Dan Radcliffe, ‘I’m not a particularly sexy person to talk to.’

Check out this amazing interview with Dan Radcliffe! He dishes about the final days of Harry Potter, future projects, his rumored romance with Emma Watson and why he isn’t sexy!

FS: In HBP, Harry is at his least sympathetic as a character, closing everybody off. Does that translate well into film?

DR: For me that happens much more in OOTP than it does here, but you see an element of that in this film. If there’s friction in the camp, its less to do with Harry. There’s certainly an element. Harry is quite happy apart from the stuff with people trying to kill him. But also the love life is awful. That’s what [Rowling] does so brilliantly throughout all the books: to combine the very mundane problems of ordinary life with this incredible other world.

FS: The book really focuses on Harry’s paranoia, presumably that’s also a key theme in the movie…

DR: Absolutely. There’s a great scene in the film where Harry is fretting about Draco Malfoy becoming a member of the Death Eaters. But more than that we have Dumbledore dying, and he knows he has to die, so death’s quite prominent. Its funny, actually. Michael Gambon did camp it up after we found out his character was gay-he wore this pink beard protector thing! Hes so funny. There is some great humour in the film. My favourite scene is seeing Ron do his Quidditch practice. It is totally laugh-out-loud funny!

FS: And, of course, the movie is packed with action , too?

DR: Of course, there are a lot of quite intense action sequences. But when there are just two people sitting down talking, the stakes are very much higher emotionally. Those are my favourite scenes.

FS: Does it leave you with mixed emotions, knowing that , in a few months, it’s all coming to an end?

DR: It will be very odd to be suddenly not doing this any more, because even when I have gone off and done things like Equus or My Boy Jack, there’s been the knowledge that I will be going back to Potter in six or seven months. It does act as a bit of a safety net in a way, and knowing I dont have that will be slightly odd. I will be sad, partially because I am losing the character, but mainly because of the friends I have made and the people I have known during these films. Obviously in the film industry I am probably going to work with most of them again, but not seeing them every day will be very different.l

FS: But you’ll all stay friends?

DR: I think so. There are certain people I know now who I’ll stay in touch with for the rest of my life. Someone said to me this morning,, “Do you think you will ever have a crew reunion?” I don’t think so, but if they did, I’d certainly go. I think a crew reunion is the only one I’d ever be likely go to – I’d never go to a school reunion!

FS: What do you think when you look at the first films and see yourself so young?

DR: I’ve not really watched too much. It is too strange. One day maybe I will look and think “Oh GOD!” Or maybe it’ll be great. I dont know. I am sure there’ll always be a certain amount of cringing at my own performance. I should try, and if I have come a long way since then I can take the positive side of it. But it is a little embarrassing to see yourself that young.

FS: Have things changed for you since doing Equus?

DR: Yes, I think they have slightly. Hopefully, that it is the beginning of a quite a long process of being seen in something other than Harry, which is great. Harry is brilliant and I enjoy playing him, but obviously I do want to open myself up to something else other than that character. And yes, Equus did seem to mark a bit of a change- everybody was expecting and hoping that I’d fail, and as I didn’t, it slightly compounded that bizarre choice!

FS: The ITV movie, My Boy Jack, must’ve felt very different too?

DR: I did have a brilliant time filming it and it did seem to go down very well, so I was thrilled with that. And also, I had always been aware that this world of Potter is much slower moving than most film sets, so it was great to do something challenging, not just in terms of the part I played, but in terms of the way I had t do it- we had to shoot about seven scenes a day some days. There was one day we had to shoot and entire scene, with two pages of dialogue, in an hour! I was absolutely in my element, because I was really getting in and moving stuff around and I was probably hindering everybody- but I really felt as if I was being a help, as though I knew what I was doing!

FS: Last September you were in Equus on Broadway. were you nervous about doing that again?

DR: Yes. Definitely. I think the important thing was, we couldnt go in with the attitude of “We’ve been a hit in London, this is guaranteed.” We had to go there and start from scratch, basically, and we had to try and create something, not just as good, but actually something even better, because in theory the more you do something the better you should become at it. We had a substantial break from it, so we were able to go back with clear heads. Also, I think the show was better because Richard Griffiths was even better. Richard was phenomenal in London, but he was actually hampered by a few physical ailments. he had a bad knee and sciatica and a terrible chest infection and all kinds of things going on.

FS: Your acting roles have been rather intense of late. when you’re between projects do you just sleep in late and slob around?

