Daniel Radcliffe wrote a personal message to 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin, the young actor set to play Harry Potter in HBO’s upcoming reboot of the wizarding series.
It comes after the original star of the blockbuster franchise confirmed he will have no involvement in the new adaptation.
Speaking to E! Online, Mr Radcliffe said producers “very wisely want… a clean break”.
“I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way,” Radcliffe added, saying he understands the team’s decision to start fresh with a new cast.
Dominic McLaughlin is set to play Harry in HBO's long-awaited Harry Potter TV series
|HBO
Appearing on Good Morning America, the 36-year-old said: “I wrote to Dominic and I sent him a letter and he sent me a very sweet note back.”
Radcliffe said he simply wanted to pass on his best wishes. “I hope you have the best time, and an even better time than I did. I had a great time, but I hope you have an even better time,” he wrote to his young successor.
Explaining why he reached out to McLaughlin, Radcliffe added: “I don’t want to be a spectre in the life of these children.”
Seeing photographs of McLaughlin and the rest of the newly announced cast had stirred emotion in the actor. He admitted: “I just see these pictures of him and the other kids and I just want to hug them."
Daniel Radcliffe sent a note to the new young Harry Potter actor
|PA
Radcliffe, who was also 11 when he first stepped into the role, reflected: “They just seem so young. I look at them and think, ‘It’s crazy I was doing that at that age.’ But it’s incredibly sweet and I hope they’re having a great time.”
His relationship with the Harry Potter franchise has become increasingly tense in recent years, largely due to his public disagreement with author JK Rowling over transgender rights.
The rift began after the Scottish author argued biological sex is immutable and criticised inclusive terminology.
In a widely shared June 2020 tweet, she mocked the phrase "people who menstruate", writing: "'People who menstruate.' I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"
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JK Rowling has been open about her views on trans rights
|PA
She later doubled down through a lengthy essay and follow-up posts, insisting: "If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased."
Her comments led several Harry Potter actors, including Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, to publicly support the trans community.
Radcliffe wrote an essay for The Trevor Project in which he affirmed "Transgender women are women".
Watson also voiced her backing, saying trans people should be accepted for who they say they are, and should not face constant scrutiny or dismissal.
Rowling has since dismissed the actors’ statements, at times calling them "ignorant" and suggesting they can "save their apologies".
Despite the public fallout, Rowling remains closely involved in HBO’s new Harry Potter television series, serving as an executive producer.
HBO bosses have described her contribution as "invaluable", noting she has also been involved in selecting key creative figures, including the showrunner and director.
The new series will introduce McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, chosen from more than 30,000 young applicants.
Emma Watson criticised JK Rowling, saying trans people should be accepted for who they say they are
|PA
Adult roles include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
HBO describes the adaptation as a “faithful” retelling of Rowling’s seven books.
Planned to run for a decade, each novel will receive its own dedicated series.
Production is now underway at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, where the original films were made.
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