It’s also rather poignant that the original Boy Who Lived is handing over the wand to the next generation. However, as it’s been well over two decades since the release of the first installment of the Harry Potter series, which introduced the world to a wide-eyed young boy from Privet Drive, Daniel Radcliffe is stepping aside, albeit graciously, as the next Boy Who Lived is about to take flight.
In an interview with ComicBook, as he promoted his new comedy series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Radcliffe let the world know that he had contacted 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin, the new Boy Who Lived, shortly after he landed the role in the new Harry Potter TV series, which will be produced by HBO.
Daniel Radcliffe says Dominic McLaughlin “will be better than me”
However, as is characteristic of Radcliffe, he did not simply call the young actor without an invitation. Instead, he made a rather classy request of the producers of the new series, Warner Bros. and HBO. He simply wanted to know the name of the young actor playing the role of the Boy Who Lived as soon as it was appropriate. “All I said was, ‘I would love to write the boy playing Harry,'” Radcliffe said. “When you have his name, if you could send me his name… I don’t need anything in advance; just let me know when it is appropriate to write to him to congratulate him and wish him luck.”
In the latest exclusive with ComicBook, he said the new Harry Potter HBO series has convinced him to make a major change in his relationship with the press. Since he doesn’t want to take the shine away from the new child stars, Radcliffe won’t talk about Harry Potter in interviews in the near future. “I’m very happy there’s going to be a whole other group of people to field the answers to Harry Potter questions; I am going to start passing those questions over in a few years.”
Once the casting of McLaughlin had been announced, Radcliffe wrote him a personal letter saying he hoped he would have an even better time playing the character than he had over his ten-year experience. The outcome was a “very sweet note” that Radcliffe said he felt really touched by, especially seeing pictures of McLaughlin with his co-stars Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout, realizing he just wants to hug them because they are so young, just like he was at that time.
Radcliffe has been very humble regarding the reboot, going so far as to say on his most recent visit to Good Morning America that he knows McLaughlin will be “better than me.” It is a remarkable statement coming from a man who had eight films and a whole generation of Harry Potter fans behind him, but maybe that is the magic of knowing how to step away to let a new beginning occur.
