Daniel Radcliffe is starring as "Weird Al" Yankovic in a new biopic, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and he's the perfect actor for the role. Radcliffe has amassed an eclectic filmography throughout his career, playing everything from the titular boy wizard in Harry Potter to a flatulent corpse in Swiss Army Man. Based on Radcliffe's past and most recent films, it's no surprise that he chose to portray Weird Al for his next venture.
Alfred Mathew Yankovic, better known as "Weird Al" Yankovic, is best known for being a parodist, crafting his own hilarious spins on hits from Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Dr. Dre, among others. He's also acted and lent his voice to a number of movies and television shows, including BoJack Horseman, American Dad!, and Where's Waldo? Directed by Eric Appel, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will detail Weird Al's early life and rise to fame.
Daniel Radcliffe is no stranger to bizarre and quirky roles, and that's what makes him the best choice to step into Weird Al's shoes. Since his Harry Potter days, Radcliffe has gravitated to weird and eccentric projects and consistently embraced unconventional roles, excelling at off-beat comedy. Films like the aforementioned Swiss Army Man, Horns, and Guns Akimbo have showcased his breadth and talent in handling different genres, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is just another opportunity for him to flex his acting and comedic chops. The real-life Weird Al is has had a career as eccentric and unconventional as Radcliffe. This blend of comedy and eccentricity is what makes Radcliffe the perfect actor for the part.
In a 2021 interview with Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings), Radcliffe spoke on the opportunities Harry Potter was able to afford him, saying, "The financial success thing, that’s done. So just do things that make you happy." (source: Empire via NME) In playing Harry Potter, Radcliffe was given the creative freedom to choose what films he truly wanted to participate in and allowed him the chance to subvert expectations of anyone who could only see him as one character. Indeed, Radcliffe has taken roles, particularly in indie projects, that are a far cry from Potter and played them well.
Daniel Radcliffe's portrayal as "Weird Al" Yankovic will likely be another career-defining role for him and deliver plenty of laughs, especially with Yankovic as a co-writer. In addition to Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will feature Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) as Madonna and Rainn Wilson (The Office) as Dr. Demento. With an all-star cast, the Roku Channel original will hopefully do Weird Al's prolific career justice.