Daniel Radcliffe says his son has 'no idea' he’s a famous actor and wants to keep it that way
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Actor Daniel Radcliffe revealed that his three-year-old son has no awareness that he is one of the world's most recognizable actors, speaking about the moment in an interview published on Saturday, May 31.
The 'Harry Potter' star shared a recent experience that revealed just how little his child understands about his father's career, while also reflecting on the difficulty of explaining acting to a young child and his hope to keep the celebrity status a mystery for as long as possible.
Daniel Radcliffe recalls son's reaction after seeing him on TV
While speaking to PEOPLE, Radcliffe recalled a recent incident that took place while he and longtime partner Erin Darke were watching the Winter Olympics. The actor stepped out of the room just as a trailer for his Broadway show 'Every Brilliant Thing' appeared on television.
Describing his son's reaction, he said, “The other day, me and my girlfriend were watching the Winter Olympics, and I left the room and there was a trailer for the thing I did on Broadway last year, and he just saw me come out onto the stage and was like, ‘Dada?’”
The actor explained that the moment left his son confused about how his father could suddenly appear on television. “He was like, ‘How? What?’ So he's got no concept [of my fame] at all. He's got no idea,” Radcliffe said.
The experience reinforced how difficult it is to explain acting to a child, with Radcliffe admitting that other professions are much easier for children to understand. “I think it’s a really weird thing to explain to a kid, because most jobs, there’s a thing you can point to and go, ‘This is what Mommy does, this is what Daddy does.’ Like, if you’re a policeman, it’s easier."
He continued, "If you’re a firefighter, if you’re a doctor, those are all jobs that he’s becoming aware of as concepts." He further added, “I’ve tried to explain, ‘Well, there are stories and books and TV, and there are people that act those stories out, and Daddy is one of those people,’ but I don’t think he’s there yet.”
Because of that, he said, “I think I’m going to keep him in the dark for as long as possible.”
Daniel Radcliffe opens up about fatherhood with Erin Darke
He and Darke welcomed their son in April 2023. The couple, who met while filming 'Kill Your Darlings' in 2012, have largely kept their family life private and have not publicly revealed their son's name. He has previously spoken about the impact fatherhood has had on him.
In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Radcliffe described the experience by saying, “It’s great. It’s crazy and intense, but he’s wonderful and Erin’s amazing — it’s a real privilege also to have this time with him.”
He also spoke about intentionally stepping back from work to spend time with his family.
“I’ve always tried to take a lot of time off between jobs, but this is the first time where I’m like, ‘No, I’m just not going to work for a while.’ And it’s lovely,” Radcliffe said at the time. He also added, “I’m very fortunate that I’m in a position where I can do that because I think a lot of people are not. So I’m really just enjoying spending time with him.”
Although Radcliffe recently completed his Broadway run in 'Every Brilliant Thing,' which earned him a Tony Award nomination, he made clear that his current focus is family life.
