Daniel Radcliffe stepped in front of the camera at the age of 12, and since then, he has achieved global fame. The Kill Your Darlings actor has matured over the years, but for some fans, it’s still difficult to envision him in roles other than Harry Potter. Recently, the 34-year-old actor welcomed a baby with his longtime girlfriend, Erin Darke.

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in the franchise

Despite being considered a Hollywood heartthrob by some people, including his first two film’s director Chris Columbus, the Escape from Pretoria actor wasn’t so sure about that.

Was Daniel Radcliffe the Heartthrob of Harry Potter Fans?

Robert Pattinson and Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe was introduced as the titular character in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Chris Columbus, who directed the film, witnessed the child actors becoming mature actors. Columbus noted that after the first film, Tom Felton became the heartthrob because everybody loved a bad boy. Yet, the director believed that the second movie changed the heartthrob status from Felton to Radcliffe, who had become a mature action-adventure hero.

Reflecting on this newfound heartthrob status, the Now You See Me 2 actor doubted whether he truly fit the description due to his awkward and reserved nature. He humorously remarked:

“If girls like me, it has not been proven yet. OK, I go to the red carpet in Tokyo and thousands of girls scream at me… but the me that sits in a darkened room watching cricket for eight hours with a bowl of pasta in his underwear and socks is not quite so attractive to girls.”

Furthermore, The Lost City actor believed that there were other heroes on set who exuded much more charm than he did. Radcliffe was referring to his Goblet of Fire co-star Robert Pattinson, who later achieved fame through the Twilight movie series.

Daniel Radcliffe Struggled to Land Rom-Com Lead Roles After Harry Potter

Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan in a still from What If

Daniel Radcliffe pursued acting as a serious career, evident from the diverse roles he chose after Harry Potter. However, the Weird: The Al Yankovic Story actor encountered difficulties in breaking away from his Harry Potter character, as many could only associate him with the wizard. During a promotional interview for his movie What If, Radcliffe was asked about taking on an unconventional rom-com character. The Woman in Black actor recounted:

“And so eventually I got bored of hearing that and kind of picked someone up on it, so I was like ‘What about me is unconventional, exactly? Like, tell me.’ And she said, ‘Well, I think it’s probably the fact that you know, we associated you with playing Harry, the young boy wizard.’ My immediate response to that was: ‘Well, the male population had no problem s*x.u.a.l.i.z.i.n.g Emma Watson immediately.’”

Radcliffe has disproven the expectations of those who believed he would be typecast into action-adventure fantasy roles. Through his critically acclaimed performances, the Guns Akimbo actor proves to be a versatile talent worthy of greater and more diverse projects in the future.