Being the face of the “Harry Potter” franchise has its financial perks. But becoming synonymous with a global franchise at age 12 is daunting for a child star, especially when they grow up and try to find their next role.
Daniel Radcliffe told Business Insider he was acutely aware of this as he contemplated his post-“Potter” career moves.
“When fame starts at a young age, you start getting this version of yourself reflected back at you from the world, but in a false mirror where suddenly you’re hearing this perceived version of yourself,” Radcliffe said.
“You have to figure out what actually makes you happy, and then aim for that, and nothing else matters,” he continued.
For Radcliffe, that meant continuing to act, but choosing only the roles that he personally found interesting.
That led to him starring in offbeat, critically acclaimed movies like “Swiss Army Man” and “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” as well as the surprise box-office hit “The Lost City.” He’s also currently starring in the NBC series “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” opposite Tracy Morgan.
But Radcliffe attributes his post-“Potter” success to a move he made near the end of his time on the beloved franchise.
“The best business decision I ever made is suddenly realizing what freedom you have because you’ve been given it by this incredible first job,” he said, noting how playing the lead in the stage play “Equus” in 2007 helped him “from a critical and industry standpoint.”
“I’ve heard from multiple directors since then that even if they didn’t get to see me in ‘Equus,’ hearing that I had done it made people go, ‘Okay, so he wants to be in this more than just a minute,'” Radcliffe said.
The adaptation of the 1973 Paul Shaffer play starred Radcliffe as Alan Strang, a teen who has an intense obsession with horses. When it world premiered on London’s West End, The Telegraph’s review praised Radcliffe’s performance for “throwing off the mantle of Harry Potter” and having “unexpected range and depth.”
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