Daniel Radcliffe, now celebrated for his eclectic career beyond Hogwarts, recently looked back on the people who made filming Harry Potter unforgettable. In a lively interview on Hot Ones, the British actor fondly recalled one cast member in particular, a seasoned scene-stealer who kept him laughing between takes.
Radcliffe didn’t shy away from sharing what made the late Michael Gambon such a delightful presence on set. The veteran actor, who stepped into the role of Dumbledore from Prisoner of Azkaban onward, brought a playful unpredictability to the wizarding world. “Michael Gambon, may he rest in peace, incredible man…. He fucked around all the time, like he would never stop until action had been said,” Radcliffe said, making it clear that humor was part of their everyday work rhythm.
Radcliffe painted a vivid picture of Gambon’s antics: cracking jokes, messing with acronyms, and even turning an intense boat scene into something hilariously absurd. In one memorable moment, Gambon coined a cheeky nickname for a dramatic sequence: “Two twats in a boat.”
The Harry Potter lead also contrasted Gambon’s approach with colleagues who preferred mystique. “Some actors love to dress the whole process up in mystique… Michael Gambon, you’d get to set and he’d be like, ‘What’s the shot?’” Radcliffe explained, highlighting Gambon’s knack for breaking tension with levity.
Even legendary roles and serious scenes couldn’t dampen Gambon’s good humor, Radcliffe recalled and it’s clear those off-camera moments helped make a decade of Harry Potter filming feel less like work and more like a joyful journey.
