Daniel Radcliffe Once Compared Himself to Homer Simpson and It Has Nothing to Do With His Drinking
Daniel Radcliffe‘s history of drinking isn’t a secret. So, when Harry Potter fans hear the actor once compared himself to Homer Simpson, it’s natural for their minds to think that’s because The Simpsons character drinks so much. On the contrary, Radcliffe’s correlation to the character is for another reason entirely.
Daniel Radcliffe’s former penchant for drinking
Homer Simpson, The Simpsons patriarch, is known for his outrageous belches and love of Duff Beer. Radcliffe also had a love of alcohol previously. After rising to fame as “The Boy Who Lived” in the Harry Potter films, Radcliffe turned to alcohol.
Not only did alcohol help him deal with the intensity of his celebrity — it was also a way to cope when the Harry Potter films came to an end. Unsure of what his next career move would be, Radcliffe told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs: “a lot of drinking happened toward the end of Potter and for a little bit after it finished.”
Radcliffe has talked openly about his drinking and why he chose to become sober in 2010. And while his drinking habits might have rivaled that of Homer Simpson’s, that’s not why he compared himself to the yellow-toned family man.
Daniel Radcliffe’s eyes sometimes blink one at a time like Homer Simpson’s
In a 2013 article by the New York Times, Radcliffe’s original screen test for Harry Potter from 2000 comes up. “His face is a flawless little-boy face, his eyes huge and cerulean blue,” Susan Dominus wrote. “One eye occasionally blinks more slowly than the other, but no matter.”
Thirteen years later, Radcliffe’s eyes would still blink in the same fashion on occasion. “It’s what Homer Simpson’s eyes do when he’s drunk,” Radcliffe said. “I listen to too many directors’ commentaries from The Simpsons, that’s why I know that.”
In all fairness, Radcliffe’s drinking had nothing to do with the way his eyes blink. According to his screen test, the actor has always been that way.
‘Harry Potter’ star stopped drinking and got sober with the help of close friends
Since 2010, Radcliffe has spoken very little about his sobriety. However, during an interview with the Off Camera With Same Jones podcast in 2019, Radcliffe spoke of the friends and family members who helped him get sober.
“It took a few years and it took a couple of attempts,” he said. “Ultimately, it was my own decision. … I woke up one morning after a night going, ‘This is probably not good.'” Radcliffe admitted he’s happier without the “chaos that [he] used to invite into [his] life.”
Daniel Radcliffe never regretted the fame ‘Harry Potter’ brought him
Despite the impact the Harry Potter films had on Radcliffe’s drinking habits, he never regretted the level of fame Harry Potter brought into his life. “Even at the lowest point, I still loved my job so much and I loved going to set and there was never a day where my own (expletive) would affect how I was on set,” he said on the podcast.
“There was never a point where I was like ‘I wished this didn’t happen to me. I wish I wasn’t Harry Potter.’ That just didn’t happen.”
Like Radcliffe, there are many fans who remain grateful for the series.
