The moment Daniel Radcliffe nailed Harry Potter audition, beating 800 actors to the role

16 June 2025, 17:13

Daniel Radcliffe may now be one of the most recognisable faces on earth, but back in 2000 he was an unknown child actor auditioning for another role.
Daniel Radcliffe may now be one of the most recognisable faces on earth, but back in 2000 he was an unknown child actor auditioning for another role. Picture: Warner Bros/YouTube

By Giorgina Ramazzotti

A look back at how a shy London boy’s charm and talent won him the iconic role that would launch a global phenomenon.

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Daniel Radcliffe may now be one of the most recognisable faces on earth, but back in 2000 he was an unknown child actor auditioning for another role.

Casting for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was a global search that would go on to launch three then-unknown British schoolchildren into international stardom.

Recently surfaced audition tapes and behind-the-scenes memories reveal how Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson won their iconic roles — and why their chemistry felt magical from day one.

Daniel Radcliffe, then an 11-year-old Londoner, nailed his screen test in 2000.

Casting for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was a global search that would go on to launch three then-unknown British schoolchildren into international stardom.
Casting for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was a global search that would go on to launch three then-unknown British schoolchildren into international stardom. Picture: Warner Bros/YouTube
Recently surfaced audition tapes and behind-the-scenes memories reveal how Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson won their iconic roles
Recently surfaced audition tapes and behind-the-scenes memories reveal how Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson won their iconic roles. Picture: Warner Bros/YouTube

In the footage, he discusses dragon eggs with Hagrid and reads a darker scene from Prisoner of Azkaban, before trying on the iconic glasses.

Daniel was first spotted by producer David Heyman at a London theatre performance, who was immediately captivated by Radcliffe's "big blue eyes" and compelling screen presence.

With prior experience in the BBC's David Copperfield, the young actor aligned perfectly with J.K. Rowling and director Chris Columbus’s vision for 'The Boy Who Lived'.

"I remember having long discussions with Jo Rowling," Columbus told The Atlantic in 2024.

"One of the words that continuously came up about who Harry should be was haunted. Harry had to have a haunted quality."

11-year-old Daniel Radcliffe shines in 2000 screen test:

The Original Harry Potter ScreenTests that Started it all - Daniel Radcliffe (Harry)

In the footage, he discusses dragon eggs with Hagrid and reads a darker scene from Prisoner of Azkaban, before trying on the iconic glasses.
In the footage, he discusses dragon eggs with Hagrid and reads a darker scene from Prisoner of Azkaban, before trying on the iconic glasses. Picture: Getty

Columbus later revealed that between 800 and a thousand boys auditioned before Radcliffe finally "got it" — delivering that essential spark required for the role. Rowling had the same reaction: Daniel "was Harry" .

But Daniel Radcliffe, reflecting on his early audition footage, admits it's now awkward to watch.

In a candid moment shared with The Times, he recalled, "at a stage when you hate your face anyway, and anything it does is repellent to you".

Yet casting directors took notice of something more profound; his unfiltered vulnerability, which ultimately convinced them he was Harry Potter.

At just 11, Rupert Grint broke the mould — submitting a homemade video rap that introduced himself, explained his interest, and parodied his acting teacher.

Harry, Hermione and Ron's chemistry screen test:

Young Harry Potter, Hermione and Ron at the audition for "Harry Potter"

When the trio first read together on camera, their natural interaction was clear.
When the trio first read together on camera, their natural interaction was clear. Picture: Getty

He recalled: "I produced my own video… pretending to be my acting instructor… then I did a rap of how I wanted to be Ron."

Casting director Susie Figgis was won over by his charisma. Rowling confirmed her approval, calling Rupert "perfect" for Ron.

That just left the third character, Hermione, to be cast, and newcomer Emma Watson blew the producers away.

According to Columbus, "Emma came in and just spoke like Hermione." And Rowling agreed, stating she didn’t need to see any other actresses once Watson was cast.

But Emma Watson remembers the casting process wasn't quite as easy, saying she underwent eight separate auditions before securing the role.

The series became a global phenomenon, and the original screen tests remain cherished among fans.
The series became a global phenomenon, and the original screen tests remain cherished among fans. Picture: Getty

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She told Vogue in 2016, that by the time of her ninth audition, she was invited to meet with producer David Heyman who told her she was the "preferred candidate" for the role of Hermione Granger — a life-changing statement for the then ten-year-old.

"Before I could obsess over what ‘preferred’ meant, they took a photograph of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and me, and it was broadcast on the Internet that we had been cast in Harry Potter.

"By the time I got back to my house, there was press waiting outside. We moved straight into a hotel."

When the trio first read together on camera, their natural interaction was clear. Columbus recalled thinking: "If these kids can hold it together on camera, we’ve got a movie."

That faith was well-founded: the series became a global phenomenon, and the original screen tests remain cherished among fans.