Daniel Radcliffe Breaks Fans' Hearts With His Latest Harry Potter Admission

When Daniel Radcliffe stepped onto the set for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," he was a child actor pretty much no one had ever heard of. He was just 11 years old at the time — the same age as his character. It was the role of a lifetime and one that Radcliffe came back to year after year while the eight films in the "Harry Potter" franchise were filmed. He hung up his robes for good in 2011 when "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" was released, bringing the iconic series to a close.

But whereas some actors could feel a slight bit of resentment at having the same role for so many years, one that has a very specific look and story, Radcliffe has been nothing but gracious for what Harry Potter has done for him. He has admitted, though, that making himself stand out away from the Potterverse is something he's constantly aware of. "I was struggling in vain to not come close to making a face that would make people think of Harry," he told the New York Times Magazine in 2013 about filming "The Woman in Black."

Even still, he's fond of his Potter days. "Harry Potter, to a point, will always define me, but I hope in the same way that Harrison Ford is defined by Star Wars," he told The Telegraph in 2016. But as much as he loves it, he's done with it for now.

As much as "Harry Potter" fans would love to see Daniel Radcliffe reprise his role as the title character sooner rather than later, he's not quite ready for it. Chris Columbus, who directed the first two films of the series, told The Hollywood Reporter in November that he'd love to direct a film adaptation of "The Cursed Child" with Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all back in their original roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. In fact, he called it "cinematic bliss."

Alas, Radcliffe's taking a pass. "This isn't the answer that anybody's going to want, but I think I was so able to go back and enjoy [the 'Harry Potter' reunion on HBO Max] because it's not a part of my day-to-day life anymore," he told The New York Times in March in response to Columbus' idea. "I'm getting to a point where I feel like I made it out of 'Potter' OK and I'm really happy with where I am now, and to go back would be such a massive change to my life."

But fear not, Potterheads. The door isn't totally closed for his return to the franchise. "I'm never going to say never, but the 'Star Wars' guys had like 30, 40 years before they went back," he says. "For me, it's only been 10. It's not something I'm really interested in doing right now."

So now we wait.