Daniel Radcliffe says he feels paternal toward the new Harry Potter TV reboot cast

• Daniel Radcliffe said seeing the new Harry Potter cast stirs strong paternal feelings in him
• Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton play Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the HBO reboot
• Radcliffe stopped searching for himself online after a negative experience at age 16 or 17

Daniel Radcliffe has spoken candidly about the deeply personal feelings stirred in him by the upcoming Harry Potter television reboot, admitting he feels surprisingly protective of the young actors now stepping into the iconic roles.

The 36-year-old, best known for his portrayal of the boy wizard across the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling's books, reflected on the experience of watching the new generation begin their own journey in the franchise.

HBO is preparing to release its new small-screen adaptation of the stories, with Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton cast as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger respectively.

"Very paternal feelings"

Speaking on In The Envelope: The Actor's Podcast, Radcliffe described the emotion that overtook him upon seeing images of the young cast. "With all the new Harry Potter stuff, there were definitely some times when I would suddenly see these pictures of these three kids starting their own journey, and it's very surreal and strange and provokes very paternal feelings in me, even though I do not know these children," he said.

He also revealed that Emma Watson, who portrayed Hermione in the original film series, felt much the same way. "I think we all want to reach into the screens and hug them and make sure they're OK and hope that they have a great time," he added.

A strict rule about going online

Despite catching glimpses of the new production through photographs circulating online, Radcliffe maintains a firm personal policy of avoiding any searches about himself on the internet. He acknowledged that this sometimes leaves him caught off guard during press appearances.

"Very often I'll be doing a press line and I'll be asked about something, and I'll have to be like, 'I literally don't know what you're talking about,' because I am not plugged in," he admitted.

The habit stems from an early and formative experience. "I went online for the first time when I was like 16 or 17 and Googled myself, and that was my window into, like, never do that," he recalled.

Pride in Potter, with a kinder perspective

Radcliffe also touched on his evolving relationship with his Harry Potter legacy, noting that whilst he is "very proud" of his work in the films, it has taken time for him to assess his own performances "more kindly" as he has grown older.

Fame was never the point

On the broader subject of celebrity, Radcliffe was equally reflective. He made clear that the trappings of fame have never held much appeal for him personally.

"Becoming famous in the way that I was gave me a really good perspective on fame, which is that it should never be the goal," he said. "If it happens as a by-product of what you're doing, great. I can understand people wanting to be rich. That makes total sense. Life without money is really, really f****** hard. But people wanting to be famous I still don't get!"