Daniel Radcliffe may have made a name for himself as the titular character in the “Harry Potter” franchise years ago, but that doesn’t mean he enjoys making smaller films any less. In fact, Radcliffe, 37, admitted he also enjoys making family-friendly films for a special reason.
Why Daniel Radcliffe Loves Family-Friendly Movies
Speaking with PEOPLE at the premiere of his new animated film, “Steps,” Radcliffe, who’s been acting for nearly 30 years, said he’s “always loved doing voice work.”
According to the blockbuster performer, animated films are “really, really fun,” and these days, he’s enjoyed doing them more than ever.
“I like doing films that eventually my child will be able to see,” Radcliffe said about the Netflix project, which premieres on the streaming giant on November 20, 2026. “Not quite really yet maybe, but soon.”
Daniel Radcliffe Doesn’t Talk About Work With His Son
For those unfamiliar, Radcliffe has a three-year-old son with his partner, Erin Darke. The Broadway star and his wife have kept the child’s name private, along with many other details.
Radcliffe said after his son’s birth that while becoming a parent was “great,” it was also “crazy and intense.” But that wasn’t all he had to say. He also gushed about the “real privilege” of spending time with him.
As his son has aged, Radcliffe said he and Darke are still trying to shelter him from the public as much as possible. They’re also not crazy about their son knowing his dad is a world-famous actor.
“Does my son know who Harry Potter is? No, not yet,” Radcliffe said in the past, adding that his son didn’t recognize him on the cover of a “Harry Potter” DVD. “Which was great. For as long as I can just be his dad and he won’t know me as anything else, I will maintain that for as long as I can.”
Daniel Radcliffe Struggled To Explain His Job To Son
His son’s inability to point him out as the lead of the “Harry Potter” series works for Radcliffe, who said in May that he even struggled explaining what he does to his son.
“You know your job is a bulls— job when you can’t describe it to a child,” he said, adding that kids understand what police and firemen do.
“But when you get to acting, you’re like, ‘Yeah, we tell stories, you know, like your books. We sort of act out your stories.’ He’s truly so far away from having a concept of what I do, and I’m going to keep him in the dark as long as possible,” he continued.
Radcliffe Reflects On New Life With Son
Beyond that, Radcliffe reflected on his past in a previous interview and expressed gratitude for how far he’s come.
The actor sadly shared that there were times in his life when he was “deeply unhappy.” Today, though, Radcliffe said he’s seen a major change, and it’s mostly because of his son.
“I spent today with my 3-year-old son walking along the street, with him just holding my hand and being gorgeous and fun and silly — and I’m so happy,” he said. “If you showed them to me when I was 20, I would not have recognized myself.”
Radcliffe Made A Major Change For His Son
And speaking of change, Radcliffe also revealed in another interview that his son inspired a major change in his life.
“I have just quit smoking — not ‘just’ anymore, but I’m going to talk about it, because I would like to mention this book to anybody who’s interested in quitting smoking,” Radcliffe confessed. “I smoked for 20 years pretty heavily, and I was never even thinking about quitting, and then shortly after having my son, the intrusive thoughts of my own death really helped as an incentive to quit.”
