Daniel Radcliffe says being Harry Potter turned him into an alcoholic

Daniel Radcliffe made the brave admission in this week's 'Desert Island Discs'

The British heartthrob Daniel Radcliffe recently made a startling remark about his iconic on-screen portrayal of Harry Potter that earned him fame and glory. The 30-year-old star admitted that it was because of his role in Harry Potter that he turned into an alcoholic.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, the actor said he tackled the media scrutiny that came his way following the fame he received at such a young age. “I think badly at first, if I went out and if I got drunk I’d suddenly be aware of there being interest in that because it’s not just a drunk guy, it’s ‘Oh Harry Potter’s getting drunk in the bar.’”

He added, “That carries some kind of interest for people and also a slightly mocking interest. It’s inherently funny for people.”

Like Justin Bieber who took to drugs after gaining worldwide fame at such a young age, Radcliffe also seems to have had his share of unhealthy habits that made people around him believe he was aggressive.

He further stated that he was uneasy with how it felt but, “the way of dealing with that is just to drink more or get more drunk, so I did a lot of that for a few years.”

He also said that he was unsure of whether he resorted to drinking owing to the situation he was in or just because of his nature.

“A lot of drinking that happened towards the end of Potter and for a little bit after it finished, it was panic a little bit, not knowing what to do next. Not being -comfortable enough in who I was to remain ¬sober,” he said.

The star, who quit drinking in 2010, also told Desert Island host Lauren Laverne that he feels he has to prove he is a nice guy and “not awful” when he meets new people.

Daniel, who appeared in the movie series with fellow child stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, praised his parents and the others on set for giving him “enough perspective on my life and help me at key moments”.

He loved being on set, but said it can be huge problem if a young actor starts ­filming on a long-running franchise then stops ­enjoying it.

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