All the ways Daniel Radcliffe has proven he is the best grown up child star-Asyia Iftikhar-Entertainment – Metro

Daniel Radcliffe has been a delightful presence in show business for years (Picture: Getty)

Movie star Daniel Radcliffe has come a long way since his early days in Harry Potter – and we are loving every moment.

While starring as the titular wizard in the children’s fantasy series throughout the 2000s Daniel rapidly accrued global fame as one of the most recognised (and well paid) child actors of the era.

The acting industry has been notoriously exploitative of its child stars, recently illustrated by the documentary Quiet On Set which platformed Nickelodeon alum’s difficult experiences growing up.

Other young actors have also struggled over the years such as Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes and Macaulay Culkin.

But over a decade on from the Warner Bros franchise that made his name, Daniel, 34, has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s used his natural charisma to captivate audiences with his weird and wonderful roles across the stage and screen.

Most recently he landed a Tony Award for his outstanding performance in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway.

Daniel became a household name as the main Harry Potter star (Picture: Warner Bros)

Alongside his unique career trajectory, defined by quirky indie parts, the father-of-one has also been a keen advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and used his platform to talk about his sobriety journey.

In essence, Daniel’s success story is one seldom seen so here’s a trip down memory lane of his best moments over the years.

LGBTQ+ rights advocate

The Miracle Workers actor has long held ties with US non-profit, The Trevor Project, who support LGBTQ+ youth and landed multiple Attitude Awards in his time.

In particular, the British actor has been vocal about his support for the transgender community who have been targeted by toxic public debate in the UK – not least by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

Despite Rowling’s anger, Daniel remains a keen advocate for trans rights (Picture: Wirelmage)

The 58-year-old author’s harmful views on trans women led her to post she would not forgive Daniel after he publicly spoke up in defence of the trans community in a thoughtful essay back in 2020.

But that didn’t deter the Weird Al star who said in a new interview that Rowling made him ‘really sad’.

He added that although his life was changed by her books ‘that doesn’t mean that you owe the things you truly believe to someone else for your entire life.’

King behaviour!

Getting candid about his teetotal lifestyle

The Broadway actor has long been open about quitting drinking (Picture: Getty)

The pressures of fame did catch up to Daniel by the end of his time filming Harry Potter, in his late teens and early 20s.

The Tony-nominated star has previously spoken about his decision to go sober and how it positively impacted his life.

In 2020, Radcliffe shared that his drinking during Deathly Hallows filming was down to ‘panic’ over what to do next and ‘not being comfortable enough in who I was to remain sober’.

Elsewhere he has shared his gratitude to friends and family for helping him on his journey and reflected that he now lives life ‘without dread and fear and it is lovely.’

His lifelong bond with former paralysed stunt double, David Holmes

Daniel and David Holmes share a close bond and starred in a recent documentary together (Picture: Sky)

In 2009, Radcliffe’s stunt double and close friend, David Holmes, became paralysed aged 25 after a workplace accident during filming prep.

Fourteen years later, Daniel brought David’s, 40, inspirational tale to HBO in a 2023 documentary titled The Boy Who Lived.

The tearjerking documentary series offered an intimate look into Daniel and David’s friendship, pre and post-injury and the actor’s commitment to supporting his childhood friend through thick and thin.

Both moving and wholesome.

Playing the quirkiest roles around

Weird Al is just one of the wild roles Daniel has taken in his stride (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

Nothing says pressure like the entire world watching your next move. After Harry Potter, that’s exactly what Daniel encountered.

Yet, he elegantly took it into his stride and has since become known for choosing the wackiest, most fun, roles going.

In 2016, he starred in Swiss Army Man which saw him play a corpse that goes on a bizarre adventure. He also showed off his cabaret skills in his pre-apocalyptic comedy series Miracle Workers which ran until 2023.

Finally, last year he impressed the masses after starring as Weird Al Yankovic in a spoof biopic about the parody artist, opposite Evan Rachel Wood.

His unapologetic approach to acting has placed him fondly in people’s hearts.

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