Daniel Radcliffe
Born 1989 · Age 36
English actor best known for portraying Harry Potter; notable for stage work (Equus, Broadway musicals, Merrily We Roll Along) and diverse film/TV roles; active 1999–present.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Daniel Radcliffe and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Fulham, London
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe born at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in Hammersmith, London, only child of Marcia Gresham and Alan Radcliffe.
Expressed desire to act
Radcliffe first expressed a desire to act at age five.
School play acting debut (monkey)
Appeared as a monkey in a school play — one of his earliest acting experiences.
Spotted on David Copperfield tape by Harry Potter producers
Footage of Radcliffe in David Copperfield contributed to his later casting interest for Harry Potter.
Television acting debut — David Copperfield
Made acting debut in BBC One's two-part adaptation of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, portraying the title character as a young boy.
Auditioned for Harry Potter after producer meeting
Producer David Heyman met Radcliffe in 2000 and asked him to audition for Harry Potter; after a series of auditions he was selected.
Cast as Harry Potter (announcement)
Radcliffe was publicly announced/cast in the title role of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (news sources cite August 2000).
Film debut — The Tailor of Panama
Made his film debut in The Tailor of Panama (adaptation of John le Carré novel) prior to Potter's release.
Parents set up financial company (Gilmore Jacobs) to oversee earnings
Reports indicate Radcliffe's parents set up a company to oversee his money after he was cast as Harry; widely reported in biographies (Gilmore Jacobs).
Release — Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
First Harry Potter film released (2001); Radcliffe rose to international fame for portraying Harry Potter.
Release — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Second film in the franchise released; continued to cement Radcliffe's fame.
Release — Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Third film released; critical response included mixed reviews of Radcliffe's performance early on.
Release — Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Fourth film released; was the second-highest grossing Potter film at that time.
Filmed December Boys
Shot Australian family drama December Boys (2005); the film released in mid-September 2007.
AS level exams — achieved A grades
Took three AS level exams in 2006, achieved A grades; then took a break from education and did not attend university.
Sunday Times Rich List — early wealthy young person listing
Appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List (2006) with estimated personal fortune ~£14 million, listing him among the richest young people in the UK.
Portrait unveiled at the National Theatre
A portrait of Radcliffe by Stuart Pearson Wright was unveiled at the National Theatre and later moved to the National Portrait Gallery.
Signed contracts to continue Harry Potter into final films
In March 2007 Radcliffe signed for the final Harry Potter films, ending speculation that Equus might cost him the role.
Release — Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Fifth Potter film released; Radcliffe received several nominations and later won the 2008 National Movie Award for Best Male Performance.
Handprint/wand imprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint left imprints of their hands, feet and wands at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Published poems under pen name Jacob Gershon
Published several poems in the underground fashion magazine Rubbish under the pen name Jacob Gershon.
Opened in Equus (West End)
Starred as Alan Strang in Peter Shaffer's Equus at the Gielgud Theatre; advance sales topped £1.7 million; the role included a nude scene and generated major media interest.
Equus transferred to Broadway (Broadhurst Theatre)
Equus transferred to Broadway in September 2008; Radcliffe continued in the lead role and received a Drama Desk Award nomination.
Revealed he has dyspraxia
Radcliffe revealed he has a mild form of dyspraxia, which sometimes affects basic tasks such as writing.
Donated glasses to Holocaust exhibit
Among several celebrities who donated old glasses to an exhibit honouring victims of the Holocaust.
Auctioned Equus items for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
During the Broadway run of Equus he auctioned clothing and items worn in the show and donated proceeds to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Ranked #1 on Forbes 'Most Valuable Young Stars'
In March 2009 Radcliffe ranked number one on Forbes' Most Valuable Young Stars list.
Daily Telegraph estimated net worth at £30 million
In April 2009 The Daily Telegraph measured his net worth at approximately £30 million.
