Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe shares emotional response to next generation

Daniel Radcliffe has opened up on the surreal experience of seeing a new generation of child actors stepping into the world of Harry Potter.

The 36-year-old actor, who became a global icon playing Harry Potter for a decade starting with Philosopher’s Stone in 2001, told People that he, along with former co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, has been reflecting on the unique feeling of witnessing new young actors take on the beloved roles.

“It’s surreal to watch people starting off on that journey, all those years later,” Radcliffe said. “We have all said, you know, you just see pictures of these kids and you just want to grab them and hug them. That’s the impulse that I think that we, mainly, all have.”

Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Tout, and Arabella Stanton have been cast as Harry, Ron, and Hermione in HBO’s upcoming reboot, and the original trio admits seeing their announcement photos and on-set images has been a strange but heartwarming experience.

“It’s one of those where I think we all just know how the others feel, because we’re also feeling it,” Radcliffe added.

Reflecting on his own childhood acting experience, Radcliffe shared how much perspective age has given him. 

“When you’re 11, and you’re doing something, you’re like, ‘Of course, I’m old enough to do this — I’m the oldest I’ve ever been.’ But now when I meet 11-year-olds, I am like, ‘Whoa, that seems nuts.’ It puts it all into perspective,” he said.

He also praised the role his parents played in guiding him through the intensity of early fame. 

“Honestly, it makes me admire — and I do tell them this — my parents, more than I was capable of doing at the time. Just going like, ‘Wow, you got me through something crazy, and you did it with a huge amount of humour.’”

Radcliffe, who recently appeared on stage in Merrily We Roll Along and Every Brilliant Thing, as well as the series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, said watching the next generation of Harry Potter stars has been a mix of nostalgia, admiration, and protective instinct.

“It’s a full-circle moment,” he concluded. “And I think, mainly, we just hope they have the same incredible support that we did.”