Daniel Radcliffe embodied the impossibly popular main character of the Harry Potter film series so well and for so long that, for many people, Daniel Radcliffe is Harry Potter. The actor has worked phenomenally hard, doing multiple unusual and unexpected side projects to shake off the image of the iconic wizard and has succeeded, carving out a niche place in Hollywood for his particular brand of versatility. However, it will be the legacy of Harry Potter that he’ll most likely be remembered for, having spent a decade in the role. During this time he worked alongside hundreds of other cast members, many of whom began, as he did, as children, and grew up in the tumultuous world of movie-making. Understandably, the nature of those relationships changed over the years.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came out in 2001 and thousands of children auditioned for the roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. By August 2000 three child actors were picked, Radcliffe, Rupert Grint (Weasley) and Emma Watson (Granger); plucked from obscurity and catapulted to superstardom overnight, the world of fame would change their lives forever. The film was spectacularly successful and the subsequent seven films, adapted from JK Rowling’s series of six books, would become one of the most well-known and popular movie franchises ever made. The original trio would work through the usual trials and tribulations of becoming teenagers together, under an intense media spotlight. The expected development of teenage relationships, heartbreak and joy would play out in a world where everything is amplified by fame.
This would prove to be more difficult for some than it was for others. During Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, the HBO reunion, it was revealed that Watson nearly chose to leave the franchise after the fifth film. It was also revealed that the long-rumored relationship between her and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) never really existed, despite there being a lot of love between the two. But it was the rumored and real relationships, friendships and fall-outs between Radcliffe and his co-stars that generated the most buzz – here is what was really going on behind the scenes.
Rupert Grint - Ron Weasley
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are pitched as best friends in the Harry Potter universe. The bumbling and kind-hearted Ron is the first person Harry meets on his journey to becoming a wizard and while in the first instance a goof, Ron becomes Harry’s ever-reliable right-hand man, proving his bravery several times over the course of the franchise. Ron Weasley provided the comedy in the movies that contrasted against the overly-serious Harry Potter. In real life, however, they are simply very good friends, rather than "best friends". Radcliffe has reportedly said that he and Grint have barely kept in contact since the series ended with Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2, but in an interview with Ryan Seacrest said "I know that the next time I see Rupert, we'll sit next to each other and chat, and it will be like old times”. Those old times include a shared hatred of their long hair during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Emma Watson – Hermione Granger
Radcliffe and Watson have shared a long and rich friendship from the very beginning of their journey to fame. And unlike his relationship with Grint, Radcliffe still keeps in close contact with Watson. During the Harry Potter HBO reunion in 2022 Watson said that Radcliffe was her support during the media frenzy they both experienced and said (via Vogue) that Radcliffe and her often “calm each other’s nerves”. Despite persistent rumors that the two dated during the filming of the Harry Potter franchise it was simply never the case, with Watson describing their relationship as more of a sibling connection.
Richard Harris and Michael Gambon – Albus Dumbledore
Unfortunately, Radcliffe only appeared in two films with the first iteration of Dumbledore, played wonderfully by Richard Harris in both Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harris died before the second film in the series was released, and Radcliffe said in an interview with Larry King (via DigitalSpy), his loss made filming the sequels less enjoyable. Radcliffe spoke highly of his relationship with Harris as a mentor and said the actor was a great storyteller: "He really was just fantastic to be around and obviously he's greatly missed by everybody." Radcliffe’s favorite memory being when Harris mistook Fawkes the phoenix as a real animal.
Harris would leave some monumentally big shoes to fill and it took an acclaimed veteran such as Michael Gambon to step into them. During the HBO reunion Radcliffe said that Gambon was “always hilarious to be around”, highlighted by an account Radcliffe gave of when Gambon showed him how to wield duel pistols. “I remember he one morning gave me a demonstration of how you would shoot a man in a duel.” he said, “with a 17th century pistol in one hand and his morning coffee in the other!”
Tom Felton – Draco Malfoy
Much like with Grint and Watson, Radcliffe developed a close, friendly relationship with Tom Felton, despite their on-screen characters being bitter rivals. During an interview with Joe, Felton went as far to say that “suffice to say, we’re all family now”. That strong relationship has weathered the test of time and Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton have discussed the possibility of working together again one day. Felton said (via Digital Spy) that "Daniel and I have often joked about the idea of when we do work together again, he'll be the villain and I'll be the hero”.
Alan Rickman – Severus Snape
The tragic hero that is Professor Snape was embodied beautifully by the late Alan Rickman. At first menacing and cruel in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, he ended up providing the biggest twist and character u-turn of the series and arguably any franchise since. His impact on Radcliffe in real life was as powerful and important – and downright emotional – as that of Snape's on Potter’s. Radcliffe revealed just how strong their relationship was during an impassioned post on his Google+ account following Rickman's death. "As an actor, he was one of the first of the adults on Potter to treat me like a peer rather than a child,” said Radcliffe, who reminisced on the lessons Rickman taught him during the filiming of Harry Potter that he keeps to this day. "He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter,” Radcliffe said, “I'm pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in London and New York. He didn't have to do that”.