Catching Up With Daniel Radcliffe: From Spiderman to ‘Swiss Army Man’
Oct 01, 2016
Actor Interviews, Interviews, J.K. Rowling, Movies, News, Radcliffe, Radcliffe Interviews
Daniel Radcliffe has been cropping up all over the news lately. He’s being flooded with questions about Imperium and Swiss Army Man with both being released last month, and has even been asked to weigh in on the US Presidential Elections and comment on his Irish heritage – it’s a crazy life!
Dan’s been busy promoting Imperium and starring in upcoming thriller, Jungle. He just finished his role in London play Privacy last month, and has been reflecting on the projects he would have liked to be a part of – namely, Spiderman:
“I would’ve been a good Spider-Man, but the boat has sailed on that and I’m very happy to watch Tom Holland do it. He’s fantastic.”
Dan told the Metro he loves superhero movies, but also implied another reason for seeking out mainly independent films: he was tied to Potter for years, and said he’s unsure he’d sign up to another long-term franchise:
“I’m not sure if I’d sign up for something that was another seven or eight films or ten years, but a shorter franchise, yeah.”
“You’ve only got three minutes to talk. You can’t give an accurate impression of Swiss Army Man in three minutes. And people fixate on the farting, which makes you want to go: “Yeah, but it’s also really beautiful and weird, and there’s nothing else like it.””“If I had to burn every other scene I’ve ever done in my career and leave one, it would be the bus scene in Swiss Army Man. It’s the best six minutes I’ve ever been involved with onscreen.”
“If you want something that is ultimately one of the weirdest films you’ve ever seen, but joyous, entertaining, stupid and beautiful, see Swiss Army Man. If you’re after a tense thriller with a more traditional narrative, go for Imperium”
“I’m lucky because my English agent has known me and worked with me since I was 10. She’s one of my dad’s best friends and she has a very good sense of what I like and what I don’t. The medium doesn’t matter to me as long as the work is interesting. I don’t really care if it’s TV or a play or an indie movie. I just want to find projects that allow me to do something that I haven’t done before.”
Some fans may have noted Dan’s appearance in the TV show Bojack Horseman. He also loves the series, and gave a general shoutout to easy-watching TV:
“Radcliffe describes his sensibility as “a bit eccentric or magic realist” and was, accordingly, delighted to play himself in the deliciously dark animated show Bojack Horseman.
“The best writing about fame and depression I know,” he gushes. “It’s so sad. I also love Rick and Morty. I find it really hard to get the time to watch TV shows. The only entire series I’ve got through in recent years are Fargo and Stranger Things. But I can always find time for half an hour of animation. Especially those shows. They’re very cool.””
When asked about his Irish heritage (his father is Irish), he expressed that identifying as Irish and Jewish was mainly down to feeling a personal connection to those cultures:
“Just for the record, I’m not one of those awful people who runs around shouting about being Irish on St Paddy’s Day. I’m certainly not religious. But I’ve always had an awareness and pride about those two cultures and histories. And I always felt a little bit different from most people around me.”
“A lot of child actors grow up to be working actors with no issues. But obviously headlines focus on the worst stuff, the scandalous stuff. I’m lucky because I love acting. I love being on a set, I love what I do. Some day I hope to be an old actor on a set. And I know I’ll still be happy. If you’re in it for the fame, you won’t be happy for long, because it doesn’t last.
“The main problem for a lot of child stars is not really the drink or drugs. Those things can happen to anybody. The main problem is building an identity that is not linked to being famous. It’s dangerous to grow up constantly exposed to the perception that everyone else has of you.”
“I sort of think Donald Trump might not be as ideologically pure as Voldemort,” he said. “My thing on Trump is that he feels like more of an opportunist — like I don’t know how much of this stuff he’s saying he actually, really, really believes.
“But that comparison is certainly not without its merits”
Daniel Radcliffe has revealed why Donald Trump and Voldemort aren’t so similar to @SkyCinema?’s Craig Dillon https://t.co/xiUe9BPc40
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 27, 2016
He’s received questions about America’s presidential debate before, and it seems in this case Dan acknowledges the obvious differences between Voldemort and Trump (i.e. murder, literal lack of a soul, Trump’s followers don’t have to get tattoos and masks), and is taking this to be more of an abstract comparison between the soulless, horcrux trigger-happy Dark Lord and the Republican candidate. Before he has more overtly dealt with his concerns about racism, and the implications of Trump being President. He may not be able to vote, but given the huge media coverage of the election, it’s no surprise Dan and Rowling have strong opinions on the upcoming event.
Keep posted for more updates on Dan’s upcoming films. Imperium was released in the UK 23rd September, and Swiss Army Man hit cinemas yesterday, 30th September!
