Dan Radcliffe/Mark Hamill

[nicholas at adelanta.co.uk]

Yeah, well... being in Star Wars didn't do Harrison Ford any harm. Possibly
because he's a better actor than Hamill. The key point is the actors' aims
and their basic abilities. I actually think Radcliffe has the potential to
be better than both.

Even if Radcliffe stays with the entire HP series, there's no real reason
why he should be typecast, as long as he doesn't expect his post-HP career
to be made up of starring roles all the way. Let's face it, he won't need
to earn a living...he's already set up for life financially; so he can
concentrate on the things which interest him. He's said that he would like
to direct and/or write, and neither of these goals is likely to be affected
by a face that's known as being Harry Potter's.

I agree with those who have pointed out that Radcliffe actually looks quite
different to Potter, and he would be wise to maintain the differences.
Also; it may not be apparent to those of you in the US, but here in the UK,
the Trio actually keep a pretty low public profile; there have been *no*
interviews or chat-shows to coincide with the release of PoA. The one TV
programme about the making of the movie was definitely a Warner Bros effort
and I think will probably show up again on the DVD. We saw the Trio on the
news at the premiere, but other than that, absolutely nothing. I'm fairly
willing to bet that this is policy on the part of the Trio's families.
Having a high profile overseas is one thing, but when your kids attend a
normal school and you want them to have as real a life as possible, you
really wouldn't encourage media attention at home. In other words, the kids
are being as well-grounded as possible in their unusual circumstances.

Finally, look at Radcliffe's role models. Actors like Maggie Smith, Alan
Rickman, Gary Oldman and even Ken Branagh, are not 'Hollywood Stars'. They
rarely give interviews or seek publicity. They are thoroughly competent and
professional actors who show up, do a superb job in whatever they are cast;
hero, villain, leading role, cameo, you name it...and then go home and live
real lives. Theatre work in Britain is considered just as important (and by
some, far more important) than film and TV work. Surrounded by that kind of
philosophy in his working life, Radcliffe could have quite a different
approach to a 'Hollywood Star' who made the big time in one movie, or one
series, and is made to feel that he is a failure unless he maintains the
same kind of profile throughout his career. Living in Britain actually
gives him more options than he would have elsewhere.

Good luck to him!

Cheers,
Nicholas