When Daniel Radcliffe Said It Would Be 'Weird' To Imagine Another Actor As Harry Potter

Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who became synonymous with Harry Potter, has repeatedly mentioned that he is done with the role. Despite his decision to step away from playing the iconic character, Radcliffe once opened up about the mixed emotions he might have if someone else took on the role. He described the idea as “weird." In 2015, when J.K. Rowling announced the two-part play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Radcliffe reportedly made it clear he wasn’t interested in reprising his role.

He admitted during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that it would feel strange to see another actor step into Harry Potter’s shoes. The now 35-year-old actor had shared, “I’m getting asked a lot, ‘Would you play him?’ and I’m like, ‘No.’ But it would be very weird to see someone else play him."

At the time, Radcliffe was too young to portray Harry in the play, which is set 19 years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The storyline focuses on Harry’s youngest son, Albus. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child premiered in London’s West End during the summer of 2016. Radcliffe also chose to keep his distance from the Fantastic Beasts series, though he praised the actors involved in the franchise, reports Entertainment Tonight.

In a more recent interview with E! News, Radcliffe, who also brought the boy wizard to life in all eight films from 2001 to 2011, shared his excitement about the upcoming Harry Potter TV series. However, he firmly stated that he had no intention of returning to the role.

Radcliffe expressed his happiness about the film franchise being revived as a TV series, but he declined to be involved in HBO Max’s adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s work. He plans to watch it just like everyone else.

Watch it here:

The series is expected to air in 2026.

Since leaving the Wizarding World behind, Daniel Radcliffe has explored a variety of genres and formats, including action, musicals, and adventure. His latest appearance was in The Lost City, where he starred alongside Sandra Bullock, Brad Pitt, and Channing Tatum, playing the antagonist. Up next, he’ll be seen in Now You See Me 3.