Daniel Radcliffe Discusses the Viral Photo of Him Wide-Eyed and Waving Guns: ‘It’s a Great Image’
Daniel Radcliffe’s on-screen life since he took off Harry Potter’s glasses has been anything but boring. After making a fortune while he was still a teenager, Radcliffe dove headlong into the indie film world and has been unflappable while facing down the paparazzi.
Even when an out-of-context photo from the set of Guns Akimbo made him look like a gun-toting psychopath, the London-born actor took it in stride.
Daniel Radcliffe was blown away by the ‘Guns Akimbo’ script
It didn’t take long for Radcliffe to prove he had the courage to find a new path after the Harry Potter franchise wound down in 2011. Radcliffe not only turned to the live theater but delved into a series of wild indie roles, including starring as Miles in Jason Howden’s 2020 action-thriller Guns Akimbo.
Reflecting on the role, Radcliffe told GQ, “It’s very hard not to be charmed by a script where the main protagonist has guns for hands after about page 10.” A dark action-comedy that didn’t receive a U.S. release, Guns Akimbo tells the story of a young video game developer caught up in live-streamed death matches (per The Numbers).
One could imagine the pitch being an update of 1987’s The Running Man, with Radcliffe subbing in for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Although Guns Akimbo had a minimal commercial impact, Radcliffe remains extremely upbeat about the experience. The film also completely fits the type of movies he set out to make after leaving Hogwarts for the last time.
In 2016, Radcliffe summed up his career strategy to the Belfast Telegraph: “For all the people who’ve followed my career, I want to give them something to be interested in, rather than them just watch me make loads of money on crap films for the rest of my life.”
One photo from the ‘Guns Akimbo’ set went viral
Despite being far away from the mainstream, Radcliffe soon found himself in the familiar territory during the Guns Akimbo production. An unofficial photo from the set was released by the paparazzi that made Radcliffe look like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. In the photo, Radcliffe has guns strapped to both hands along with crazy eyes, a tattered bathrobe, and fuzzy bear slippers.
Although the image quickly made the rounds, it was no big deal for Radcliffe, who guessed that about 90% of people would instantly know it was from a movie set. In the GQ interview, Radcliffe laughed it off, saying that the other 10% likely wondered, “has Daniel Radcliffe lost his f****** mind?”
Not that Radcliffe is too worried about going viral for a misleading photo. “But it was great,” he said, turning the negative attention on its head. He then added:
” … the moment that that started happening I was like, ‘well, people are going to be interested in this movie then, you know. And it’s a great image.'”
As the image turned into a social-media meme, Radcliffe not only wasn’t offended but was happy to have the marketing boost for a movie with a limited budget.
Radcliffe recently pushed back against ‘Harry Potter’ creator J.K. Rowling
More images of Radcliffe have made the rounds recently, mostly stemming from his starring role in the recent Roku movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. But amid the buzz for his performance, Radcliffe ended up on the opposite side from another Harry Potter heavyweight: author J.K. Rowling.
While Rowling has been heavily criticized for her transphobic views (per Glamour), various members of the Harry Potter universe have stepped in to oppose her viewpoint. Emma Watson, who plays Hermione in all the Potter films, seemed to counter Rowling during the 2022 BAFTA Awards, saying, “I’m here for all the witches” (from E! News).
More recently, Radcliffe showed he had no problem stepping up (again) alongside his former castmate. Although Radcliffe also wrote a letter in 2020 that critiqued Rowling, he doubled down on his support of the trans community in a recent interview with Indiewire.
Speaking of LGBTQ community members who told him they identified with the Harry Potter world, Radcliffe said, “I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important.”
Although it was Harry Potter that made him a household name, Radcliffe continues to prove an unwavering independent streak in both his film choices and cultural commentary. While he could have continued in mainstream Hollywood while steering clear of any controversy, the 33-year-old clearly intends to make up his own rules and opinions as he goes.
