ACTOR · BORN 1989
Daniel Radcliffe
- Born
- 23 July 1989, Hammersmith, London, England, UK
- Known for
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011), Victor Frankenstein (2015)
40 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Daniel Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an actor best known for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Daniel Radcliffe over the years
40 Interesting Facts About Daniel Radcliffe
Interesting Facts (12)
- #001
Can rotate his arm 360 degrees.
- #002
He originally disliked the "Harry Potter" books when he first read them.
- #003
Has stated that 12 Angry Men (1957) is the first black-and-white film he ever saw and is also his favorite film.
- #004
The Guardian (UK) reported that Radcliffe has published some poetry under the pen name Jacob Gershon. Jacob is his middle name, and Gershon is the original Yiddish name from which his mother's maiden name, Gresham, was derived.
- #005
On July 23, 2007, he appeared on BBC Radio's Test Match Special, from Lords, London, on the final day of the England vs. India test match. It was his 18th birthday and he was a guest on "View from the Boundary" hosted by Jonathan Agnew, the BBC's cricket correspondent. He talked about his career to date, his love of cricket and his admiration for the grit of his favorite player Paul Collingwood. He appeared a second time in 2009 accompanied by fellow Harry Potter cast member Tom Felton who plays Draco Malfoy.
- #006
Has frequently been mistaken for Elijah Wood (and vice versa). Once in Japan, a huge fan handed Radcliffe a photo of Elijah Wood to sign. He wrote, "I am not Elijah Wood, love, Daniel Radcliffe".
- #007
Says he does not read any articles or reviews about himself or his movies.
- #008
Is a huge fan of Gary Oldman, his co-star in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).
- #009
Especially likes the music group Sex Pistols. He also plays the bass guitar.
- #010
Is allergic to Nickel and suffers from Dyspraxia, a motor skills development disorder.
- #011
Is also a huge fan of The Killers and John Wayne.
- #012
Has never actually seen the film The Tailor of Panama (2001) in which he appeared.
Production Story (5)
- #013
Chris Columbus was amazed how beautifully Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint matured over the Harry Potter series, compared to some child actors who start out adorable and then either lose that or become bad actors as they grow older.
- #014
Casting an actor to play Harry Potter was a big challenge; they saw 5000 auditions and none of them felt right. Director Chris Columbus saw Radcliffe in David Copperfield (1999) and showed it to the film's casting director and said Radcliffe was the one and that he was amazing. But she said they wouldn't get him because his parents want him to focus on his schoolwork and not acting, as well as all the attention he'd get. So they interviewed Harry Potters of different nationalities all over the world and still didn't find him. She got frustrated with Columbus because he had his heart set on Radcliffe. By sheer coincidence, the producer and screenwriter of the Philosopher's Stone went to the theatre and in the front row was Radcliffe with his father, so they talked and slowly persuaded him to cast Radcliffe.
- #015
Delays between filming the second and third Harry Potter movies were caused because his parents wanted him to be able to attend normal school for a while.
- #016
When Chris Columbus was asked what type of child he wanted to play Harry Potter, he used a clip of Daniel Radcliffe from David Copperfield (1999) to show them what he wanted.
- #017
David Heyman, the producer for the Harry Potter films happened to be at a play that both Dan and Dan's father, Alan Radcliffe, were at. After Heyman spotted Radcliffe, since both men knew each other, he was introduced to his son and when Heyman saw Daniel he thought he looked perfect for the part. In fact, that night at the play, Heyman couldn't help just staring at Dan because he thought he was perfect to play Harry. Daniel auditioned for and got the part that he is now most recognized for, Harry Potter.
Behind the Scenes (3)
- #018
When he was first cast as Harry Potter, the filmmakers tried using contact lenses to make his eyes appear green; as they are described in the books; rather than their natural blue. Daniel suffered a painful allergic reaction when he tried them on, so the idea was scrapped. The filmmakers then considered digitally altering his eyes in post-production, but knew this would be a tedious process. The filmmakers then approached J.K. Rowling with their problem, and she thankfully told them that it was not essential for Harry to have green eyes, merely that he have his mother's eyes, much to the relief of all involved.
- #019
Dan scared the make-up department crew when he came on set with bloodied sticking plasters on his face claiming that he had been fighting the previous day (just for a laugh).
- #020
Liked to play pranks when he was 10. He took co-star Robbie Coltrane's cellular phone and changed it so all the messages were in Turkish.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #021
He plays the son of Adrian Rawlins in the Harry Potter films. The Woman in Black (2012) is a remake of an earlier film (The Woman in Black (1989)), in which Radcliffe takes over the role originally played by Rawlins.
Career & Awards (7)
- #022
Became the youngest non-royal to have an individual portrait displayed in London's prestigious National Portrait Gallery. Radcliffe was only 14-years-old, when he posed for artist Stuart Pearson Wright during a break from filming Harry Potter.
