Daniel Radcliffe speaks about upcoming role in “The Cripple of Inishmaan”, Richard Griffiths

UPDATE: Check out this new clip of an interview Dan did with BBC News. Hear him speak more about Harry Potter and The Cripple of Inishmaan AND see a short clip of Dan’s performance in the role of Billy. Thanks to Snitchseeker for the tip!

As Daniel prepares for the June 18 opening of The Cripple of Inishmaan on London’s West End, he has been talking to the media about his upcoming performance. The Cripple of Inishmaan is a 1996 play by Martin McDonagh which tells the story of a Hollywood director visiting the island of Inishmaan to film a documentary. Island resident Cripple Billy, to be portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, decides that he wants to audition for a role in the film and becomes an object of ridicule on the island.

First, in an interview with What’s On Stage, Daniel talks quite a bit about his process for becoming the character of Billy, where he would be if he hadn’t been cast as Harry, and his memories of fellow Harry Potter co-star Richard Griffiths.

Do you ever think about what path you would’ve taken if it wasn’t for Harry Potter?

If I hadn’t played Harry Potter I find it hard to believe I would have become an actor. David Copperfield was my first job but I never really viewed it as something serious – it was more something to get me out of school. I think I would have ended up in the film industry in some aspect because of my parents both being in the industry and because I certainly wouldn’t have achieved anything in the world of academia…In a way that’s a theme in The Cripple of Inishmaan because it’s about opportunities and missed opportunities. It’s a game I play sometimes; imagining where I would be now. But I generally end up going “thank god I’m not there” [laughs].

Does being back in the West End prompt memories of working with Richard Griffiths on Equus?

It does. He was an extraordinary man, as everyone said when he passed. My experience of him was that he was encyclopedic in his knowledge of the world. And he was generous, both as an actor and a person. He delighted in passing his immense knowledge to you, but it was never done in a pretentious way, or to prove how much knowledge he had. It was always done in a way that was interesting. He wanted to share it with you. It’s odd thinking of the world without Richard in it because I learned so much from him; sometimes I wonder what else I’m going to learn now that he is gone. It’s very sad but one thing that stood out in his funeral when everyone spoke about him was just how happy he was. He could be “Eeyore-ish”, but he was also one of the most contented people I have ever met. If I can have that said about me at my funeral I think I will have lived a very worthwhile life.

In another interview with Broadway.com, Daniel spoke about getting caught in an awkward situation while doing some impromptu rehearsing for the role of Billy.

There was one moment that was quite funny, actually. One night, I was walking to the shop around the corner from my house to get some food, and I thought, “There’s no one around, I’ll just walk like I’m Billy for a while.” So, I put my hood up so no one would notice me, and I started walking down the road in Billy’s walk, and just as I get to the corner, and I’m about to go into the shop, I notice that a woman is behind me. And in my head I’m going, “Well, I can’t just stop and suddenly break into a normal walk as I walk into the shop, so I’m just going to wait for her to pass me before I go in.” Otherwise, she’ll think, “Who’s that weirdo, pretending to be disabled?” Then she went into the shop that I was headed into, so I had to wait for her to come out so that I could resume my normal walk and go into the shop. Yeah, so,that was my experience preparing for this part!

Be sure and read the full interviews to hear more about Daniel’s upcoming play! Will you be going to see The Cripple of Inishmaan?