money from the Harry Potter films. He was reported to have earned £1 million for the first film and about £15 million for the sixth. In 2006, he was listed as one of the richest young people in the UK. By 2009, he was considered the richest teenager in England. As of 2021, his net worth is estimated at £95 million.
Filmography and Awards
See also
In Spanish: Daniel Radcliffe para niños