- #023
In 2008, Dan and the cast of Equus raised $203,746 for the charity, BroadwayCares/EquityFightsAids 20th Gypsy of the Year competition, setting a record for the most ever raised by a Broadway play. They not only beat the amount raised by other Broadway musicals but also came runner up for the best presentation, again beating out every other musical with their own song and dance. (The winning presentation was the Lion King's). Dan wrote and sang the song. http://www.broadwaycares.org/events/gypsy.cfm.
- #024
In the 2003 Comic Relief fundraiser, a lock of Dan's hair sold at auction for 751 British pounds, the highest amount raised.
- #025
In 2018, Radcliffe played a fact-checker in the Broadway play "The Lifespan of a Fact." While promoting the play, he spent some time shadowing real fact-checkers at the New Yorker magazine (which has arguably the most famous fact-checking department of any American magazine). During his time there, he actually fact-checked one real article, Hannah Goldfield's restaurant review titled "Oxomoco Balances Hipster Bait with Mexican Tradition," published in the October 8, 2018, issue. That process, in turn, was recounted in the October 15, 2018, New Yorker article "Daniel Radcliffe and the Art of the Fact-Check: Researching his role in 'The Lifespan of a Fact,' the actor embeds in The New Yorker's fact-checking department" by Michael Schulman. Radcliffe said that before Schulman's article ran, he was first called by a fact-checker to verify that everything in it was true, an experience he characterized as "very meta.".
- #026
Ranked #3 on TV Guide's Top 10 Teen Star Countdown.
- #027
In 2018, Radcliffe played a fact-checker in the Broadway play "The Lifespan of a Fact." While promoting the play, he spent some time shadowing real fact-checkers at the New Yorker magazine (which has arguably the most famous fact-checking department of any American magazine). During his time there, he actually fact-checked one real article, Hannah Goldfield's restaurant review titled "Oxomoco Balances Hipster Bait with Mexican Tradition," published in the October 8, 2018, issue. That process, in turn, was recounted in the October 15, 2018, New Yorker article "Daniel Radcliffe and the Art of the Fact-Check: Researching his role in 'The Lifespan of a Fact,' the actor embeds in The New Yorker's fact-checking department" by Michael Schulman. Radcliffe said that before Schulman's article ran, he was first called by a fact-checker to verify that everything in it was true, an experience he characterized as "very meta.".
- #028
In 2008, Dan and the cast of Equus raised $203,746 for the charity, BroadwayCares/EquityFightsAids 20th Gypsy of the Year competition, setting a record for the most ever raised by a Broadway play. They not only beat the amount raised by other Broadway musicals but also came runner up for the best presentation, again beating out every other musical with their own song and dance. (The winning presentation was the Lion King's). Dan wrote and sang the song. http://www.broadwaycares.org/events/gypsy.cfm.
Life & Family (12)
- #029
His favorite book from the Harry Potter series so far is number three, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
- #030
Revealed in a 2014 interview that he started to develop an alcohol problem while filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), and freely admitted that his performance in the film suffered as a result. He voluntarily got sober in August 2010 on his own when he realized he was becoming too reliant on it for his daily functioning.
- #031
He supports Demelza House Children's Hospice, which is a charity that cares for terminally-ill children in the Kent, East Sussex and South London areas of Britain. Dan always asks his fans to donate to the charity every Christmas and on his birthday instead of sending him gifts. In the book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", the author J.K. Rowling named the character Demelza Robins after the charity.
- #032
The Trevor Project announced that Daniel Radcliffe had made a "major" donation to them and joined their "Circle of Hope", a group of their high-donating supporters. The Trevor Project operates a national (US) crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth (who are four times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual children and teens). The Trevor Project was inspired by the short film Trevor (1994), about a gay boy who attempts suicide; the organization was started by the film's creators in 1998.
- #033
Is a huge fan of mathematician/singer/songwriter Tom Lehrer and can recite his famous "The Elements" song.
- #034
Is the only child of Alan George Radcliffe and Marcia Jeannine Gresham.
- #035
Is a huge fan of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and waited in line for his autograph after the Lords test in July 2007. Sachin obliged without actually looking up.
- #036
Tried reading the first Harry Potter book when he was 8 years old, but was unable to finish it. Finally read the entire book when he was cast in the lead role of the film.
- #037
Does not participate in social media.
- #038
Close friends with David Holmes, who was his stunt double for the first six Harry Potter films.
- #039
Godfather of Misha Handley, who played his son in The Woman in Black (2012).
- #040
On July 23, 2007, he appeared on BBC Radio's Test Match Special, from Lords, London, on the final day of the England vs. India test match. It was his 18th birthday and he was a guest on "View from the Boundary" hosted by Jonathan Agnew, the BBC's cricket correspondent. He talked about his career to date, his love of cricket and his admiration for the grit of his favorite player Paul Collingwood. He appeared a second time in 2009 accompanied by fellow Harry Potter cast member Tom Felton who plays Draco Malfoy.
Related pages
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — Daniel Radcliffe comes up in the facts on that page
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone — Daniel Radcliffe comes up in the facts on that page
Continue through the archive
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work