Actor Profile: HORNS' Daniel Radcliffe

When you really think about it, up to the final instalment of the Harry Potter franchise, Daniel Radcliffe had devoted almost half of his life to being the titular character. For nearly ten years--ten, glorious, magic-filled years--Radcliffe wore robes and waved wands in the air and played Quidditch (which is SO a word, dictionary). 

We'd have to say you must live under a rock if you haven't heard of Harry Potter by now. And if that is the case well, we also don't feel the need to go in to the entire Harry Potter history for you. You know, since you live under a rock, you probably haven't any access to the internet and aren't reading this anyway. J.K. Rowling is responsible for the books, and characters, that have sparked the imaginations of children and adults alike but it will always be Radcliffe--and his many costars--who will be remembered as the faces, the embodiments, really, of these characters. (Thanks, Warner Bros!)

Awww, you guys, memories!

It didn't take very long in to the franchise before we all started to wonder: what is Daniel Radcliffe going to do when it's all over? He had established himself not as an actor, but as Harry Potter so he would soon be faced with the arduous task of first un-establishing himself as The Boy Who Lived and then establishing himself as an actor all over again. So what did he do? The usual: star in Equus, a stage play about a young man with an unnatural obsession with horses. The play caused a tizzy amongst what seemed like everybody (this WAS our beloved Harry Potter, after all) due to the fact that Radcliffe appeared nude on stage. Despite the tizzy, the play was a huge success and eventually the London production was transferred to Broadway, where Radcliffe reprised his role and was eventually nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor. 

Really, the kid can dance. 

Now that Radcliffe had out attention, we were curious to see what he would do next. Would it involve more horses? After acting in 2007's December Boys (you probably don't even remember it, or maybe haven't heard of it), and wowing Broadway audiences in How To Succeed in Business Without Even Trying with his impressive singing and dancing (seriously, he was amazing), it wasn't until 2012 that Radcliffe appeared in another film and this time, it was a horror film. Wait, what? Yup, Radcliffe starred in the remake of The Woman in Black. Theatres were packed with adorable little Harry Potter fans who went in delighted to see their beloved Radcliffe and left terrified--muahahaha. Er, we mean that The Woman in Black went on to become the highest grossing British horror film in about 20 years. 

Woman in Black still

If a horror film wasn't enough to permanently shake off the wizard robes, Radcliffe is starring in not one, and not two, but three--yes, three!--films at this year's Festival. We've got Horns, a dark horror fantasy based on a Joe Hill novel and directed by Alexandre Aja; The F Word, a romantic comedy from FUBAR director Michael Dowse also starring Zoe Kazan; and Kill Your Darlings, a biopic about the 1940s beat poet generation directed by John Krokidas. 

We'd also like to take this opportunity to point out that Radcliffe, aside from being very down-to-earth and eerily "normal", has an incredible sense of humour, especially about himself. The episode of Extras he guest-starred on is one of the most memorable ("Ready for action!"), and check out this handy guide on How To Be Daniel Radcliffe: 

The thing is, Daniel Radcliffe didn't need to keep acting. Nah, he could have lived comfortably for the rest of forever, surrounded by the little trinkets we know he stole from the Harry Potter sets (Because we totally would have taken at least one Golden Snitch. Okay, two.) and just became part of the phrase, "So what ever happened to that Harry Potter kid?" Instead, he's proven his love for the craft and his incredible talent both on stage and screen. And we have a feeling after this year's Festival, you won't be referring to Daniel Radcliffe as "Harry Potter" any longer. 

Horns still

Solidify your love for amazing cinema, multiple Festival Programmes, AND Daniel Radcliffe by seeing all three of his films at this year's Festival. But, hey, leave the Harry Potter costumes at home, okay? 

HORNS Screening Times:
Friday, Sept 6th, 6:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Sunday, Sept 8th, 1:00 PM SCOTIABANK 4

THE F WORD Screening Times:
Saturday, Sept 7th, 9:00 PM RYERSON
Sunday, Sept 8th, 11:30 AM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

KILL YOUR DARLINGS Screening Times:
Tuesday, Sept 10th, 6:30 PM ROY THOMSON HALL
Wednesday, Sept 11th, 2:30 PM VISA SCREENING ROOM (ELGIN)