Daniel Radcliffe set to return to role of Harry Potter for special project
DANIEL Radcliffe has gone back to role that made him an international superstar by joining a new Harry Potter project.
The actor, 30, has reprised the role where it all started and read the first chapter of the first ever book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Daniel Radcliffe has put his Harry Potter hat back on for a special coronavirus project
Daniel has joined a host of big name celebrities who will take in turns to read one chapter of J.K Rowling’s iconic book to help keep people entertained during lockdown.
Reading from his couch, Daniel reads the chapter about Harry’s first few hours after Lord Voldemort kills his parents and Professor Dumbledore drops him at the Dursley’s house for protection.
Daniel reads the famous first lines: “Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”
Other celebs to get involved include, David Beckham, Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Fry, Dakota Fanning Claudia Kim and Noma Dumezweni.
Daniel put on his Harry Potter hat again to keep people entertained during lockdownCredit: Alamy
He played the boy wizard over eight films from 2001 to 2011Credit: Alamy
Each celebrity will read a chapter a week for 17 weeks with the videos available for free on the Wizarding World website and the audio on Spotify.
J.K announced the exciting project as part of her Wizarding World’s Harry Potter at Home online hub, set up to help people through the coronavirus pandemic.
The tweet reads: “Surprise! We’ve got a treat for you…From today, amazing friends of the Wizarding World are going to take turns reading Harry Potter book one.”
“And to start us off with Chapter 1, we think you’ll agree we have the perfect narrator..”
The author started the initiative last month because because “parents, teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic” and the online hub features quizzes, puzzles and a fan club.
The actor has admitted to developing a drinking problem to help him cope with his fameCredit: Rex Features
Hearing Daniel speak the famous words, sent Twitter into overdrive with fans reacting with excitement.
One Twitter user wrote: “This made my quarantine.”
While another added: “Don’t mind me, just crying tears of joy over Daniel Radcliffe himself narrating the first chapter of The Philosopher’s Stone.”
A third said: “DANIEL RADCLIFFE READING THE FIRST CHAPTER OF PHILOSOPHER’S STONE IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR ME TO HANDLE.”
Daniel’s return to the Harry Potter franchise comes just weeks after he revealed he drank too much alcohol in his younger years to help him cope with his new found fame.
He said: “I definitely think a lot of the drinking that happened towards the end of Potter, and for a little bit after it finished, it was panic and not knowing what to do next, and not being comfortable enough in who I was to remain sober.”
Daniel became one of the most famous actors in the world when he was plucked from obscurity at the age of 11, landing the role of the schoolboy wizard.
He played Harry in eight films, which are among the highest-grossing of all-time.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, he said: “If I went out and if I got drunk I’d suddenly be aware of there being an interest in that.
“Because it’s not just like a drunk guy, it’s ‘Oh Harry Potter’s getting drunk in the bar’ and that carries its own kind of interest for people and also a slightly mocking interest because it is inherently funny for people.”
Daniel said he would often deal with the pressure by drinking more before he decided to quit booze altogether at the age of 20.
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