Started filming Trevor Project PSAs
Began filming public service announcements for The Trevor Project in 2009 to promote awareness of LGBTQ youth suicide prevention; had learned of the organization while performing Equus on Broadway (2008).
Release — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Sixth Potter film released in July 2009; Radcliffe was reported to have earned around £15 million for this film.
Became teetotal (decision announced)
In August 2010 Radcliffe became teetotal after finding himself too reliant on alcohol, particularly during the filming of Half-Blood Prince (note: public statement dates around Aug 2010).
Voice cameo — The Simpsons (Treehouse of Horror XXI)
Voiced a character in The Simpsons Halloween episode in late 2010.
Forbes — top grossing actor ranking
Placed at number five on Forbes' December 2010 list of Hollywood's highest-grossing actors with film revenue of approximately US$780 million (aggregate film grosses).
Release — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Deathly Hallows Part 1 released in November 2010; the film grossed approximately $960 million worldwide.
Broadway — How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Debuted as J. Pierrepont Finch in the 2011 Broadway revival; production received favourable reviews and multiple award nominations; Radcliffe received Drama Desk/Drama League/Outer Critics Circle nominations and the production later got nine Tony nominations.
Total estimated earnings from the Harry Potter franchise
Reported to have earned a total of roughly £75.4 million from the entire Harry Potter franchise (salaries/earnings across films).
Received Trevor Project Hero Award
The Trevor Project awarded Radcliffe its Hero Award for his advocacy with LGBTQ youth.
Release — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (final Potter film)
Final film in the Harry Potter series released July 2011; grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide and was critically acclaimed.
Began relationship with Erin Darke
Started dating American actress Erin Darke after meeting on the set of Kill Your Darlings.
Left How to Succeed on Broadway
Departed the Broadway revival on 1 January 2012 after completing his run.
Release — The Woman in Black
Starred in the horror adaptation The Woman in Black; US release 3 February 2012 and UK release 10 February 2012.
Accidentally ingested antifreeze on Horns set
During filming of Horns, accidentally drank antifreeze and became seriously ill for several days.
Portrayed Allen Ginsberg — Kill Your Darlings (TIFF premiere)
Played Allen Ginsberg in Kill Your Darlings; the film premiered at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival in 2013.
Starred in The F Word and Horns — TIFF
Both The F Word and Horns premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.
Won WhatsOnStage Award for The Cripple of Inishmaan
Starred as Billy Claven in the Noël Coward Theatre revival of Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan; won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Release — Victor Frankenstein
Portrayed Igor in Victor Frankenstein, a contemporary adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel.
Portrayed Sam Houser in The Gamechangers
Played Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser in the biographical drama The Gamechangers (television film).
Off-Broadway — Privacy
Starred off-Broadway at The Public Theater in the documentary-theatre piece Privacy as 'The Writer'.
Release — Now You See Me 2
Appeared as a main antagonist and technologic prodigy in the thriller sequel Now You See Me 2.
Release — Swiss Army Man
Played Manny, a talkative corpse, in the surreal indie drama Swiss Army Man alongside Paul Dano.
Release — Imperium (critical praise)
Starred as undercover FBI agent Nate Foster in Imperium; film received positive critical reception (Rotten Tomatoes cited ~84%).
Starred in London revival — Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Appeared in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in a London revival.
Release — Jungle (Yossi Ghinsberg)
Played Yossi Ghinsberg in Jungle, a survival thriller based on the best-selling memoir.
Broadway — The Lifespan of a Fact
Returned to Broadway in the ninety-minute comedy play The Lifespan of a Fact at Studio 54 with Bobby Cannavale and Cherry Jones.
Release — Beast of Burden
Portrayed a pilot smuggling drugs across borders in the independent action-thriller Beast of Burden.
Voice role — Playmobil: The Movie
Voice-starred as Rex Dasher, a secret agent in Playmobil: The Movie.
