The days of Harry Potter are long gone—at least in the eyes of Daniel Radcliffe.
While the franchise still has a solid legion of fans (and is even set for a spinoff) the 24-year-old star has worked incredibly hard to separate himself from the role that made him famous in an effort to prove he's both a serious and talented actor.
And despite having the utmost appreciation for his unique upbringing on the Harry Potter set, it's safe to say that he won't be returning to Hogwarts any time soon.
"I was struggling in vain to not come close to making a face that would make people think of Harry," he recalls of his first post-Potter film The Women in Black in a profile on the star in the New York Times Magazine, appropriately titled "Harry Who?"
As for how Radcliffe characterizes a Harry face?
"There isn't," he admits while shaking his head. "It's just my face. I have to accept the fact that my face is going to remind people of Harry because I played that character. If I try to avoid being expressive in that same way, all I'll do is stop being expressive, and I won't be any farther away from that character."
Since his magical days at Hogwarts, Daniel has embraced a variety of different characters—including his most recent role as the late Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in the upcoming flick Kill Your Darlings—in an effort to distance himself from his Potter persona.
"I have a massive chip on my shoulder," he explains. "When you fall into something at age 11 and get paid incredible amounts of money for your entire teenage years for doing a job anyone would want, there is a part of you that thinks everybody is just saying, 'He got there because he fell into it; he's not really an actor.'"
And he's worked incredibly hard to cement his place in Hollywood outside of the Hogwarts realm.
"It has taken a long time to feel like I've earned the place that I'm at," he admits, noting that he feels the skepticism "less nowadays."
While he may choose roles that do not reflect his Harry Potter past, Radcliffe certainly hasn't forgotten about his friends from the set, which includes members of the crew who "were either much older" than him who "had kids or lived outside of London."
And although he's friendly with former costars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, he admits the trio has barely seen each other since the final film.
"I didn't have that normal teenage period when you build up your friends in your area and you have a social circle," he confesses.
But despite having to grow up faster than most, the British hunk subsists on a diet based largely on cheeseburgers and pizza and chooses not to obsess over his appearance.
"I'm sorry I'm acting like I care about my hair," he says at the beginning of the interview, admitting that Dan, his hairstylist, gave him "strict instructions not to make him look like an ass."
Perhaps the magical boy is a bit more average after all.