He’s been an international movie star for decades, but Daniel Radcliffe is far from old. His taste in movies skews toward the classics, but in terms of the typical human lifespan, he has a long way to go. Harry Potter had to grow up quickly, and so did Radcliffe (while also managing a brain disorder that makes everyday tasks difficult). He encountered fame before becoming a teenager, but the still-young Radcliffe felt old when he tried playing Minecraft and saw Olivia Rodrigo meet the president.
Radcliffe ignored his parents’ advice on acting and became a star
Radcliffe knew acting was the career for him at a young age. His mother took him to a play early in life, and he declared his desire to act. Radcliffe’s parents discouraged his acting dream at first, but they took him to his first audition and stood by him when he faced the challenges of fame.
His first role, as Young David in a BBC production of David Copperfield, led directly to Harry Potter. Dame Maggie Smith acted alongside Radcliffe in David Copperfield and recommended him for Harry Potter. The rest is history.
He became a famous child star overnight because of Potter, but Radcliffe felt old when he saw another young star walking the White House halls.
Radcliffe felt old because of ‘watershed moments’ playing ‘Minecraft’ and seeing Olivia Rodrigo at the White House
Radcliffe was born in 1989, so he has quite a ways to go before his 40th birthday. By almost any measure, he’s not old, but Radcliffe felt old twice in his relatively young life. Once was when he first played Minecraft. The other came when he saw Disney star Olivia Rodrigo meet President Joe Biden at the White House.
“Minecraft and Olivia Rodrigo have been two of the, ‘Oh, I’m old,’ moments recently,” Radcliffe told Wired (via YouTube).
“Minecraft, obviously, a few years ago. I was playing with my godson, or attempting to play, and he was like explaining it to me, and I was saying all the old person things of just, like, ‘I don’t get it. How is it a game? When do we — when does it finish?’ It seems very cool, just can’t do it.”
Daniel Radcliffe