Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is quick to walk the other way if he happens to pass the Harry Potter store in New York, which opened last year. Radcliffe was the face of the massively successful young adult fantasy franchise for the entirety of its film run, starring in 8 movies over 10 years. Radcliffe played the titular role of Harry, a neglected and orphaned eleven year old boy who learns that he actually belongs to (and is quite a celebrity in) the wizarding world. 

Since the conclusion of the franchise’s main films with 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Radcliffe has taken some time to truly diversify his acting palate by portraying a wide variety of characters in very different films. He has proved himself time and again as more than his time on Harry Potter. Radcliffe loves a creative challenge, taking a range of roles from an undercover FBI agent in Imperium to a decomposing corpse in Swiss Army Man, to most recently, Weird Al Yankovic in biopic Weird. Preferring to live a pared down life and focus on his projects, he is notorious for his methods of avoiding the paparazzi.

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Currently based in New York, Radcliffe hasn’t quite managed to escape the grasp of his childhood fame. In an interview on the Kelly Clarkson Show, he reveals his reaction to Harry Potter New York, a new store dedicated to all things Harry Potter near the Flatiron building. Here’s what he had to say: 

“They’ve just opened a massive Harry Potter store in New York, and I’ll walk past there and suddenly get there like, ‘Oh no, I’m here, I have to not be here very quickly, I have to run before somebody sees me.’”

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Radcliffe’s amusing reaction is extremely in character - not just for him, but for his Harry Potter character as well. Similar to Radcliffe, Harry was forced to accept his fame in the wizarding world, but did so begrudgingly and avoided the limelight at all costs. One of Harry’s main complaints regarding his stardom was that he was famous for something that happened so long ago, he could hardly remember it. While it’s clear that Radcliffe fondly remembers his time in the franchise, it’s likely he feels similarly to his on-screen persona in terms of having such massive fame for his actions as a child. 

With Radcliffe’s wide range of projects since completing his tenure on Harry Potter, he has long since become known as a talented and multifaceted actor outside of his childhood role. While plenty of viewers still see him as the face of their favorite fantasy series, most acknowledge that there are plenty more credits to his name. In the near future, Radcliffe hopes to make the leap to directing. He recently announced that he has written a screenplay and plans to helm the eventual film, which will be based on his time in Hollywood. One thing's for certain - he will never star in his own film, as he hopes to branch out and try something new. After the fascinating career Radcliffe has led so far, fans will eagerly await his directorial debut, and hopefully let him walk by quietly if they happen to catch him in New York. 

Next: Everything Daniel Radcliffe Has Done Since Playing Harry Potter

Source: Kelly Clarkson Show