A
December Boys junket and question & answer session were recently held in New York City and New York - both of which Dan Radcliffe attended. Transcripts for both are now online and can be read
here and
here.
Quote:
Press: “Daniel, the parts that you’ve played so far, outside of the Harry Potter universe, what kind of sexuality in some aspect your characters are discovering their sensuality. I’m curious if you’ve ever considered playing gay character from the aspect of being an actor.”
Daniel: “I’d never play a gay character just for the sake of playing a gay character. If the script was good, and it was a good gay character then, I’m 18, and so the parts I’m going to be getting will be open for around that age range. And around that age range is when people are exploring sexuality, so those are the parts I think I will be involved in.”
Quote:
Moderator: Dan, you have a line in the film where you say: “I don’t want to be adopted. I like things the way they are.” Do you think your character was truthful in that?
Daniel: I genuinely think he means it. I really do feel that. I think its Shawshank Redemption where a guy gets out of prison and kills himself because he can’t cope with this new life. I think the thought for Maps of things changing that dramatically is too terrifying to actually contemplate. And that’s one of the tragedies in his life. He realizes he’s going to lose the family he has in the other boys, and yet, he’s not going to have a family he can move on to. That was something he was unable, you know, mentally, to get involved in.
Quote:
Girl in back: What was each of your takes on the spirituality in the movie?
Daniel: I’m not a…the spirituality for me wasn’t the main thing about it. I mean I’m not a particularly spiritual or religious person. But for me, it was that. I’d done an interview and somebody’d said that they sort of objected to the religion part of it. But, you know, I can’t see how you could make a film about four boys from a Catholic Orphanage without religion being a factor. (laughter) So that was just something that was gonna be there. And I think it’s a great part of the film and a great part of Maps’ character. The fact that he does believe. I think what’s great about his religion as opposed to Misty’s is that I think Misty’s is on show and he feels he has to show it. Whereas Maps is – he doesn’t really think about it – but it’s totally ingrained within him.