Daniel Radcliffe, star of the "Harry Potter" movies admitted several shocking things in a recent interview with GQ U.K. According to Radcliffe, he became "so reliant" on booze to fuel his days while filming the blockbuster series in his teen years. "I became so reliant on alcohol to enjoy stuff," the 22 year old actor said, "There were a few years there when I was just so enamored with the idea of living some sort of famous person's lifestyle that really isn't suited to me."
This came as a surprise to many who follow Radcliffe. Here are five other things you may have not known about Daniel.
Otherwise known as Poet Jacob Gershon
Radcliffe has written and published poetry under a pseudonym (pen name) Jacob Gershon. Its a combination of his middle name and the Jewish version of his mother's maiden name Gresham. Four of his poems first appeared, when he was 17, in a underground fashion magazine, Rubbish. The most controversial of the four, Away Days,is about the narrator's affairs with prostitutes.Lloyd Evans, a literary critic who reviewed the work for the UK's the Daily Mail said "Radcliffe clearly understood the psychological pressures of early celebrity. What's remarkable is that he expressed these pressures with so much maturity."
Neurological Disorder
Dan suffers from a mild form of a neurological disorder called dyspraxia. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, dyspraxia "is a disorder that affects motor skill development. People with dyspraxia have trouble planning and completing fine motor tasks. This can vary from simple motor tasks such as waving goodbye to more complex tasks like brushing teeth." In a 2008 interview Radcliffe revealed the disorder sometimes gets so bad that he has trouble completing simple tasks, such as tying his shoes or writing a thank you note.
Atheist
In a 2009 interview, Radcliffe pronounced himself an atheist. Some sections of the religious right, in the past, have accused the Harry Porter movies as having the "anti-Christian" undertone, and his open admission of being an atheist, some believed would risk the movies' box office success. In the interview to promote Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, he said: "I'm an atheist, but I'm very relaxed about it. I don't preach my atheism, but I have a huge amount of respect for people like Richard Dawkins who do. Anything he does on television, I will watch." He joked: "There we go, Dan, that's half of America that's not going to see the next Harry Potter film on the back of that comment."
Wizard Chef
It is also a little known fact, Daniel Radcliffe has a keen interest in cooking and tries to find the time to develop his culinary skills. He in fact provided his most popular fansite with his favorite recipe, Baked Gnocchi Bolognaise.
Charity Work
Radcliffe has been keen supporter of several children's charity organizations. His favorite charity, Demelza House, is a hospice care for over 450 children with terminal illnesses. Dan regularly signs Harry Porter memorabilia for auction to help several charities including those improving the quality of life for children with cancer. He signed and donated his Hogwarts Crew T-Shirt, which he wore while making Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, to help raise money for a charity group Rebuilding Sri Lanka.
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