Daniel Radcliffe‘s history of alcoholism is not a secret. so when Harry Potter fans hear that the actor once compared himself to Homer Simpson, it’s natural for their minds to think it’s because The Simpsons the character drinks a lot. By contrast, Radcliffe’s correlation to the character is for another reason entirely.
Daniel Radcliffe’s former fondness for drinking
Homer Simpson, The Simpsons patriarch, is known for his outrageous burping and his love of Duff beer. Radcliffe also previously had a love for alcohol. After rising to fame as “The Boy Who Lived” on the Harry Potter Films, Radcliffe turned to alcohol.
Alcohol not only helped him deal with the intensity of his celebrity, but it was also a way of coping when the Harry Potter The movies came to an end. Unsure what his next career move would be, Radcliffe said BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs: “There was a lot of drinking towards the end of Potter and a little after it was over.”
Radcliffe has been outspoken about his drinking and why he chose to get sober in 2010. And while his drinking habits might have rivaled 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 from the New York TimesRadcliffe’s original screen test for Harry Potter from 2000 it appears. “His face is that of a flawless little boy, his eyes are huge and cerulean blue,” wrote Susan Dominus. “One eye occasionally blinks more slowly than the other, but it doesn’t matter.”
Thirteen years later, Radcliffe’s eyes still blinked the same way on occasion. “It’s what Homer Simpson’s eyes do when he’s drunk,” Radcliffe said. “I hear too many comments from directors of The Simpsonsthat’s why I know.”
To be fair, Radcliffe’s drink had nothing to do with the way his eyes flicker. According to his screen test, the actor has always been like this.
The ‘Harry Potter’ star quit 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 jones himself podcast in 2019, Radcliffe talked about the friends and family who helped him get sober.
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“It took a few years and it took a couple of tries,” he said. “In the end, it was my own decision. … I woke up one morning after a night thinking, ‘This is probably not good.’ Radcliffe admitted that he is happier without the “chaos that [he] used to invite in [his] life.”
Daniel Radcliffe never regretted the fame ‘Harry Potter’ brought him
Despite the impact the Harry Potter movies had about 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 loved going on set and there was never a day where my own (expletive) affected how I was on set,” he said on the podcast.
“There was never a point where I was like, ‘I wish this didn’t happen to me.’ I wish it wasn’t Harry Potter. That just didn’t happen.”
Like Radcliffe, there are many fans who remain grateful for the series.