Harry Potter

Harry potter and the deathly hallows — Harry Potter — Daniel Radcliffe
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Harry Potter

01 of 08

Harry Potter's Transformation

Harry Potter
©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

Some of the magic of Harry Potter is watching the three main actors grow in sync with their characters. "We've changed so much, it's unreal," Daniel Radcliffe told Entertainment Weekly. Just as Harry went from a scrawny orphan stashed under a staircase to a powerful defender of a nation of wizards, Radcliffe has grown from a precocious 11-year-old boy to a multi-talented 22-year-old man.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 2001
Radcliffe was hand-picked by director Chris Columbus to play the dark-haired, green-eyed boy wizard. Although the messy mop top was all his, the required eye color came courtesy of special effects.

02 of 08

Harry Potter

Harry Potter
©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002
Radcliffe was captured in Harry's beloved crimson and gold Quidditch robes during a harrowing scene. True to the second book's description, he had "jet-black hair that was always untidy."

03 of 08

Harry Potter

Harry Potter
©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2004
"The eyes behind the glasses were bright green, and on his forehead, clearly visible through his hair, was a thin scar, shaped like a bolt of lightning," described J. K. Rowling in the third book. A now-teenaged Harry battled soul-sucking Dementors (and discovered the identity of the mysterious inmate) in the Alfonso Cuaron-directed installment.

04 of 08

Harry Potter

Harry Potter
©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2005
For the fourth film, Radcliffe had to bulk up to perform the stunts necessary for the Triwizard Tournament--a fact that was all-too-evident in a fan-favorite shirtless scene. Adding to his teen-dream appearance was a shaggier hairstyle.

05 of 08

Harry Potter

Harry Potter
©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007
Harry grew up with a closely cropped cut and a growth spurt: "He was a skinny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who had the pinched, slightly unhealthy look of someone who has grown a lot in a short space of time." (17-year-old Radcliffe, however, topped out at 5'5".)

06 of 08

Harry Potter

Harry Potter
©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2009
As the Death Eaters grew more powerful, Harry's life took a darker turn that led him away from Hogwarts. Radcliffe, at least, could celebrate the retirement of his character's class robes: "When you're 18, one of the worst things to be wearing while trying to chat up a girl on the set is a school uniform. You look like a kid! You're not going to score dressed like that!"

07 of 08

Harry Potter

Harry Potter
©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 2010
In part one of the final Potter installment, Harry is dodging the Death Eaters, causing him to reluctantly lend his face (magically speaking) to a band of supporters. Radcliffe has similar replication problems, due to camera phones. "I don't want to turn up on everybody's bloody Facebook page," he told Entertainment Weekly. "It's around enough, my face."

08 of 08

Harry Potter

Harry potter and the deathly hallows — Harry Potter — Daniel Radcliffe
Warner Bros. Pictures

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2, 2011
Harry fights through his final challenge covered in dirt, blood and stubble. The difficult film could be partially responsible for Radcliffe's career shift to Broadway stardom and less grueling movie roles. "At 5'5," I am not a natural action-movie star," he told EW. "Although lucky for me, I've already done enough stunts to last me a lifetime."

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