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Potter no more, Daniel Radcliffe has moved on — to the Old West

The artist formerly known as Harry Potter hates the question. It’s not the obvious where-is-Harry-now? Rather, it’s the would he ever-ever-ever put on the round specs again?

Truth is, he doesn’t feel even the faintest Quidditch itch.

“I never like to close the door by saying, ‘No, I’d never play Harry Potter again,’” Daniel Radcliffe, 31, said from his hotel room in the Dominican Republic, where he’s filming a movie. “Those comments come back to bite you. But it’s definitely not something for now. I’m very happy where my career has taken me.”

The London native stars in the third season of TNT’s “Miracle Workers,” which takes place in the American West circa 1844, where Radcliffe plays Reverend Ezekiel Brown, who’s leading a group on the Oregon Trail. The season also stars Steve Buscemi as drifter Benny the Teen.

Next up for Radcliffe is the comedy “Lost City of D,” in which he costars with Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock.

Review-Journal: What was the appeal of setting the third season of “Miracle Workers” on the Oregon Trail?

DR: I loved the sense of adventure. Imagine the days when you uprooted your life on this promise of a new life, if you could survive a journey across unknown lands. It sounds very exciting to me to live your life with this spirit of adventure. The truth is, I wasn’t very familiar with this part of history and had to do my homework. I was fascinated by this sometimes-dark part of American history. There was a lot of horrendous when it came to the conditions, but it also led to acts of bravery.

What modern convenience could you not live without if you were living in those times?

I couldn’t live without sunscreen. I would burn quickly.

Your reverend character tries to look on the bright side. Are you similar in real life?

He tries to be positive, but as the series goes along he’s buffeted by the conditions. He’s a sweet, endearing character just trying to save his town, but he’s shaken by the difficulty of this journey. As for me personally, I’m a very positive type. I’m looking on the bright side. Of course, I can also be weirdly pessimistic at times, but I feel I’m optimistic even in my pessimism.

Does it mean a lot to you to be such a large part of “Potter” fans’ childhoods?

There is something about being linked to something that means so much to people’s childhood that feels profound. You want to protect it and honor it. I meet people all the time who just want to talk to me about the place Harry Potter has in their lives. Some want to tell me the tough things they went through in real life and how the Potter films gave them comfort and escape. It’s quite humbling.”

Did you keep anything from the set?

I might have two pairs of the glasses. We really didn’t have to take things at the end. All we had to do was ask.

You’ve been a big star since you were a kid, but there is still a lack of attitude. Is that allowed in Hollywood?

(Laughing) No attitude here. I’ve always had an intrinsic dislike of people with attitudes. I’ve never trusted them. I’ve heard the horror stories, too, but most actors I know are just hard-working people doing a good job and then looking for the next job. I’m sure there is an alpha group that has no sense of humor and kicks up a fuss. That’s not me. That’s horrendous.

Where did you spend the pandemic?

I was in New York for the vast majority of it. I was basically at home chilling and trying to occupy my time. This TV series was my first job during COVID.

How is life now in the Dominican Republic?

I’m working here and having a good time. It’s a lot of chilling on beaches. There have been a couple of boat trips with the crew. COVID is still a thing here, so you’re limited in what you can do. A flying fish just came out of the water. That’s a highlight of my day. I was also given a Lego chess set for Christmas. I’m really into it, and it’s a very good thng for passing the downtime on set. I’m into chess, but very bad at it.

Finally, what’s your idea of an ideal Sunday?

Honestly, I’m one of those annoying people because I like to work out on Sundays. After my workout, I’ll have a full English breakfast. My next step is, I’ll sit on my sofa watching football with my girlfriend. Sunday is a very good sports day for me. A great day ends with a nice dinner and a good movie.

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