After a stroke of fate that led him past 16,000 hopefuls to win the role of a lifetime, actor Daniel Radcliffe was propelled into international stardom as the titular boy magician in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (2001). Thanks in part to Radcliffe, legions of readers and moviegoers worldwide helped make Harry Potter one of the most successful franchises in film history. Radcliffes dead-on portrayal of J.K. Rowlings bespectacled young wizard made him one of the most recognizable and highest-paid actors of his generation. The award-winning actor appeared in all eight Harry Potter installments, all of which were transatlantic blockbusters. Easily one of the most famous child actors to emerge from near obscurity, Radcliffe was at the peak of the Potter-mania considered to be one of Britains richest teenagers. In fear of forever being typecast, however, he attempted to leave his boy wonder image behind with a controversial performance in the London stage revival of Equus (2007), in which where he played a disturbed young stable hand who blinds horses. Radcliffes emotionally charged performance drew audiences and established him as a serious actor, while Harry Potter cemented his place in cinema history.
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born on July 23, 1989 in Fulham, London, England, where he was the only child of Alan, a literary agent, and Marcia, a casting agent. After voicing his desire to be an actor at age five, he began performing small parts in school productions. In 1999, he made his professional acting debut in the BBCs two-part adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel, David Copperfield, portraying the title character as a young boy. A few years later, he landed a small role in the spy drama The Tailor of Panama (2001), starring Pierce Brosnan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Though Radcliffes parents were loath about a showbiz career for their son, they nonetheless allowed him to pursue his dream. Fate intervened one night in 2000, when Radcliffe and his father were seeing a performance of Stones in His Pockets in a West End theater. Also in attendance was producer David Heyman, a friend of Radcliffes father, and screenwriter Steve Kloves. Both were searching for a young actor to play Harry Potter were auditioning some 16,000 hopefuls. Heyman was struck by Radcliffes striking resemblance to the Harry on the books covers, leading him to persuade his parents to let him try out for the role.
Following several callbacks, Radcliffe became titular lead character in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (2001), after beating out numerous seasoned young actors. Radcliffe was overwhelmed by the news to the point that he broke down and cried. Meanwhile, the author herself gave Radcliffe her seal of approval when she reportedly said that she felt it was like being reunited with her long-lost son when she saw his screen test. Upon its release, The Sorcerers Stone became a box office smash, earning almost $1 billion when all was said and done, while making Radcliffe and his two co-stars, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, international stars. Both critics and audiences were delighted with Radcliffes performance in a role that many felt he was born to play. The young actor suddenly found himself on the cover of countless magazines in the United States and the United Kingdom, while he became very much in demand for interviews. Filming of its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), started just days after the first film was released. Though it made less money than its predecessor, The Chamber of Secrets was still a huge blockbuster hit.
Following the success of the first two installments, Radcliffe was signed on to star in the remaining five adaptations. The next, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) was considered by some to be the best of the bunch, thanks to Alfonso Cuar
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