J.K. Rowling’s words inspired one of Hollywood’s most iconic franchises, which ended more than a decade ago and yet the story of Harry Potter’s magical yet problematic life resonates with so many individuals in a very unique way.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) was the first adaptation of Rowling’s fantasy novel. The reactions it received both financially and otherwise gave the franchise enough fuel to last through seven more movies. In total, the franchise accumulated $ 7.7 billion in worldwide collection.
Going to Hogwarts – a school of wizardry – changed the life of orphaned boy Harry, and off the screen, things changed massively for Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who played the titular role, as well as his co-stars.
Why Daniel Radcliffe’s Co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint Considered Quitting Harry Potter
Harry Potter’s plot starts with Harry enrolling in the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The wizarding world introduces him to different types of characters, and a special few (Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger) become his friends.
Like any other school (just intensify every mundane situation by a hundred times or perhaps more) Harry, Ron, and Hermione had plenty of good moments, learning curves, and a fair share of headwinds. Things were no different for the actors – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson – who played these fan-favorite characters. The trio enjoyed an unimaginable level of attention which at times got so overwhelming that the idea of quitting everything and returning to the comforts of home creeped in.
In 2022, the Hogwarts stars reunited to relive those moments for the show Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts on HBO Max. David Yates, who was the director of four Harry Potter films, revealed that Watson felt like quitting halfway through.
The actress explained further: “I did find a diary entry that was kind of like mm…I could see that at times I was lonely.”
“I think I was scared. I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, this is forever now,” Watson added after Grint asked her if she ever considered quitting.
Grint, now 35, confessed he had moments like that all the way through.
Daniel Radcliffe’s Father Was Worried About the Pressure From the Start
Across many chapters of the franchise, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sail through their broomsticks to fight and flee their problems together. But there were times, the lead face of the series had more problems reserved for him than others.
The same applied outside of Hogwarts, as Radcliffe attracted scrutiny from fans and the media more than any of his co-stars. Turns out, his father, Alan Radcliffe, predicted the same and was accordingly hesitant to let him audition for the part from the very beginning.
Despite all the pressure, the young actor never talked about it with his friends on the set. He said: “We never talked about it on the film because we were all just kids.”
Credit to the trio for continuing to show up until 2012 and complete eight chapters of the special franchise. However, more discussion should take place on the topic of young actors frequently finding themselves in the middle of hundreds of camera flashes.
