Yeah, you got it right: Daniel Radcliffe, a multimillionaire with a hugely successful
film career, was mistaken for a homeless person in New York.
The actor, most famous for playing Harry Potter in the eight-film franchise, was waiting for
his girlfriend while she was in a shop. He was with their dog, and it was
so cold that Daniel knelt down to warm the dog, but a guy who was passing by saw another
scene in it – apparently, the scene where a freezing homeless man is sitting on his
knees near a dog.
Does the 30-year-old… Wait, is he already 30?! Anyway, does
Daniel Radcliffe look that bad? We doubt it.
But indeed, it might be hard to recognize “the boy who lived” in him now. He’s
rather “the man who keeps living” after at least ten years of being associated with
one and only film character. In fact, he hates his status of the “Harry Potter” star.
Moreover, he recently came out saying that the role of Harry Potter caused his problems
with alcohol.
You’ve probably have heard it already, but we still have some things to surprise you
with. Radcliffe’s addiction story is more complicated than it seems at first sight.
Daniel dealt with the addiction but did he deal with the reasons behind it?
Keep watching the video to get the answer to this question and subscribe to Rumour Juice
YouTube channel to discover other exciting celebrity stories.
The actor began drinking at 18 while working on “Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince”,
but some fans presume he could have started drinking even earlier. Radcliffe said in an
interview with The Telegraph that booze helped him to cope with the pressures of fame. The
actor also admitted once that he has an addictive personality.
Eventually, drinking rituals, aimed to release the pressure, turned into the party lifestyle.
However, this lifestyle didn’t really suit Daniel: he blacked out nearly every time he
got drunk. In other words, he was suffering from dreadful hangovers more than having fun.
While still working on the last “Harry Potter” films, he had a bad habit of appearing on
the set drunk from the night before. Here’s how Radcliffe commented on that:
“I can point to many scenes where I’m just gone. Dead behind the eyes.”
In his early twenties, Daniel became a recluse who would only drink at home. He feared if
he went to a bar, the tabloids could capture a photo of him doing something inappropriate.
In 2012 this fear came true. Reportedly, Radcliffe was kicked out of a New York City bar due
to an alcohol-fueled fight that he got into with a DJ. Bystanders at the bar said that
the actor was drinking heavily and after the fight, he was asked to leave by the management.
It was quite a scandal! Daniel tried to justify himself by claiming that his drinking problems
and this situation, in particular, were caused by the panic that the Harry Potter franchise
was over. But wait, wasn’t Harry Potter the reason why the actor started drinking?
Well, yeah, it’s tricky. The story of Daniel’s alcohol addiction was actually a complete
controversy. On the one hand, he was drinking because he couldn’t deal with the pitfalls
of crazy fame. But on the other hand, he was drinking because of the fear of being forgotten
when the franchise was over. At the time when the bar accident occurred, Daniel simply didn’t
know what to do after his time as Harry Potter wrapped up. He also explained the pressures
he felt while appearing on BBC Radio:
“A lot of drinking that happened towards the end of Potter and for a little bit after
it finished was a panic. A panic of not being comfortable enough in who I was to remain
sober.”
All of this scared him greatly. He didn’t want to become an actual alcoholic, and so
the actor put down the booze. Then Daniel tried to enjoy his newfound sobriety, which,
of course, wasn’t an easy thing to do.
The actor credits his family and close friends, including “Harry Potter” co-stars Tom
Felton and Emma Watson, for keeping him grounded.
Within the last seven years, Daniel informed many interviewers that he enjoyed being sober
more than he ever enjoyed being drunk. It turned out that his personality was better
suited to having a conversation with his friends, or taking long walks, or reading for hours
rather than going out and partying.
The actor is currently starring in Alan Cumming’s new play, called “Endgame”. Daniel says
he really enjoys working in theatre:
"It's hard work and gives me a lot of confidence to know that I'm not entirely the product
of editors and producers and that I can do it on my own and exist outside of that.”
Besides, Radcliffe continues to move far away from Hogwarts with a true-life prison drama
“Escape From Pretoria”. Radcliffe spoke to Variety about this film and confirmed that
he won’t be reprising his role as Harry Potter anytime soon. He also added:
“I like what my life is now. I’m not saying that I’ll never go back into any franchise,
but I like the flexibility that I have with my career now. And I don’t want to get into
a situation where I’m signed up for one series for years in advance.”
Despite the insecurities that came along with fame, Radcliffe also said he doesn't regret
taking on the role of a lifetime. He seems to enjoy his life without alcohol-containing
potions and hangover spells, so we can only be happy for the actor.