Can the Sorting Hat Guess? the Three Leads of "Harry Potter", Where Their Acting Careers Might Lead, and Avoiding Typecasting

Never before in film history have a group of child actors had to be in a series of seven film adaptations of seven monumentally popular books--and then be expected to try to fight the frequently-losing battle of typecasting while continuing acting. It's almost too much to expect of the three main leads in the Harry Potter films. And they've all expressed in interviews they want to continue their acting careers in other things beyond the Harry Potter universe. Consider the cast of "Star Wars" only had to do three wildly-successful films--and many of them have had their careers deteriorate because of the typecast stigma (save Harrison Ford). Perhaps it's still a little too early (as of this writing) to determine whether the Top Three in the cast of the Harry Potter films will be able to act in other films and develop new characters in their acting repertoire. It always helps to start early and perhaps do some independent films in-between preparing for the last two Harry Potter films. But let's take a look at the backgrounds of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson and see which one (or ones) could become even bigger stars within the coming decade...

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel's acting list is slightly broader in scope than his fellow co-stars--so most people would assume that he'll have the most successful crossover to other acting parts later. He played a young David Copperfield in a BBC TV production of the famous novel in 1999--which was about a year before he auditioned for the role of Harry Potter. Most of us probably remember hearing it announced to the world when he got the part right when the craze for the books was just beginning in America. His movie debut actually was released before 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's in UK) Stone" was released in the U.S. That first movie was "The Tailor of Panama" co-starring with Pierce Brosnan in an adaptation of John le Carre's spy novel. Nobody knew who Daniel was at the time...but the film has reportedly has had its share of DVD rentals by fans in the last six years to see him just prior to donning the HP glasses.

It was only a year into his role as Harry Potter that he started to get a slight taste of live theater work. Kenneth Branagh had appeared in "Chamber of Secrets"--and picked Daniel to show up as one of the mystery guests in the stage musical "The Play What I Wrote" that Branagh was directing at the time. It wasn't until early 2007, though, when Daniel went back to the stage. He'd matured as an actor through the complex scripts of the Harry Potter movies. One wouldn't think that you could progress as an actor in those films, but they've proven to be worthwhile training grounds for more nuanced acting performances. Considering he hasn't had much stage training, the rave reviews he received for that 2007 stage performance in "Equus" is significant. Notorious nude scene in that play aside (and, it looks like the fans and producers of Harry Potter brushed it aside quickly too)--it seems Daniel's future just might include a lot more stage work. As of this writing, he's expected to debut in the NYC production of "Equus" in the summer of 2008.

But let's not count out the independent film world. Wisely, Daniel took a role in an Australian indie film called "December Boys" back in 2006. This was an intense drama about four orphan friends all born in December...and who end up competing against one another to gain the attention of a couple who plan to adopt one of the four boys. The performances in this one received some moderate praise across the pond and in the States.

It looks obvious Daniel Radcliffe will still be a known actor long after "The Deathly Hallows" movie adaptation comes out around 2010. There could be a danger he'll never get a role as great as Harry Potter again as Mark Hamill had to face with "Star Wars." The opportunities to spread your wings in acting are much wider, though, than back in the 70's and 80's. With those wider opportunities come better chances to land another important role that could erase the concept of typecasting and come close to rivaling Harry Potter if at the right place and time. The live stage can provide those opportunities, too, if movies don't work out.

Rupert Grint

In comparison to Daniel, who had some acting experience, Rupert never really had much in the way of professional acting experience (other than high school plays) prior to landing the part of Ron in the first Harry Potter film. Only the clever audition tape he set up in trying to win the part of Ron did he truly impress in his acting abilities. In that video, he dressed like his drama teacher and rapped a made-up song about wanting to land the role of Ron Weasley. Perhaps sensing that the role of Ron would be a part of his life for years to come--he accepted another part in a children's film called "Thunderpants" a year after the first Harry Potter film was released. I kid not when I say the plot involves a lead character who has so much flatulence (from having two stomachs)--he gets a job as an astronaut. Rupert's character (playing Alan A. Allen) is best friend to flatulence par-excellence lead character Patrick Smash...mainly because Alan has no sense of smell to detect Patrick's flatulence problem. This is wacky British comedy at its best...and isn't all that well-known in the States, despite having some American stars in the cast.

Rupert stuck with the Harry Potter franchise for the next four years while also balancing school as all three of the cast have. In 2006, though, he acted in a well-regarded indie film called "Driving Lessons" that starred Laura Linney and Julie Walters. It's interesting to note that Walters plays the mother of Ron in the Harry Potter films. It also seems to be a trend that both Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert have worked in other films that had several actors in the cast who play regular characters in the HP films.

