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We recently had the opportunity to interview Daniel Radcliffe as he makes the rounds promoting his latest feature, The Woman In Black. Delightfully energetic and humble, Radcliffe shares his thoughts on breaking away from the Potter franchise, Peter Cushing vs Christopher Lee and who he would like to work with in the future.

Toronto Film Scene: Did you seek out the author of the original book? If you did, what did you take away from delving into the book and talking to the author.

Daniel Radcliffe: It’s mainly to make sure I’m on the right track. The script is an adaptation, and very different, so I was very keen just to make sure that I wasn’t doing anything… “What are you doing with my character!” I spoke to a couple of friends about depression and the nature of depression, and one of the things I found fascinating was the fact that they both said how physically exhausting true depression is, how it is a serious effort just to get out of bed in the morning, physically and mentally. So that’s kind of where I started from with Arthur, that he’s just depleted, and has been for five years, just trying to put one foot infront of the other hoping that something will change, maybe that death will come.  I didn’t see the play because I’m a terrible mimic and I didn’t want to be influenced by that.

TFS: You say you’re afraid to mimic other performances, so you avoided the play and the 1989 film adaptation. What sort of prep work did you do to prepare for the role of Arthur?

DR: I spoke to a bereavement councilor for a couple of hours and read so many books. I know I can never fully imagine myself in the head of somebody who has lost somebody, so I think it’s important to surround myself with as much information as I can so that when I’m on set, I don’t have to think so much. It kind of informs your choices. One of the things I focused on with Arthur was, I have this very excitable energy about me and Arthur should not, so what James [director James Watkins] was keen on was, the way he put it was we are “taking the fizz out of the bottle and letting it go flat.” It was about stripping away my natural zeal and the attack I have with everything and showing somebody who has been devastated by their loss to the point where they are in a state of emotional paralysis.

TFS: It seems to me that you enjoy the mechanics of acting, as opposed to maybe before where you were rushed along. Do you feel like you’re catching up as an actor to where you wanted to be in your head?

DR: I see myself as a young good actor who still has a lot to learn. I think that’s where most actors my age are. The next couple of years for me are going to be about taking risks and working with people who are going to push me, because I’ve never trained.

TFS: Does that include Allen Ginsberg? (Kill Your Darlings 2013 release)

DR: It does, that is the next project. It starts filming in March. It’s a first-time director. I am terrified, but very excited.

TFS: After your last series of movies, you must have been open to a ton of roles. What made you choose this role?

DR: Really, one of the main things about this film was the story. The story was so good and so compelling, and I wanted to be a part of telling it. It’s that simple. The part was really interesting, and I also felt that people would be going in expecting to see parts of Harry in the performance, and I thought that a role like this which has an incredibly strong story, people would lean to that after the first ten minutes and forget about what they came in trying to see.

TFS: Working in the Potter franchise gave you the opportunity to work with some of the best British actors in the world. Who is still on your wish list as far as people you would like to work with?

DR: Judy Dench. She’s amazing, but I never got to work with her. There are loads and loads of young British actors that I think are fantastic. Ben Wishaw. Aaron Johnson. Russell Brand, actually! I always thought he would be fantastically entertaining and great to work with. There’s so many, it’s very hard to pick one.

Daniel Radcliffe on the "black" carpet at the Toronto premiere of The Woman in Black

TFS: EQUUS can be considered your first endeavor into breaking away from Potter. Were you concerned about fans not sticking around?

DR: Somebody said to me the other day ‘Do you think your Harry Potter fans will stick with you in this film” It’s like, they stuck with me through Equus, they won’t mind this! I think this is a very good first step; I was under no illusions that people would see this film and go “Oh Christ! He’s not Harry Potter anymore! He’s completely transformed!” But I think it’s a good first step in that I look very different, I’m playing a man rather than a boy, it’s a different type of film to be in, and I think it shows that I’m trying to do different stuff. Its interesting though, people ask those questions a lot, “Why are you searching to be so different, or is it intentional that you are being so diverse?” Yes it is, but I don’t think that’s specific to anyone coming out of a franchise. Any actor worth their salt wants to show as much versatility as they possibly can. Over the next couple of years, it’s going to be about doing as much work as possible, and as varied as possible.

TFS: I read that you weren’t so enamored with horror movies when you were younger –

DR: NO! I was terrified of them! A lot of modern horror can leave me cold, and also I’m not good with blood and gore, I’m really not! There’s nothing entertaining about watching a film like that…

TFS:Hammer Films is synonymous with horror, especially in the UK.  Do you feel a sense of pride being in a Hammer production? 

DR: Absolutely! Especially because the film industry runs on nepotism, in the best possible way. It’s a family trade. Amanda Knight, who did all of my makeup in the Potter movies, her dad did all the makeup in the original Hammer movies. But yes, it’s very fulfilling to be part of the resurgence of this very beloved company.

TFS: Did you revisit any particular Hammer Films?

DR: The one I know is the first Dracula film, I think I’m probably the last generation in England to grow up with that. It was on TV a lot, and the first time I watched it was at school, it was an end of term thing where the teachers can’t be bothered to teach you anymore so they put the video on. [The teacher] brought it out and everybody in my class wanted to be Christopher Lee, except for me who wanted to be Peter Cushing.

The Woman In Black opens everywhere on Friday, February 3, 2012. Check back to TFS on Friday for our review!

Photography courtesy Christina Woerns Photography.