Few of us would have imagined that the British star Daniel Radcliffe (21 years old) was struggling with the demons of alcohol while he played the wizard Harry Potter in the beloved franchise, until the information about his alcohol dependency was provided by himself in a recent interview to the GQ magazine publishers.
The actor who currently plays on Broadway in the play “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” confessed that he did not consumed alcohol since August 2010, when he realized that he has a major problem, jeopardizing both career and his relationship. He was pleased with himself because he had the power and ambition to give up the addiction before compromising his public image: “I became too dependent on alcohol to be able to enjoy some things. There were a few years I was in love with the idea to lead the lifestyle of a famous person, a lifestyle not suitable to me. I was lucky that I was not caught because there were many situations in which a paparazzo could have taken some compromising photos. I’m glad I can have a relationship with my girlfriend where I feel comfortable and pleasant and I do not spoil anymore the special moments. As much as I would like to be a person who goes to parties, drink a few glasses and feel good, that’s not working for me anymore. I do this without much success. I rather stay home and read or talk with someone who makes me laugh. There is no shame in enjoying a peaceful life. That is the conclusion I’ve reached at in the past few years”.
The actor hopes to build a successful career in film industry after the franchise that made him a celebrity and earned him a fortune estimated at £48 million is over, so to prove that he is not just a child actor who was born a star and will die a hope: “If I succeed to build a long and varied career after Harry Potter and everything goes well, then I will remove the controversy over children-actors. If I will be able to do this after I played the most popular franchises of all time, no other child-actor who comes after me will be forced to answer the same nagging questions”.