At the age of 17, Daniel Radcliffe left behind his wand and broomstick to take on a very different role in the West End revival of Peter Shaffer’s Equus (1973). Some critics have labeled this play as a “psychological drama” and “true tragedy.”

Daniel Radcliffe in a still from Equus

No doubt, Radcliffe’s portrayal in Equus goes beyond his iconic Harry Potter role. In the play, he takes on the character of Alan Strang, a young man who has inexplicably blinded six horses with a metal spike.

In Equus, the role requires the young actor (17) to appear fully nude in an extended scene. The role didn’t seem to bother Radcliffe much, but one strange thing he had to do for that role did.

Daniel Radcliffe Waxed His Ar*e For His Role in Equus

Daniel Radcliffe on stage as Alan Strang

Daniel Radcliffe went the extra mile for his role in Equus back in 2007 (which took place at the Gielgud Theatre). The actor candidly revealed to EMPIRE magazine (via Mirror) that he decided to have his bum waxed for the role. He said:

“When I first did Equus I was very self-conscious about arse hair, so I made the ill-fated decision to have it removed via a process called sugaring.”

Radcliffe revealed:

“[It was] f***ing painful. We don’t doubt that – it doesn’t sound particularly pretty, does it?

Continuing, the actor said:

“I had it done once and I no longer care about my hairy ar*e! But it’s not as bad as you’d think. I’m probably only a six on the arse.”
Even in the Vogue “73 Questions with Daniel Radcliffe,” when the interviewer asked him, “What’s the strangest thing you did to prepare for a role”? The actor replied: “Wax my ar*e”

It looks like the strangest thing the Harry Potter star has done is everywhere, and he is not afraid to admit the fact.

Daniel Radcliffe is Comfortable with On-Screen Nudity

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe is not bothered about scenes involving nudity and sexuality. The British star is comfortable tackling such content as an actor. Radcliffe (who played Allen Ginsberg and had s*x scenes with his co-star Dane DeHaan) discussed the raunchy scenes in Kill Your Darlings. He said to Attitude Magazine (via Digital Spy):

“It’s definitely a lot easier on film than it is on stage.”

The Hollywood star added:

“I wasn’t nervous about the gay stuff [in new movie Kill Your Darlings], I was nervous about the film because I wanted to do a great job and show a lot more of what I can do.”

Despite his early anxieties about his roles, Radcliffe has always embraced new opportunities. He has portrayed some of the memorable roles including Sean in Beast of Burden, Miles Cassonva in Guns Akimbo, Ig Perrier in Horns, and Nate Foster in Imperium.

These are just a few examples of roles that he has done, but the fact is he has really worked hard to establish a career away from the wizardry world.