The first film adaptation of ‘Harry Potter’ achieved something rare in 2001: the film managed to satisfy strict fans of the novel, but also managed to lure newcomers under the magical spell of Hogwarts. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) and Emma Watson (Hermione) became instant stars, and even though they’re both now at completely different points in their careers, some will probably forever associate them with the magical world of Joanne K. Rowling.
But while Radcliffe undoubtedly proved to be the perfect choice for the famous magician, he wasn’t the producers’ first choice. Instead, the role almost went to Liam Aiken, who previously had smaller roles in the drama “Side by Side” (with Julia Roberts) and the Jennifer Aniston rom-com “Love in Every Relationship.” Aiken’s physical appearance came closest to the descriptions in the book series of any candidate – and The studio was therefore almost certain that they had found their ideal Harry Potter in the now 33-year-old…
…there would have been no small problem: Aiken is not British, but American – and both Rowling and the producers ultimately insisted that the entire cast be British. The writer is even said to have called director Chris Columbus (‘Home Alone’) to ensure that a Brit – and not Liam Aiken – would get the role.
Here you can see a photo of Aiken in “Side by Side” (1998):
So the search began again, this time with the aim of finding the best possible British actor to play the title character. They couldn’t find a suitable actor for months, until 2000 when Columbus sat in a hotel room watching the two-part BBC series “David Copperfield,” in which Radcliffe played Charles Dickens’ character of the same name.
‘This is Harry Potter. This is the boy we have been looking for for months,” Columbus is said to have thought (through ). Now there were a few more hurdles to overcome (Radcliffe’s parents initially didn’t want the then 11-year-old actor to commit to such a massive project), but the first thing soon happened. By the way, there was another cast member from “David Copperfield” on board, along with Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall)!
Unlike Daniel Radcliffe, Liam Aiken did not become a world star, but he was still seen in several larger cinema productions (including ‘Road To Perdition’ alongside Tom Hanks and the fantasy film ‘Lemony Snicket’ with Jim Carrey) and is still active as an actor Today.