DR: I’m very much a day person, which is great, but it really annoys the night people. I’ve never really minded getting up early. I think you get used to it, because I had to do it for Potter for so long. Also, I barely slept properly as a kid. The reason I ‘ve got no siblings is that I slept so terribly when I was younger. I didnt really have a proper nights sleep until I was about seven years old. I was just totally hyperactive. Ive kind of mellowed out a bit now, but I’m still quite energized and jump around a lot – which annoys me more than anyone else. I just get really annoyed with myself because I cant stop moving and talking.

FS: No coffee and fizzy drinks then?

DR: Tea and coffee are a very, very bad idea for me. Only as a last resort will I have coffee. I have tea when I’m away from home. Its part of making a point that you are English when you’re abroad; by saying, “I’ll have some tea, please” , you are enforcing a national stereotype. But if you ask for it in Japan, they essentially give you milk-its terrible! For me, Twinnings, please. Stephen Fry!

FS: What about going out? What kind of things do you like to do?

DR: I like karaoke. I always try and do “Rock’n'Roll Suicide” by David Bowie. God, I blew them away at the Equus wrap party! They were going to have karaoke all night and I’d been saying, “No, no way. I’d rather eat my young. I am not going to get on stage and do it tonight.” But then, not even that late, about 11 o’clock, Will Kemp, who was playing one of the show’s horses, came up to me and said, “Come on” And I said , “Fine, all right. You’ve been on at me all night.” And I did it, and I really love it. I sang three songs. They couldn’t get me down.

FS: But being a professional performer, a film actor… well, it’s a weird life, isn’t it?

DR: There are some wonderful things you get in America; it is very much like Crufts- they say, “You are all right for grooming at 10:30!” And you have a ‘talent handler’. Things like that are very, very odd. Actually, there are two things most actors hate and I rather enjoy. One is doing interviews and another is ADR [Additonal Dialogue Recording] where you dub a lot of film again because a plane went over your line or you were just crap. Most actors really despise ADR, but I quite enjoy it. It’s all about how you go into things, What the mindset is when you take something on. If you come up to the interviews and think, “Oh, Christ, here’s an eight-hour slog answering the same questions again over and over, ” Of course, you are going to have a horrible day. But if you go into it thinking, “Right, I’m going to meet a lot of people. With a bit of luck some of them will be nutters and lunatics; that will be great, I’ll be entertained. Some of the really crazy ones are not for me. There is one woman who was absolutely glorious. Last year, at the press junket, she actually sat on Rupert’s lap!

FS: It must be an unusual thing, though, especially for someone so young: a stranger coming in and asking you a load of personal questions…

DR: You mind it less and less. As an actor, your main resource is people and the people around you and the people you are going to meet. I’m actually – and I don’t want you to feel weird- but I’m studying you as much as you are me, in a weird kind of way. I remember I was talking to somebody once and they told me halfway through the conversation that they were a psychiatrist. From that point on I didnt want to talk to them anymore, and [ have them] analyzing me, damn it!

FS: Do you find fame intrusive? Potter fans can be enthusiastic- especially in America…

DR: There is something unique about America. I think the place where you notice Americans most is in England because the difference is, English people will very, very rarely travel to America to see someone, but Americans always come over. They come over to premieres, and it’s that level of dedication, support, commitment- fanaticism if you like. So yes, in America there’s a big difference in the crowds, in the audiences. It’s very hard to define, but there’s an incredible positivity about them and it’s kind of frightening in a way, because it’s such a large country, and with such a huge population,there’s always going to be lots of people who like what you are doing. It would be very easy to lose sight of whether what you are doing is actually good, or whether these are just people who are obsessed with HP and will love him whatever you do.

FS: As you get older, are you becoming more aware of being considered a lust object?

DR: The lust thing generally stops when they meet me, when they talk to me, because I’m not a particularly sexy person to talk to. I don’t think I’m a sexy person to look at- some people do, but it’s when you talk to me that I’m NOT cool. I have a cool taste in music, I think; ex-girlfriends have told me that. That’s quite sexy. But they are EX-girlfriends. Also, I like weird things. I like stupid random facts. I like trivia. I like conversation. I’m crap at that sort of cool small talk. I’m not good at chit-chat. I can’t do pick up lines. I know a guy who would lower his voice when he met girls. It pissed me off. I’d be like, “What sort of dick are you?” But he got loads of girls, so who had the last laugh?

FS: Yes, but you had the infamous ‘over-excited girl in towel’ incident….

