Playing a wizard for seven years does have its downsides, according to actor Daniel Radcliffe.
The "Harry Potter" actor revealed that while filming the 'Harry Potter' franchise he turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with the pressure of being in the spotlight. The now 24-year-old actor told Sky Arts in an interview that he turned to alcohol because he struggled with his celebrity status and the adoring fans that came alongside his fame.
"I would have benefited from not drinking as it was not making me as happy as I wanted to," he told Sky Arts, as reported by Hello Magazine. "It is not a real pressure, but it is a pressure of living with the thought, 'Oh, what if all these people are saying I am not going to have a career? What if they are all going to be right and will be laughing and I will be consigned to a bunch of 'Where are they now?' lists?'"
Radcliffe was only 11 when he was offered the "Harry Potter" role. He admitted that he would often show up to work drunk from partying the night before. "The Woman in Black" actor has been sober since August 2010.
"The drinking was unhealthy and damaging to my body and my social life," he said. "That's beyond question. I was living in constant fear of who I'd meet, what I might have said to them, what I might have done with them, so I'd stay in my apartment for days and drink alone."
He added: "I was a recluse at 20. It was pathetic - it wasn't me. I'm a fun, polite person and it turned me into a rude bore. For a long time people were saying to me, "We think you have a problem," but in the end I had to come to the realization myself."
Radcliffe has been balancing a career in theater and film. His production of "The Cripple of Inishmaan" was nominated for six awards, including Best Revival of a Play.
"People don't shout 'Harry Potter' at me now. They tend to know my name, which is lovely," he said. "But I will always credit the opportunities I get to Harry Potter. I would not be a happy person if I was bitter about those ten years of my life."
Earlier this month, the actor was rumored to be dating Erin Dark, when the two appeared at the Tony Awards.
