Daniel Radcliffe Already Showed He’s a Rom-Com King Years Ago

The former Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe recently attended the Emmy Awards as a nominee for his work in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. While on the red carpet, Radcliffe was asked if there were any genres he’d like to work in next, to which he was quick to say “a rom-com.” This has led to some strange debate on social media about whether Radcliffe would make a good romantic leading man, in part because of his short stature. People have correctly pointed out this would be an inane reason not to cast someone as charming as Radcliffe. This likens him to Billy Crystal who found fame in one or two rom-coms such as When Harry Met Sally. Not only is this a shallow take that boils Daniel Radcliffe to merely his height, but it also ignores the fact Radcliffe has already starred in a great rom-com.

After His Success in the Harry Potter Franchise, Daniel Radcliffe Pursued Other Genres

It’s easy to get stuck as an iconic character, especially if it’s the only part you’ve played for ten years. Radcliffe was always stretching what he could do with his career though, turning to Broadway, starring in past productions of Equus and How to Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying) as well as Merrily We Roll Along. Of course, Radcliffe returned to the movies with lead roles in horror films such as The Woman in Black, Horns, and Victor Frankenstein, villainous supporting parts in major studio movies like Now You See Me 2 and The Lost City, and the most notable role in perhaps the weirdest movie of the 2010s Swiss Army Man as a farting corpse that saves Paul Dano’s life. Post-Potter Radcliffe has shown his range of interests and performance capabilities, but it was his grounded contemporary role as a med-school student where he stole audiences’ hearts.

2013’s What If? may not have broken box office records, but it certainly showed Radcliffe could lead a rom-com to an excellent reception. Radcliffe stars as Wallace, the aforementioned med-school dropout, living in Toronto unsure of what to do with his life and still mourning his previous relationship that ended with him being cheated on. At a party, Wallace meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan) and the two hit it off despite Chantry being in a long-term relationship. Except, that’s not the case. Wallace begins to develop feelings for Chantry, though he knows it can not materialize beyond friendship. Chantry’s feelings are complicated as she does have an affection for Wallace and some fatigue in her relationship with her constantly traveling boyfriend. Throughout the film, Wallace and Chantry maintain a friendship that constantly pushes the line against something more. Radcliffe and Kazan charm their way through their leading roles and if Zoe Kazan can get the opportunity to star in another rom-com (we’re talking about 2017’s The Big Sick) why not Daniel Radcliffe as well?!

Radcliffe pulls off a difficult character as Wallace in What If?. Wallace begins the movie completely cynical about love and his prospects. It’s a tricky place to start with the main character of a movie, but Radcliffe makes Wallace affable. A key factor is Wallace being British which makes for someone Radcliffe can be more comfortable playing, but also leans into the dry sense of humor many Brits are accustomed to. It creates a grounding for the character that may make him less likable on the surface but ultimately more relatable. The fact that it is set in the present day was “refreshing” for Radcliffe telling Entertainment Tonight, “It’s nice to be in normal clothes and saying words that I might say.” It’s this level of comfort in his performance that allows the audience to latch on to Wallace as a lead despite his behavior in the film,

What If? manages to walk a fine line by having two characters get near intimacy without broaching it. Chantry is in a relationship from the start and tells Wallace this, who says he’s okay with that. As the movie goes on, it would be easy to lose sympathy for either one of them: Chantry for emotionally cheating on her boyfriend or attempting to block her sister’s attempts to hook up with Wallace; And Wallace becoming attached to someone who made her position clear but still angling for it anyway. What If? doesn’t afford the characters that sympathy though. Chantry and Wallace’s actions are directly confronted by their friends, family, and even each other at the end. The would-be big romantic gesture in any other movie (Wallace flies to Dublin to tell Chantry how he feels while she visits her boyfriend) is rightly called out as nefarious and the two separate for a time. So why does Wallace work as a romantic lead in the end? Largely in part because of Radcliffe’s grounded and sympathetic performance. While Wallace is cynical, he’s not aggressive towards Chantry or their situation. Radcliffe plays the struggle of Wallace earnestly and with nuance, making him closer to a real person who is truly at a loss for what to do in this situation. It’s Radcliffe’s performance as Wallace that the movie can latch on to that makes its tricky premise a success.

Radcliffe’s effortlessness translates to other aspects of the movie as well. The chemistry between him and Kazan is natural and shows how they work well as friends and the potential for more. His connection with Allan (Adam Driver) also feels lived in and sparks off the screen. Most importantly, Wallace is written at an all-time low. He was cheated on by his ex which led him to drop out of medical school and move in with his sister and nephew. His best friend is getting into a whirlwind relationship and the first time he’s connected with someone new, she has a boyfriend. But Radcliffe makes him so endearing and never goes for pity. He’s charming and likable and proves his leading man chops can go far beyond Harry Potter.

What If? is currently streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime in the U.S.

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