German n-tv channel's Anna Meinecke interviewed Daniel in promotion of Miracle Workers: Dark Ages (series 2). The series is available on TNT Comedy in Germany.
Translation by Daniel J Radcliffe Holland.
Mr. Radcliffe, you clearly have a lot of fun with Miracle Workers. Why is that?
The show is hilarious. Sounds banal, doesn't it? But I'm really just amazed at how she can be so goofy and daft, but at the same time incredibly clever and clever. Maintaining balance is an immense challenge for comedy writers. I could not do it. And then everything looks great too. Have you seen the sets?
Yes I have.
Aren't they incredible? I haven't seen such an elaborate design since Harry Potter. Miracle Workers is not a glossy drama, but a half-hour comedy format. We have sets like Game of Thrones and jokes like The Simpsons. I really enjoy coming to work right now.
Would you have thought that you would get so excited about a series engagement?
In fact, I'll hold onto this job for as long as I can. I love my job, but there is often a lot of stress associated with it. Working with new people is a crucial factor. As an actor you are best when you are maximally relaxed. If you worry about how you will get on with colleagues you have just met, it is a terrible distraction. Miracle Workers is a fantastic project, it is well written, but above all I work with people I love, with whom I also enjoy spending time privately and in whose presence I enjoy working well. Isn't that nice?
In every group there is always the funny one, the one with the good advice and so on. What role do you play among your cast members?
I would like to be who people come to when there is a problem. I'm definitely not the funniest. This is John Bass. And when it comes to any logistical question, Karan Soni is the contact. He reads every contract from cover to cover before he signs it - no other actor does that! Therefore, he always knows when we can say no, because we are not contractually obliged to do so. (laughs)
Both characters are driven by fear for very different reasons. Both are afraid of the forces in their lives that they cannot control. I feel close to Craig in a way. He's not without flaws, but at heart he's a very decent, hard-working guy. Chauncley, on the other hand, grew up in a privileged bubble and is accordingly lazy. But he will learn as the series progresses that not everyone has it as well as he does. And who knows, maybe he will question his previous life. First of all, he's terribly stupid - and that, in turn, I enjoy playing.
Is it easier to play a smart character or a less clever character?
A smart one, I suppose. As an actor, when a role is well written, all I have to do is learn the sentences in the script and I immediately sound intelligent. Playing stupid requires more acting. But wait, that sounds like I'm a little too pleased with myself right now ... (laughs)
Explain it to me!
Think of typical stupid characters like Joey from the sitcom Friends. Matt LeBlanc plays the role in a brilliantly nuanced and incredibly precise manner. Or think of Woody from the series Cheers played by Woody Harrelson. I don't know Matt LeBlanc personally, but I know Woody Harrelson is insanely intelligent. I think you can't play someone very stupid if you don't understand the character's wit.
What makes the Middle Ages such a suitable setting for Miracle Workers today?
We like to forget that people in the past did not see themselves as characters from the past. You always understand the world in which you live as the most complete, best world so far. It was no different in the Middle Ages. People have always believed that their problems are unique and so are they. We have always had to deal with chaos. We have always thought: now we are delivered. And then it went on. I think there is something liberating about that. If the series has one message at its core, it is: We are nothing special.
Is it more important for you than for others to remember it because somehow you've been special since childhood?
In any case, I learned early on that it was important. I grew up on the set. I was there the entire time I was shooting, ten or eleven months a year. All of my friends were part of the film crew - and I heard them talk about actors. Let's put it this way: You didn't want to be among those who thought they were special. Actors who think their job is more complicated or difficult than that of their colleagues on the set, I find ridiculous. Because I was aware of the fact that people might treat me differently from others, I always tried to actively counteract this. I find it very uncomfortable to get special treatment.
But surely there are also advantages to being Daniel Radcliffe?
Oh definitely. There are tremendous benefits to being famous as well. For example, it's easier to get a table in a trendy restaurant. If that's what you want, a well-known actor can live in a bubble. You can gather people around you and tell you all day long how great you are. But what kind of person does that make you? I don't want to lose myself, so I keep reminding myself: You are nothing special.
source: n-tv.de
