Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English film, television and stage actor. He is best known for playing Harry Potter in each of the first five films based on the best-selling Harry Potter book series, and will also appear in the final three films

Radcliffe has also made appearances in stage productions and a number of TV shows and films, including the ITV film My Boy Jack and the stage show Equus, which achieved much critical acclaim. He is believedFact: date=October 2008 to have a fortune of just short of £20 million, mainly earned from the Harry Potter franchise.

Early life

Radcliffe was born in Queen Charlotte's Hospital, West London, England, the only child of Alan Radcliffe, a literary agent, and Marcia Gresham (born Marcia Gresham Jacobson), a casting agent who was involved in several films for the BBC, including The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and, most recently, Walk Away And I Stumble. Radcliffe's mother is Jewish and grew up in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; his father grew up in Northern Ireland. Radcliffe first expressed a desire to act at the age of five. In December 1999, he made his acting debut in the BBC's televised two-part version of the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield, portraying the title character as a young boy.

Career

Radcliffe has also starred in the four subsequent Harry Potter film adaptations: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). He has signed on for the sixth and seventh films; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, scheduled to start filming in September 2007 and originally set for release on 11 November 2008 though delayed until 17 July 2009, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I and II, expected in 2010 and 2011. The films continue to produce high box office results worldwide.

In 2002, Radcliffe appeared as a guest in the West End production The Play What I Wrote directed by Kenneth Branagh (who appeared with Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). In 2006, he began to make the transition from child to adult actor, appearing in the television series Extras as a parody of himself, as well as filming the independent Australian drama December Boys. The film, which was filmed in six weeks was released in North America by Warner Bros. on 14 September 2007. Radcliffe worked with a language coach for six months to perfect an Australian accent. He took the role because he wanted to appear in a film in which he played a supporting role rather than the central character. Next, Radcliffe opened on 27 February 2007 in a revival of Peter Shaffer's play Equus as Alan Strang, a stable boy who has an obsession with horses. The role generated significant pre-opening media interest and advance sales topped two million pounds, as Radcliffe appeared nude in one scene in the play. Radcliffe's performance received positive reviews, as critics were impressed by the nuance and depth of his against-type role. Radcliffe's last performance in Equus took place on 9 June 2007. The production has transferred to Broadway in New York City opening on September 25, 2008, and Radcliffe is reprising the role of Alan Strang along with Richard Griffiths, who was in the Equus production in London and plays Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter series; he has stated that he is nervous about repeating the role on Broadway because he considers American audiences more discerning than those in London.