DR: The sign she was holding. Did you hear that one?

FS: Was it ‘The Future Mrs. Radcliffe’ ?

DR: No. Different girl. The towel girl was very attractive. The sign meant nothing to me at the time. It said: ‘Nothing comes between me and Harry Potter’….

FS: People are always asking about Emma Watson and boyfriends….

DR: They probably DO ask her more than me. I do get asked occasionally. I get asked more by people that I meet rather than by journalists. They are often a bit embarrassed to ask me that question. Journalists just like to write it sometimes. I remember on Valentine’s Day there was a story about me and Emma being on a romantic date. It was just a lie. No trust in it. We were about 60 miles apart at that point! I once heard a quote about journalists. There was an Australian journalist who went swimming in shark infested waters and when he got out, everyone said, “Gosh! How did they not attack you?” He said , “I believe it’s called professional courtesy.” I remember we were doing a press conference- Rupert, me and Emma. She was sat to my right and there was a photographer stationed alongside her. Every time I looked over, she was taking a photo of me looking at Emma. I actually stopped looking at her towards the end. It was very, very strange.

FS: When you meet new people is there ever a sense of mistrust about their motives? Do you worry that they just want to be friends with Harry Potter?

DR: The thing is , if they just wanted to be friends with Harry Potter it’s less of a problem. If it’s wanting to make friends with Harry Potter so they can tell stories about him, that’s the killer one that you have to be careful of. Actually, you DO put the boundaries up with people for a long time before you actually start talking more freely with them, and, ultimately, you have to trust you own instincts and know that most people will have a price. So as long as you are aware of these kinds of things…it is not a pleasant way to have to view people, but it’s a fact. It was Richard Bacon’s best friend who sold him out, I think. I don’t judge it on age.

FS: But do you find it difficult relating to people your own age? Non-actors?

DR: One of my best friends has known me since i was five years old, and i have a great friend called Jessie who is about my age. I do find myself meeting people sometimes and becoming bored with the conversation by the fact that I have just nothing in common with them. It’s very strange but you just do. The thing with people my own age is that they do usually talk about the people they know, and as I am outside the circle and I don’t know many people, I’m kind of lost, really. So I try to turn the conversation.

FS: That sounds isolating, but you come across as a really happy person…

DR: Only after I’ve just killed someone! No, I always do come across as a happy person. I’m as happy as the next person and I’m as sad as the next person. I don’t want people to see me as this irritating happy-go-lucky person. If I’m angry, what I do to exorcise a lot of it is I write it down. I like poetry. I find that helpful.

FS: Who’s your hero?

DR: It’s mad. I met the whole of the English cricket team. It was amazing. Most of them were lovely. The most amazing thing for me was meeting Sachin Tendulkar. They have the practice pitch at Lords and he’d been in the nets and was walking outside, and there were these three guys who were obviously supporting the West Indies standing there roaring at him. All I had on me was a nine of diamonds card because I had a pack of cards on me-it’s a test match, there’s time to spare! And so I felt really bad- people do this to me- I kind of rammed it in the guy’s face and said, “Excuse me. Would you sign it?” It was brilliant because he’s short as well. He’s five foot five iinches, exactly my height, so it was brilliant meeting him, and then thinking there’s hope yet for my cricket career! And then there was meeting Andy Strauss. Amazing. I guess the way i feel is the way somem people feel about me. It’s amazing, this flattery!

FS: And you’re now attached to the forthcoming film about Dan Eldon, the photojournalist who was beaten to death in Mogadishu in1993…

DR: There’s lots of stuff flying around about this at the moment. I am absolutely attached to it and it would be amazing to play the part of Dan Eldon, but people are making assumptions about when it’s going to happen. It won’t be happening, I imagine, for a little while yet…it’s very early stages. Basically, the story is about a photojournalist who grew up in Africa and discovered a passion and a gift for photography. Ultimately, to put it simplistically, he got caught up in something which led to his death.

FS: There are reports that Dan Eldon’s mum chose you over other actors. That’s amazing approval….

DR: That is amazing, if it’s true….I have no idea if that’s true or not. I met some of his family and talked about him with them not long ago, and they showed me some of his diaries, which he film will be partially based on, and they’re incredible. Each book- and there has to be about 20, I guess- they are so thick and they have got bits of rice sellotaped in and fuse wire coming out of them and stuff. It’s kind of amazing. someone who died very, very young but seemed to live a full a life as anybody could have done who reached a ripe old age…here

Great interview!

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