Daniel Radcliffe has admitted he might not watch HBO's upcoming Harry Potter reboot, saying he doesn't want to 'haunt' Dominic McLaughlin, the 12-year-old actor taking over his most famous role. Speaking at the New York premiere of Netflix's Steps on Sunday, 8 November, Radcliffe said he would rather avoid giving the successor advice that could follow him into future interviews.
'I don't know if I will, honestly,' the 37-year-old actor said when asked whether he would watch the series. He explained that he does not watch television and has already spent a decade playing Harry Potter across eight films. His reluctance to offer acting tips, meanwhile, comes from wanting McLaughlin to have his own experience in the spotlight.
Why Doesn't Radcliffe Want To Advise the New Harry Potter?
'I'm really, truly in the business of not giving Dominic advice,' Radcliffe said. 'He's got it. He doesn't need any advice from me.' He explained that even a casual suggestion could become another question for McLaughlin to answer whenever he promotes the reboot.
Dan Radcliffe (movies Harry Potter) gives all his support to Dominic Mclaughlin (upcoming series Harry Potter) and says he hopes they get to meet someday ⚡️
— Dominic Updates (@DominicMupdates) November 9, 2026
Dan was walking the Steps carpet last night (Nov 8) when he was asked about Dominic and the new HBO series 🤍 pic.twitter.com/TwiOLaboDq
'If I say something to you, then the next interview people have with him, they'll be like, "Oh, Dan said you should do this,"' Radcliffe continued. 'And I don't want to haunt this poor child through interviews.' He said he had no advice to offer, but predicted McLaughlin would be 'amazing' and said he was excited to meet him someday.
Radcliffe has raised the issue before. In February, he asked interviewers to stop constantly questioning the new cast about him and original co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. He said he did not want the former leads to become 'weird spectral phantoms' in the children's lives.
Radcliffe Already Reached Out to His Successor
His refusal to give acting advice has not stopped Radcliffe from contacting McLaughlin directly. During an appearance on Good Morning America on 18 November 2025, he revealed that he had written the young actor a letter and received 'a very sweet note back'. His message wished McLaughlin an even better experience than he had while growing up on the Harry Potter sets.
Dominic McLaughlin foi escolhido entre mais de 30 mil candidatos para viver o Harry Potter. pic.twitter.com/XCVUhEhMII
— Portal Harry Potter (@portalpotterbr) October 1, 2026
Radcliffe was just 11 when he was cast as J.K. Rowling's young wizard. The Warner Bros. film franchise began with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 2001 and concluded with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011. He has since built a career across stage, film and television, including a Tony Award-winning performance in Merrily We Roll Along.
In March, Radcliffe also shared a personal reason for welcoming another adaptation. He said he was pleased that his young son would eventually be able to watch a version of Harry Potter without seeing his father play the title character. He joked that another actor could also inherit the questions that have followed him since childhood. Radcliffe compared the role with Spider-Man and Sherlock Holmes, characters that have been played by multiple actors over the years.
HBO's Reboot Arrives on Christmas Day
HBO's eight-episode first season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, premieres on 25 December 2026. McLaughlin leads the new trio alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The cast also includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Francesca Gardiner wrote the series, while J.K. Rowling and Mark Mylod are among its executive producers.
Radcliffe's viewing plans remain undecided. He pointed out that he has not even watched acclaimed series such as Breaking Bad or Mad Men, adding: 'Eight hours is a lot of anything to watch.' For now, he is promoting Steps, Netflix's animated Cinderella retelling arriving on 20 November 2026, in which he voices the Prince, while McLaughlin prepares to introduce his version of Harry to viewers.
