British actor and producer Daniel Radcliffe, best known for his role as Harry Potter, opened up about the pressures of fame and why he hopes his son won’t follow his path into acting.

In a recent interview with WSJ Magazine, Daniel Radcliffe, 36, shared the challenges of growing up in the public eye and how those experiences have shaped his view of the entertainment industry.

“I honestly wouldn’t want my son to act or to become famous,” he said. Despite the massive success of the fantasy series and his love for being on set, Radcliffe acknowledged, “I am also so aware of how tricky it can be. It’s very different growing up on a Harry Potter set in the U.K.”

Looking back, Radcliffe said the support of his co-stars, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, made a huge difference. “Yes, it can be fine, but we all worked really hard on ourselves to make it fine,” he explained. He also credited the stability and hard work of the production crew, many of whom stayed with the series for its entire run.

On top of that, he praised his parents for helping him stay grounded in his career. “I was really lucky with my parents. They had the right balance of being like, ‘This is really special and really cool, but also there’s stuff about this that’s really weird.’"

These days, Radcliffe enjoys a more peaceful life away from the spotlight, with his long-time partner, American actress Erin Darke, and their two-year-old son. As a parent, he admitted that he’s become more protective of his family and works hard to keep their lives private.

He even expressed that he understands now why parents might want to move away from city life or homeschool their kids to protect them from outside pressures.

When it comes to the Harry Potter legacy, Radcliffe said he’d prefer his son to discover the world of magic through the new HBO TV series, rather than through the original films. He hopes viewers will let the new cast make the roles their own, without constantly comparing them to the original actors.

Currently, Daniel Radcliffe is part of the interactive Broadway play Every Brilliant Thing, which will run from March 12 to May 24, 2026. He is also set to star in the upcoming Vietnam War thriller Trust the Man.