'I'm just his dad': Daniel Radcliffe says he’d stop his son from knowing he's famous if he could

Daniel Radcliffe opened up about raising his 3-year-old son with Erin Darke and why he treasures being seen only as Dad
Daniel Radcliffe spoke about fatherhood and raising his young son at the 79th Tony Awards (Dia Dipasupil/Staff, Getty Images)
Daniel Radcliffe spoke about fatherhood and raising his young son at the 79th Tony Awards (Dia Dipasupil/Staff, Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Daniel Radcliffe is cherishing his role as a father and says he wouldn't trade it for anything.

The 'Harry Potter' star opened up about life with his son, whom he shares with longtime partner Erin Darke, revealing that he is fully embracing this stage of parenthood.

Speaking at the 2026 Tony Awards, Radcliffe admitted that if he could, he would stop his son from ever knowing that he is a famous actor. The actor explained that he loves being seen simply as "Dad" and described this chapter of his life as "a beautiful phase," one he hopes to hold on to for as long as possible.

Daniel Radcliffe says being 'dad' matters more than fame

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 01: Daniel Radcliffe speaks during the US Premiere Of Weird: The Al Ya
Daniel Radcliffe attended the US premiere of 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' in Brooklyn, New York, in 2022 (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The Roku Channel)

While discussing life with his 3-year-old son, Radcliffe revealed that he hopes to hold on to a stage where his child knows him only as a father. The 'Harry Potter' star also joked about a future moment he is not looking forward to.

"God forbid he ever watches the film where me and his mom met on, because it's just.. it's just going to be an awkward watch for a variety of reasons for him," Daniel continued. "Honestly, if I could stop him from ever knowing I was an actor or famous, I would do that."

As he explained, "I'm in this beautiful phase right now where I'm just his dad to him and nothing else, and I'm gonna hang on to that for as long as possible." Radcliffe also shared that his son has influenced him in unexpected ways, including his approach to work.

Daniel Radcliffe says he missed his son more than his son missed him

(L-R) Erin Darke and Daniel Radcliffe attend the
Erin Darke and Daniel Radcliffe attended the premiere of 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' at TIFF in 2022 (Araya Doheny/Getty Images)

Radcliffe opened up about balancing work and family life. The one-man show required him to perform eight shows over six days each week, making time away from his 3-year-old son particularly difficult.

Although Radcliffe appreciated having his days free to spend with his child, he admitted that the demanding schedule eventually took a toll.

"There's some ways in which theater is great for having a kid," Daniel told E! News. "You get so much time during the day to be with them, but the six days a week that gets tough eventually and like I really missed him."

The actor then joked that his son seemed far less affected by the separation, adding, "He was fine, he didn't miss me."

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