Dominic McLaughlin, the lead of HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, has shared the unforgettable moment he received a letter from Daniel Radcliffe.
McLaughlin, who steps into the role of the iconic young wizard in the new adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s books, said the surprise arrived while he was travelling home to Glasgow.
“It was insane,” he told the BBC’s Saturday Mash-Up! Live. “My dad tapped me on the train and handed me this letter. I read it, and when I got to the bottom and saw ‘Dan R,’ I just lost it internally — but I had to stay calm because I was on the train.”
When asked about how filming is going, McLaughlin said, “It’s going amazingly, really well. I’ve made great friends with everyone — it’s just fantastic to be there.”
Earlier this month, Radcliffe, best known for portraying Harry Potter, wrote a letter to encourage actor Dominic McLaughlin.
In an episode of the popular talk show Good Morning America, Radcliffe was asked by the host to share his reaction to Dominic, who is stepping into his shoes.
Radcliffe said he doesn’t expect anyone to take his approval to take up the role. “I do not want to be, like, a spectre in the lives of these children.”
Radcliffe revealed that he sent a note of encouragement to Dominic and received a ‘very sweet response’ from the latter.
“And I do, I just see these pictures of him and the other kids, and I just want to hug them. They just seem so young. I just look at them and say, ‘Oh, it’s crazy I was doing that at that age.’ But it’s also incredibly sweet, and I hope they’re having a great time.”
‘I hope you have the best time, and an even better time than I did — I had a great time, but I hope you have an even better time,’ the 36-year-old actor wrote to Dominic.
HBO's Harry Potter series is now under production and is set to debut in 2027.
The cast of the upcoming reboot includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
While John Lithgow plays headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer takes charge as Minerva McGonagall. Paapa Essiedu will essay the role of Severus Snape, and Nick Frost will take on the role of the half-giant Rubeus Hagrid.
The series, being produced by HBO with Warner Bros. Television and Brontë Film and TV, is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod is set to direct multiple episodes, with J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts and David Heyman serving as executive producers.