Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Jacob Radcliffe[1][2] (born 23 July 1989)[3] is an English film, television and stage actor. He is best known for playing school-aged wizard Harry Potter in each of the first five films based on the best-selling Harry Potter book series, and will also appear in the final three films of the series.[4]

Radcliffe was born in Queen Charlotte's Hospital, West London, England,[5] the only child of Alan Radcliffe, a literary agent, and Marcia Gresham (born "Marcia Gresham Jacobson"),[6][7] a casting agent who was involved in several films for the BBC, including The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and, most recently, Walk Away And I Stumble. Radcliffe's mother is Jewish and grew up in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex;[7][8] his father is a Protestant who grew up in Northern Ireland.[9] Radcliffe first expressed a desire to act at the age of five.[10] In December 1999, he made his acting debut in the BBC's televised two-part version of the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield, portraying the title character as a young boy.[11]

Radcliffe was asked to audition for the role of Harry Potter in 2000 by producer David Heyman, while in attendance at a play named Stones in His Pockets in London.[12][13] In August of that year, after several auditions, he was selected to play the role in the big-budget adaptation of the award-winning book series by J.K. Rowling. Rowling herself also approved of this selection: "Having seen Dan Radcliffe's screen test I don't think Chris Columbus could have found a better Harry".[14] Radcliffe made his film debut in 2001 with a supporting role alongside Pierce Brosnan in The Tailor of Panama, and the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (United States title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) was released later that year.