‘Harry Potter’ Auditions Cast an Enticing Spell for Young U.K. Performers, but Is Child Stardom Worth It?
At primary school gates across the U.K., there’s one topic of conversation that’s surpassed even the 11+ — the notoriously difficult exam for selective secondary schools many 10-year-olds sit for — and that’s “Harry Potter” auditions.
News that HBO’s upcoming reboot has begun casting the lead trio – Ron, Hermione and, of course, the Boy Who Lived – has resulted in a frenzy across the country. In local Facebook groups, parents are already weighing up their offspring’s chances. “My daughter has been put forward for this by her agency,” trills one mother in Bedfordshire, while comments on a Manchester newspaper story about the auditions are full of people tagging each other suggesting their kids apply.
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Even though the guidelines specify applicants must be U.K. residents aged between 9 and 11 years old in April 2025, many are already planning to lie about their kids’ ages if they just breach the cut-off. In one Facebook group for Stockton-on-Tees, in the North-East of England, a woman describes her little girl as being “the best Hermione” but laments she’ll miss the age criteria by a week. “Just lie and say she’s 9,” someone else advises. In a thread on British parenting forum Mumsnet, one poster says to others debating doing the same: “I’m assuming they will be super strict but guess you have nothing to lose by submitting the videos and being honest.”
I must admit, the thought crossed my mind too. Although my son will only turn 8 next spring, making him too young, he is tall for his age and could probably pass for older. But I can’t imagine him standing still long enough for me to film his self-tape, let alone take direction from an impatient second AD as the light fades on a multi-million dollar shoot.
Which means that, fortunately for us, there’s little dilemma in not putting him forward. And — as I shake daydreams of becoming a million-dollar momager à la Kris Jenner from my mind — I remind myself it is fortunate. Because while being plucked out of obscurity to star as Harry Potter in a global TV series might sound like a wish come true, it’s impossible to escape the fact that pushing your offspring on a path toward child stardom often takes them somewhere far darker.
The Hollywood hills are haunted by shadows of child stars broken by the work, the fame and the aftermath. For some, such as Britney Spears, Amanda Bynes and Macaulay Culkin, there’ve been rumors of mental health struggles and drug use, accompanied by conservatorships or arrests. Earlier this year, the ID docuseries “Quiet on Set” portrayed toxic work conditions on a cluster of Nickelodeon shows made in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including one incident of sexual abuse.
For others, the journey from top of the callsheet to adulthood anonymity can take an even more tragic turn. In 1976, former child actor Anissa Jones, who’d had a long-running role in ‘60s CBS sitcom “Family Affair,” died from an overdose at the age of 18 while Aaron Carter, who released his debut album at the tender age of 9, was found dead in his bathtub two years ago. He was only 34. In between, before and after, there have been countless others whose short lives burned bright before being snuffed out too soon.
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who played the original trio in the “Harry Potter” films, which came out between 2001 and 2011, have all been open about the toll fame and lack of privacy have taken on their lives. Watson has said paparazzi began trying to get upskirt photos of her from the day she turned 18, while Radcliffe has struggled with alcohol. Grint, meanwhile, revealed the intense working hours at such a young age took their toll physically, and he suffered recurring bouts of tonsilitis during much of filming.
In fact, from the moment that they were unveiled as Harry, Hermione and Ron in August 2000, at the tender ages of 11, 10 and 11 respectively, their normal lives were over. And not just because they were suddenly making more money than most families will see in a lifetime (Fortune estimates Radcliffe’s total earnings from the franchise to be $95.6 million, while as of 2024 Watson is said to be worth $85 million and Grint $50 million).
While other kids were dealing with the predictable routine of school and homework every day, the “Potter” trio were on set or at film premieres. Even when they did attend regular classes, their fame and wealth made it difficult to integrate. There’s an apocryphal story that made the rounds in London in the early 2000s, when Radcliffe was enrolled at the prestigious City of London School, which illustrates the point; during a soccer match, when he messed up on the pitch, one of his teammates allegedly turned round and yelled “It’s not fucking quidditch, Potter!” It was hard to tell where Harry began and Daniel ended.
A few years after hearing that anecdote, I spotted Watson on the inter-city bus between Oxford and London one Friday evening; I was heading home from college for the weekend while she was clearly heading out for a night in the big city. Although at the height of her fame, she was still only in her mid-teens, and as I watched her larking about with her friends on the bus – loudly, maybe even a little tipsily? – I remember thinking it was lucky there were no photographers on board. Today, you wouldn’t even need the paps: in the age of camera phones, a video of the journey would have appeared on TMZ before the bus had pulled onto the motorway.
Ultimately, of course, Watson, Radcliffe and Grint have all reached adulthood relatively unscathed and with successful (if not necessarily prolific) post-“Potter” careers to boot. Most impressively, though, they seem to have turned out pretty normal. Instead of splashing out on a tricked out Lambo, Grint’s first car was an ice cream truck. Watson is a UN ambassador. And Radcliffe has a reputation in the industry for being a model of politeness, even offering to fetch water for crew during shoots. A few years ago, I was having breakfast at the Sunset Marquis while Radcliffe was taking what appeared to be a business meeting at the next table. He sat quietly, a cap pulled discreetly over his face, until his dining companion arrived at which point he stood up, removed the hat and offered an outstretched hand, warmly introducing himself even though he was by far the most famous person in the room.
It may not sound impressive, but turning out normal after spending your formative years being coddled and complimented is probably the most remarkable thing a young star can do. I’ve seen up close how quickly a child’s perspective can be turned upside down after a moment in the spotlight.
In another lifetime, I was working as a lawyer in Nickelodeon’s London headquarters when our office was taken over by a film crew shooting an internal promo video. The concept was a bunch of child actors pretending to run the office, and so my desk was commandeered by an adorable 3-year-old I’ll call Mia, who’d started her modeling career just a few months earlier. The Nickelodeon job was her first speaking role and she was still getting to grips with it.
As it got later into the day, Mia was starting to tire and kept getting her lines wrong. She was asked to shoot the scene over and over but, fearful of upsetting her, no one told her why. They just kept saying she was doing a great job. In between takes, crew members brushed her hair, adjusted her costume and offered her snacks while she basked in the attention of all these grown-ups. (What a change from preschool!) At one point, Mia merely looked around for her mom, who was in the green room, and a call immediately went out on the crew’s walkie talkies: “We need the mother in here now!”
Mom appeared and stood next to me while we watched Mia shoot a few more takes. She was still stumbling on the last line. Realizing this tiny actor was running out of energy and he probably wasn’t going to get the shot, the director finally yelled cut. Everyone applauded. Mia beamed. Then she ran toward her mom, who scooped her up into a cuddle. As the exhausted 3-year-old nestled her head on her mother’s shoulder, I heard her say with satisfaction: “I did so well, didn’t I? Everyone clapped!”
Her mom, holding her close, didn’t reply.
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