Daniel Radcliffe has extended a warm welcome to the young actor set to inherit his most famous role, revealing he sent a personal letter to 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin who will lead HBO's highly anticipated Harry Potter television adaptation.
A Magical Passing of the Torch
During a Tuesday appearance on Good Morning America to promote his upcoming Broadway play Every Brilliant Thing, the 36-year-old British actor shared the touching gesture. Radcliffe disclosed that he reached out to his successor through mutual contacts working on the production, sending McLaughlin a note of encouragement.
"I know a few people who are working on the production so I wrote to Dominic and I sent him a letter and he sent me a very sweet note back," Radcliffe recalled during the interview. The actor who originally brought The Boy Who Lived to life in the beloved film series expressed his heartfelt wishes for the newcomer.
"I just wanted to write to him to say, 'I hope you have the best time, and an even better time than I did - I had a great time, but I hope you have an even better time,'" Radcliffe remembered of his message to the young star.
Seeing Himself in the New Generation
Radcliffe couldn't help but reflect on his own experience when seeing images of the new cast members, noting how remarkably young they appear. "And I do, I just see these pictures of him and the other kids and I just want to hug them," the actor added with evident affection.
The parallels between Radcliffe's own journey and McLaughlin's are striking. Radcliffe was also 11 years old when first cast as Harry Potter in 2000, with co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint aged just 10 and 12 respectively at the time.
"I just look at them and say, 'Oh it's crazy I was doing that.' But it's also incredibly sweet and I hope they're having a great time," Radcliffe reflected, showing clear empathy for the young actors embarking on the same life-changing journey he experienced over two decades ago.
The New Wizarding World Ensemble
The upcoming HBO Max series, announced in 2023, promises to be a "decades-long" adaptation with each season based on one of J.K. Rowling's seven bestselling books. Production officially began in July at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK, with an expected debut in 2027.
Joining McLaughlin in the magical ensemble are newcomers Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The adult cast features several notable names including John Lithgow taking over as Albus Dumbledore and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.
Other key casting announcements include Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. Child actor Lox Pratt will portray Harry's rival Draco Malfoy, with Johnny Flynn playing Draco's father Lucius.
Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, emphasized the enduring appeal of the wizarding world in the original announcement, stating: "We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World."
As the new generation of young witches and wizards begins their journey at Hogwarts, they carry with them the goodwill of those who walked the castle corridors before them - including a very special blessing from the original boy who lived.
