Daniel Radcliffe Reveals Why He Disappoints 'Harry Potter' Fans

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Daniel Radcliffe has revealed the reason why Harry Potter fans are often left disappointed after meeting him.

During an Oct. 30 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Radcliffe, who portrayed the boy wizard in all eight Harry Potter films, confessed that when meeting younger fans who have only recently discovered the franchise they’re often taken aback by his age.

During the show, Clarkson shared that she spoiled the illusion of animated films for her children after they discovered she voiced a character in 2019’s UglyDolls. “It broke the wall. It was kind of intensely sad,” she explained.

34-year-old Radcliffe then joked that he does that to kids “on a regular basis” when they realize he’s no longer of Hogwarts age. “They’re like, ‘You’re old now! What happened?’” he added. “I’m like, ‘I’m sorry.’”

Radcliffe Jokes About Being Over 30

Radcliffe previously commented on fans’ reactions to his age back in 2021. Answering questions for Wired at the time, he shared how people respond when discovering that he’s now over the age of 30.

“I recently turned 32. When I tell people that I am 30, people, they go sort of pale,” Radcliffe joked. “They look like Inception at the beach at the end when they’ve aged a thousand years. Just like that.”

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Radcliffe Is Now A Father

What may come as a surprise to some Harry Potter fans, not only is the actor approaching his mid-thirties, but Radcliffe is now also a father after welcoming his first child with longtime girlfriend Erin Darke in April 2023.

Radcliffe previously discussed the possibility of one day becoming a parent in Oct. 2022, telling Newsweek that he would love to see his children work in the movie industry.

“I want my kids, if and when they exist, I would love them to be around film sets,” he said at the time. “A dream would be for them to come onto a film set and be like ‘God, you know, I’d love to be in the art department. I’d love to be something in the crew.’”

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His Harry Potter Days Are Behind Him

Radcliffe starred in all eight Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2011, last portraying “the boy who lived” more than ten years ago in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

Speaking to Deadline in June, Radcliffe was asked if he’d consider reprising the famed role in Max’s forthcoming Harry Potter TV series. “I don’t think so, no,” he replied. “Certainly from everything I’ve read about the series ... they’re starting fresh and it’d probably be weird to have me pop in.”