There have been countless cautionary tales of child actors battling mental health issues due to the trauma and fame they have seen at a very early age, without the necessary support they need. Daniel Radcliffe, who has been vocal about his own struggles with fame as a world-famous child star, has addressed this issue, saying therapy should be mandatory for child stars.
Daniel Radcliffe on therapy for child actors
Speaking on a podcast recently, the actor said that while many people believe young stars are living a dream life, the reality can often be very different behind the scenes. During an appearance on Bustle’s One Nightstand With Daniel Radcliffe, the actor talked about the mental health struggles many young performers face while growing up in the spotlight.
The actor, best known for his portrayal of Harry Potter in the eight-film series, explained why therapy should be “mandatory” for child actors. Recalling a heartbreaking incident about a young actor who later died by suicide, he said, “There’s been some really tragic stories in the last few years… Normalise it, start therapy before you need it.”
Daniel said that the system should make therapy a part of what is mandated for all child performers. “The illusion that child stars are living a perfect dream can be crushing behind the scenes, which is exactly why therapy should be built into the system,” he said.
The actor also spoke about his own early years during the Harry Potter films. Admitting that mental health support was not much talked about in the early 2000s when he shot the first few films, the actor called himself ‘lucky’ to be surrounded by supportive people who helped make his experience positive.
Daniel Radcliffe’s career
Daniel Radcliffe became a global star at the age of 12 after he played Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first film based on JK Rowling’s bestselling book series. The actor reprised the role in seven subsequent films over the next 10 years. The story followed the life of the young wizard Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley as they studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and fought the dark wizard Lord Voldemort.
Since completing Harry Potter, the 36-year-old actor has experimented with a wide variety of roles in both films and on stage, notably The Woman In Black, Now You See Me 2, and Kill Your Darlings. He played ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic in the musical parody Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022), earning him Emmy and BAFTA nominations.
