Daniel Radcliffe reveals funny moment son spotted him on TV for the first time

Daniel Radcliffe is determined to keep fame out of his young son’s life for as long as possible.

The Harry Potter star recently shared a humorous parenting moment involving his three-year-old son, revealing that the child still has no real understanding of his father’s career — a situation Radcliffe hopes continues for years to come.

Speaking to People, the 36-year-old actor recalled an incident while watching the Winter Olympics with longtime partner Erin Darke. After Radcliffe briefly left the room, a television advertisement for his Broadway production Every Brilliant Thing appeared on screen.

His son immediately noticed.

“I had walked out of the room, and suddenly the ad for the show came up,” Radcliffe said. “He just goes, with the tone of voice that was like, ‘I’m not crazy, right?’ He just goes, ‘Dada?’ Then he was like, ‘Did he leave?’ because he thought because I left the room that I had then suddenly appeared on the TV.”

The actor joked that explaining acting to a child remains one of the profession’s biggest challenges.

“You know your job is a bulls--- job when you can’t describe it to a child,” he said. “You can explain policeman and fireman and doctor. But when you get to acting, you’re like, ‘Yeah, we tell stories.’”

For now, Radcliffe says his son remains blissfully unaware of his father’s global fame.

“He’s truly so far away from having a concept of what I do, and I’m going to keep him in the dark as long as possible,” he said.

Radcliffe and actress Erin Darke welcomed their son in April 2023 and have largely kept him out of the public eye, including choosing not to reveal his name publicly.

The couple first met while filming Kill Your Darlings in 2012 and have maintained a private family life despite Radcliffe’s worldwide recognition.

The actor has previously spoken about his desire to shield his child from celebrity culture, while still allowing him to experience the creative side of filmmaking.

“I wouldn’t want fame for my kid,” Radcliffe said in an earlier interview, noting that he would be happy if his child one day worked behind the scenes in the entertainment industry rather than seeking the spotlight.

Away from family life, Radcliffe recently concluded his acclaimed Broadway run in Every Brilliant Thing, an interactive production that earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play.

The actor described the role as one of the most challenging of his career because of its heavy audience participation and unpredictable nature.

“Every few years, I want to do something that really scares the s--- out of me,” he said. “Doing something you're afraid of jolts you out of your complacency.”

Despite having already won a Tony Award for Merrily We Roll Along in 2024, Radcliffe said the unique connection forged with audiences during Every Brilliant Thing made the experience especially meaningful.

“I will never get to do something like this again,” he said. “I’ll forever be grateful for it.”