Daniel Radcliffe Biography

Daniel RadcliffeIt seems few people know Daniel Radcliffe as anything other than Harry Potter. But with his acting skills, numerous awards to prove it, and his seamless presence on camera, the cinema-going world is sure to hear more from Radcliffe long after the Harry Potter series comes to a close.Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born July 23, 1989, in Fulham, London, England. His parents are Alan Radcliffe and Marcia Gresham, a literary agent and casting agent respectively. His mother is Jewish, and his father is Protestant. An only child, Radcliffe expressed an interest in acting as early as five years old.To that end, he made his acting debut in December 1999. The BBC put together a television version of David Copperfield, based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name. He worked with many prominent names including Ian McKellen, Bob Hoskins, Imelda Staunton, Tom Wilkinson, and Colin Farrell. He even worked with future Harry Potter co-star Maggie Smith.His next outing was in 2001 with The Tailor of Panama. Based on the John le Carr novel, Radcliffe again worked with some of Hollywood's brightest stars, including Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, and Jamie Lee Curtis.But little did Radcliffe know his entire life would change in just a matter of months. He endured several auditions before finally receiving the call. He had won the coveted role of Harry Potter in the extravagant film production of J K Rowling's novels.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was released in theaters to wild success. All subsequent Harry Potter films were equally successful and well received. Along with other stars Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione), Radcliffe is currently in post-production for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix due out 2007. They are also in pre-production for the next installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.Not surprisingly, the highly commercial series has a way of attracting stars. Many celebrities have appeared in recurring roles or turned in one-film performances, including Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, John Cleese, Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson, Jason Isaacs, and Ralph Fiennes.Refusing to let his fame dwindle with the impending end of the series, Radcliffe has kept busy with other projects as well. In 2006, he starred in the independent film December Boys and is in pre-production for the film My Boy Jack.In his personal life, Radcliffe is a lot like many other teenagers (excluding, of course, the roughly $28 million fortune he's amassed). He enjoys video games, table tennis, punk rock music, and playing bass guitar.Conscious of all he has, Radcliffe urges his fans to donate presents to charities rather than send him gifts on his birthday.

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