"Driving Lessons" was a complex film that had a similar plot to the classic early 70's film "Harold and Maude." Rupert plays Ben Marshall who lives a repressed life with a religious mother. Ben starts a friendship with an older former actress (Walters) who teaches him how to open up (or show confidence in himself) that subsequently leads to some surprising revelations and situations. In this film, Rupert was proven he could hold an entire movie as the lead. Not bad for someone who had relatively little acting experience. It gives further proof of the Harry Potter film franchise being an effective training ground.

As of this writing, Rupert has no other films in the works other than the remaining HP films. He has done some voiceover work in various British TV specials and radio shows for the BBC in recent years. That would be a lucrative place to go in the event his acting career doesn't progress after the Harry Potter films are over. Many actors in America who have their careers dry up in films sometimes end up doing voiceover jobs while sustaining a respectable career in that field for years. That would be a viable option outside of driving an ice cream truck Rupert bought with his movie earnings that he jokingly says he's keeping in the event his career doesn't pan out.

After the impressive anchoring of a lead in "Driving Lessons" (and maybe having some dramatic scenes in the final HP film)--Rupert should probably get some decent movie parts again. Typecasting is hard to predict, but having another movie role that's significant around the time of the last HP film would probably provide a perfect boost going into the next decade.

Emma Watson

And then we come to the last of the three who will likely (or maybe arguably) become one of the biggest stars of the future all over the world. Or, let's say she has the most potential...despite having not done any professional acting before the Harry Potter films...or any other films outside the HP franchise at the time of this writing. What Emma does have, however, is a rare beauty and charm in her part as Hermione that's still relatively rare in young actresses. She already knew how to keep an audience compelled when reciting a line, because she happened to win first place in a poetry competition at the age of seven while attending the famous preparatory Dragon School in Oxford, UK. Her talent for writing could even play into professional avenues once her career is allowed to flourish elsewhere.

And, when you end up at #98 on FHM's 2007 list of the 100 Sexiest Woman in the World at the age of only 17 (which some considered controversial)--you know Hollywood is going to be calling before the HP movie series is over. Seeing her tackle the independent film route would also be smart as it worked for Daniel and Rupert. Starting there has proven to be the perfect place lately for actors to shake the typecasting blues temporarily if they're primarily known for playing or doing something else. The only thing that seems to be holding that up for Emma as of now is her schooling that she's given full attention to since the HP series began. Fortunately, some of the reported main subjects in her Advanced Subsidiary levels of education involve things she can use in an entertainment career: Dance, Art and English. She recently said in a Parade Magazine interview that she's never considered working on any other film project due to scheduling concerns, but it seems plausible she's received high-quality scripts from the UK and Hollywood...while wisely timing things with finishing an education first. Her reported first wishes for outside projects: Playing a role in a period piece (I think we see that as perfect casting)...or maybe singing in a stage musical.

Earlier in 2007, some rumors started circulating that Emma wouldn't be back as Hermione. At the time, a lot of people thought she was worried about the typecasting problem of playing the same character in seven films. But according to Emma in that recent Parade interview, she said that the emotional investment of superstardom playing Hermione for four more years was weighing heavily on her mind. Nevertheless, the rumors cleared when she finally agreed to return to the Hermione role for the last two films in the series. She's been quoted as saying the Hermione character has meant a lot to her and that she considers the role not only relatable to her personally, but also one of the best female role models in modern children's literature and film. Also, she's said that accepting the role to the end is only right considering how grateful she is that the character started her career for her. Aren't we all glad, too, when you consider how awkward (and slightly empty) the future films would be with different actors playing those familiar parts. In one part of that Parade interview, Emma says she couldn't really bare watching anybody else playing Hermione. That really gives an unprecedented look into how these characters have become an emotional part of the cast's souls.

Once Emma is able to get major parts in other British or American productions, her classic features and ability to capture an audience may make her the new heir to the great British actresses who happen to be insanely popular in America too. A new generation of young and brilliant British actresses have begun to slowly emerge recently. That, after a longstanding monopoly of famed older actresses from the UK with "Dame" before their names who still get some of the best film roles in the world...while also being nominated for Oscars continually.

Expect Emma to be proclaimed one of those young and brilliant talents in the coming decade who may be sitting waiting to get her Oscar at an Academy Awards ceremony during that time frame. That, outside of Emma recently saying that she doesn't think she'll ever do anything that will outmatch the Harry Potter series.

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A lot of this analysis might lead to a conclusion that female actresses perhaps can overcome typecast more than men do. It's hard to decipher what makes up a magnetic personality in an actor. The reality is, though, that if you have those mysterious qualities...you can probably carve out other movie or TV characters easier where you can erase the previous character once dominating your life--no matter how many movies you were in as that character. The concept of powerful imagination is really the true antidote to typecasting.