Series lead — Miracle Workers (premiere)
Starred as Craig in the TBS anthology comedy series Miracle Workers; series ran from 2019 to 2023 with Radcliffe in multiple roles.
Genealogy episode — Who Do You Think You Are?
Explored his maternal and paternal ancestry on the BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?.
Release — Guns Akimbo
Starred as Miles in action-comedy Guns Akimbo, co-starring Samara Weaving.
Release — Escape from Pretoria
Portrayed Tim Jenkin in Escape from Pretoria, based on a real-life 1979 prison escape.
Guest — Desert Island Discs (BBC Radio 4)
Appeared as a guest and discussed his alcohol misuse as a teen and decision to become teetotal.
Net worth estimate — £95 million
As of 2021 Radcliffe's net worth was estimated at approximately £95 million (reported update).
Release — The Lost City (Abigail Fairfax)
Played villain Abigail Fairfax in the action-adventure comedy The Lost City opposite Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.
Portrayed 'Weird Al' Yankovic — Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Starred as 'Weird Al' in the satirical biopic produced for The Roku Channel; performance earned him nominations for a Primetime Emmy and a BAFTA TV Award.
HBO Max special — Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts
Reunited with cast members for the 20th anniversary HBO Max special released 1 January 2022.
Started NYTW revival — Merrily We Roll Along
Returned to stage in the New York Theatre Workshop revival of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along as Charley Kringas; started 21 November 2022.
Merrily We Roll Along — opened (NYTW)
Merrily We Roll Along officially opened 12 December 2022 for a limited engagement through 8 January 2023 before transferring to Broadway.
Merrily We Roll Along transferred to Broadway
The critically acclaimed revival transferred to Broadway (production later closed 7 July 2024).
Primetime Emmy & BAFTA nominations for Weird
Received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination and a British Academy Television Award nomination for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (nominations tied to the 2022 film; awards season 2023).
Birth of son
Radcliffe and partner Erin Darke had a son born in April 2023; Radcliffe described fatherhood as the best thing that happened to him.
Grammy Award nomination for Merrily We Roll Along cast album
Received another Grammy Award nomination associated with Merrily We Roll Along (cast album/recording).
Tony Award — Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Charley Kringas in Merrily We Roll Along (2024).
Film version of Merrily We Roll Along picked up by Sony Pictures Classics
Reported April 2025 that a film version of Merrily We Roll Along starring Radcliffe and co-stars was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics with a U.S. release date of 5 December 2025.
Cast in Tina Fey-produced series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
Announced May 2025 that Radcliffe will star in the Tina Fey-produced TV series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins alongside Tracy Morgan and Erika Alexander.
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Daniel Radcliffe and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Laura Deming
Born 1994 · Age 31
Venture capitalist and longevity researcher focused on life extension, founder/partner of The Longevity Fund and later age1; early lab researcher in aging, Thiel Fellow who left MIT to build venture-backed companies and funds in longevity.
Marc Lou
Born 1994 · Age 31
French solopreneur and serial SaaS maker — founder of ShipFast, Habits Garden and multiple small SaaS projects; known for rapid product launches, viral marketing, and paid courses.
Jaboukie Young-White
Born 1994 · Age 31
American comedian, actor, writer and musician known for social-media-driven comedy, correspondent work on The Daily Show, voice roles in animation, film and a music career as 'jaboukie.'
Vitalik Buterin
Born 1994 · Age 31
Russian–Canadian programmer, co‑founder of Ethereum and Bitcoin Magazine, prominent researcher and philanthropist in crypto, AI safety and longevity.
Bhuvan Bam
Born 1994 · Age 31
Indian comedian, writer, singer, actor, songwriter and YouTube personality best known for the comedy channel BB Ki Vines.
Lucy Guo
Born 1994 · Age 31
American entrepreneur, engineer and social media influencer; co‑founder of Scale AI and founder & CEO of Passes. As of 2025 she is reported to be the world's youngest self-made female billionaire due to her retained stake in Scale AI.