daniel radcliffe

Biography

Career

At age five, Radcliffe expressed a desire to act. In December 1999, he made his first on-screen appearance as the title character in the BBC's televised version of the Dickens novel David Copperfield, portraying the title character as a young boy.

In 1999, Radcliffe was selected to portray the wizard Harry Potter in the big-budget adaptations of the popular book series by J.K. Rowling following auditions involving thousands of applicants. Radcliffe's first theatrical film appearance was in 2001 in a small supporting role in The Tailor of Panama; his first film as Potter, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (released in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), was released later that year and became what was then the second highest grossing film of all time.

In 2002, Radcliffe reprised his role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Co-starring was Kenneth Branagh, who that same year directed the stage production, The Play What I Wrote, in which Radcliffe made an appearance. In 2004 and 2005, Radcliffe returned to the Potter franchise in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The films continued to produce high box office results and were considered successful worldwide.

Radcliffe's next release will be the independent Australian film, December Boys. Filming on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix began in early 2006, and the film is currently scheduled for release in 2007. In 2007, Radcliffe will appear in a revival of the play Equus, written by Peter Shaffer, in which he will play Alan Strang, a stable boy who becomes obsessed with his horses. During the course of the play, Radcliffe is set to appear nude which, given the actor's age, has attracted some media attention.^[2] He has also announced that he will appear as Rudyard Kipling's son in the ITV drama My Boy Jack, starting filming in July 2007.^[3] He also appeared, as himself, in the second series of the British sitcom Extras.

At the age of 16, Radcliffe became the youngest non-royal ever to have an individual portrait in England's National Portrait Gallery. He was only 14 when he posed for artist Stuart Pearson Wright while on a break from filming Harry Potter. On 13 April 2006, his portrait was unveiled as part of a new exhibition opening at London's Royal National Theatre and then moved to the National Portrait Gallery where it currently resides.^[4]

Personal life

Radcliffe was born in Fulham, London, the only child of Alan Radcliffe (a literary agent) and Marcia Gresham (a casting agent, who was involved in several films for the BBC). They have two dogs named Binka and Nugget.

He was previously educated at Sussex House School, Knightsbridge, and is currently educated at the public City of London School. He achieved straight A grades in his three AS-levels he sat for in 2006, ^[5] and will now take a break from education in the academic year 2006/07 to focus on his acting career.

Radcliffe plays bass guitar (he was taught by Gary Oldman) and is a rock music fan who admires a diverse lineup of bands, from The Beatles to Arctic Monkeys. ^[6] As well as being a fan of Fulham Football Club, Radcliffe was a follower of Formula One Racing. While on set, to keep busy, he enjoys playing table tennis and video games with his cast members.

Radcliffe's personal fortune has now exceeded GB £23 million making him one of the richest teenagers in the United Kingdom. ^[7] He is reported to have earned approximately £150,000 for the first Potter film, around £5.6 million for the fourth film, and is expected to earn more than £8 million for the next film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. ^[8] Radcliffe has been a supporter of various charities, including Demelza House Children's Hospice, to which he has requested fans make donations in lieu of sending him birthday presents.

Acting Credits

Awards

Nominations

2006

• Best Young Actor (Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards)
• Actor of the Year (AOL Moviefone Moviegoer Awards)
• Best Performance by a Young Actor (Saturn Awards)
• Best Hero (MTV Movie Awards)
• Best On-Screen Team (with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint; MTV Movie Awards)

2005

• Best Performance by a Young Actor (Saturn Awards)
• Best Young Actor (Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards)

2003

• Best Performance by a Young Actor (Saturn Awards)
• Best Acting Ensemble (Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards)
• Most Unforgettable Scene (for the scene "Harry Battles The Basilisk" in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) (American Moviegoer Awards)

2002

• Best Performance by a Young Actor (Saturn Awards)
• Best Young Preformer (Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards)
• Breakthrough Male Performance (MTV Movie Awards)
• Best Newcomer (Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards)
• Best Debut (with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint) (Sony Ericsson Empire Awards)
• Outstanding Actor (American Moviegoer Awards)
• Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actor (Young Artist Awards)
• Best Ensemble in a Feature Film (with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint Young Artist Awards)

Wins

2006

• Best Actor (Cine Awards, Belgium)
• Best Male Film Star (Gold): Otto Awards, 2006

2005

• Best Young Actor (SyFy Portal's SyFy Genre Awards)

2004

• Top 10 Child Stars (RTL Television, Germany)
• Best Breakthrough Male Actor (Star Channel Star Awards, Japan)
• Best Junior Achiever (for viewers' favorite under-16 guest on the show Relly Awards)
• Young Talent of the Year (ITV Celebrity Awards)
• Best Movie Actor (K-Zone Kids Awards, Philippines)
• Best Film Star/Actor (Dutch Kids Choice Awards)

2003

• Best Young Actor (SyFy Portal's SyFy Genre Awards)
• Best Actor (Roadshow Cinema Grand Prix Awards, Japan)

2002

• Person of the Year (Time For Kids)
• Targa d'Oro ("Gold Plate", David di Donatello Awards)
• Outstanding New Talent (Sir James Carreras Award for the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards)

2001

• Male Youth Discovery of the Year (Hollywood Women's Press Club)

References

Footnotes

Web sites

• Daniel Radcliffe at the Internet Movie Database
• DanRadcliffe.com: Unofficial site, works with Warner Bros. and Daniel Radcliffe & family
• DanRadcliffe.co.uk Unofficial site with contributions from Daniel & family
• Radcliffe interview, 2005, Aced Magazine