The Real Reason Daniel Radcliffe Dropped Out Of High School

Daniel Radcliffe, who grew up on screen playing Harry Potter, has basically lived in the public eye for the majority of his life. When he was 19, The Telegraph dubbed him "Britain's richest teenager." His status became tautological as Radcliffe continued becoming rich and famous because he was rich and famous. Case in point? As of this writing, the Harry Potter actor is worth a whopping $110 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

That being said, Radcliffe isn't one to ham up the fame. He is protective of his privacy and doesn't spend his money extravagantly, even though he could. Radcliffe has also become more choosy about what he does. He's gone on to play various roles since the Harry Potter series but he's backed out of the spotlight in a noticeable way — mostly because of his interest in quirky, independent films. His financial freedom has seemingly given Radcliffe the opportunity to pursue projects out of interest rather than monetary gain.

With this undeniable foundation of success, it might shock fans to learn that Radcliffe never actually finished high school, despite the fact that he often plays bookish, intellectual characters. Keep reading to find out the details.

Daniel Radcliffe's character Harry Potter was certainly immersed in the world of school, books, and classrooms at Hogwarts. Obviously, Potter was no match for the smarts of Hermione Granger, but he certainly seemed studious enough. Surprisingly though, Radcliffe himself did not have the same experience and, according to Us Weekly, he dropped out of school.

In a 2009 interview with Parade, Radcliffe admitted he didn't really like school and didn't finish his education in a traditional way, though he did have tutors on the movie set. "I wasn't very good in school at all. I was kind of useless. I found the work really, really difficult," Radcliffe told the outlet.

However, Radcliffe pointed out that his unconventional path gave him the confidence that a traditional setting might not have been able to provide. "I think, on the whole, I wouldn't have half the confidence that I have. I'm not saying that I'm a brazenly confident person. But I'm kind of sure of myself intellectually," he told Parade.

Radcliffe added: "And I know I wouldn't have been if I had stayed in school because, before I did Potter, my confidence had been more or less destroyed by a couple of teachers. So I had it all restored by the people who taught me on the films."