SnitchSeeker.com - Dan Radcliffe talks Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows book & more

Daniel Radcliffe was interviewed recently by Mexico's Tu magazine (the scans from which can be seen here). In it, he discusses Harry's journey in Half-Blood Prince, his reaction to reading Deathly Hallows, Equus and much more.

Quote:

Hello Daniel, how are you? How’s the promotion for the sixth film going?
Hello! Greetings to Mexico! Everything is going incredibly well. We’re receiving press from all over the world to tell them about The Half Blood Prince.

Tell us everything about this movie.
It’s been wonderful, the movie in general is wonderful. Since we started shooting and when we finally saw it on the big screen, everything has been fantastic. David Yates is working with us for the second time. Order of the Phoenix was also under his direction. It was amazing to work with him again. He knows the story so he gave it perfect continuity.

What is your favorite thing about this new movie?
Wow, so many things! It’s great, it’s been definitely a great experience. Acting with Michael Gambon, who plays Dumbledore. Even though I had worked with him in the previous movies, this time around we were working together the first four months of filming. Definitely our relationship grew stronger, onscreen and off screen.

What will Harry face this time?
Harry is 16 and he’s facing amazing battles, not just as a wizard but as a young guy who discovers love. During his first 5 years in Hogwarts he only received lessons from Dumbledore. Now the lesson changes and they become partners in many adventures. Potter is the soldier and Dumbledore is like the General. This is when he’s finally facing Voldemort.

Do you have any fun anecdotes from the set?
Michael Gambon is one of the most respected actors of his generation, but he’s one of the least serious actors (laughs). It seems that he’s never focused, he’s chatting with everyone all the time, joking around, teasing people, eating. But when they say “action!”, he transforms himself completely into this character, just in the same tone of voice in which he left the character the last time. While the rest of us need a few moments to connect with the character, he doesn’t need anything, he’s a genius.

And what do you mean by Harry finally being able to deal with love?
I see where you’re going! (laughs), you want details from Hogwarts this school year. Harry finds out that he’s very attracted to Ginny. But it’s not going to be easy to start a relationship with the sister of his best friend, so there’s tension and he’s a very reserved guy. Ron, however, gets to have an explosive and fantastic romance with Lavender Brown.

What did you think when you found out about the end of the story?
Uff, it was sad because when a movie was over a new book came out, but this time when I turned the last page and closed the book it felt so different. I stayed still, held my breath and said “that’s it”. It was shocking, because even though we have two more movies to film, I’m aware that there’s an ending. It’s one of the best series ever taken to film and I’m lucky enough to be part of it.

Now that you know how the story ends, how is Daniel planning to say goodbye to Harry?
That’s a tough question! I have no idea, I haven’t taken the time to think about it. Luckily, there’s still some time before everything is over, so I’ll have the time to think about it. It’s been weird because, even though I’ve done other movies and I’ve played other characters completely different to Harry, I know I always have to come back and give life to this wizard kid, but it’s true, the time will come when I have to say goodbye to him.

Is it hard for you to separate yourself from Harry?
I’ve never really had a problem with it. In a few occasions, like any other actor, if the character is angry I prepare myself mentally and I look for things that make me angry as Daniel, to be able to play them off onscreen. There’s times when before the cut I’m still angry after a while. Those are the tools and techniques that you need to give life to a character, but in reality is not a big problem.

You’ve given a personal touch to Harry and he’s left part of himself on you. Is it scary to be labeled as Harry Potter forever?
I know it’s something that can happen, and I take it as it is. In the end of the day, playing Harry has placed me where I am, and I really don’t see anything wrong in people remembering me as the boy with a wand, glasses and a scar on his forehead. However, I think that there’s two kinds of people, those who want to see me as an actor who plays different characters, and those who will always see me as Harry. And I’m not bothered by it, I’ve been the face of this character for eight years. I just hope that writers, directors and casting agents belong to the first group of people I mentioned.

In Prisoner of Azkaban you worked with director Alfonso Cuarón. What was the experience like for you?
Fun and amazing. It was what Harry, Ron and Hermione needed to transition to adolescence. He gave us freedom, we chose our own wardrobe and that made us feel more real and close to the characters. It was a great experience.

Have you gotten tired of playing the same character for such a long time?
Not really, because in every movie there’s a different challenge. And I think that if that happened it would reflect poorly on the movie. Besides, from the beginning I thought the story was so interesting, full of shades and colors and adventures and so many situations and it’s not easy to get bored with them as an actor.

If you didn’t play Harry, who would you like to see playing him?
I would love it if Freddie Highmore did it. He’s a natural talent and he’s 14 now. I think his career is very interesting because I've know him since he was born. His parents and my parents have been friends for over 20 years, in fact, his mom is my agent.

You like to face challenges, like your role in the play Equus, which has been incredibly different from everything you’ve done so far. What can you say about this whole experience?
I like to learn and I hope I can do this for the rest of my life. There’s nothing more enriching, personally and professionally. Equus was an amazing experience, it’s different to act with a live audience so close to you. This play has been very satisfying for me, first in London, then on Broadway. Many people could take away the whole wizard image.

You’re 19 years old. How do you handle your daily life after becoming so famous?
If you mean going to a pub, or on a date or to the movies I must confess that at times is complicated because people recognize me. And there’s paparazzi, who can be very intimidating and aggressive. I’m not one of those guys who likes to go clubbing, I hate crowds and I hate electronic music. When I’m not working I go out with my friends, I like to read because I’m an insomniac, I watch TV and I try to have fun.

What kind of music do you like?
I love songs with good lyrics, I have a nice musical background. My parents taught me to love music since I was little, they took me to see musicals on Broadway, so I grew up with them. At 12 I started listening to David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols. These two styles of music are mixed in my head and that’s my idea of good music, someone who’s able to create melodies with sophisticated lyrics.

Source: HarryPotterLA