Daniel Radcliffe has spent more than 25 years hearing every possible Harry Potter joke — but the actor has finally admitted that one recent quip genuinely made him laugh, and it came from an unexpected place: backstage at Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Radcliffe has been out promoting the filmed stage version of Merrily We Roll Along, alongside co-stars Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez. During his latest appearance on the show, he told Meyers that it’s incredibly rare for a Potter joke to land with him these days.
“It’s very rare that I experience a Harry Potter joke in the wild that makes me truly laugh,” he said. “Not because they’re bad — I’ve just heard all of them. It has to be really good to make me laugh.”
The joke that finally cracked him came during a production meeting the last time he visited the Late Night set. Radcliffe, who became a father in 2023, has been firm about keeping his son’s name private. That detail immediately rang a bell for one of the show’s producers.
Seth Meyers shared the moment on air:
“I asked, ‘Tell me how old Daniel’s child is?’ and they said, ‘About two — but he never says his name publicly.’ And then my producer Kevin Miller goes, ‘Is it Voldemort?’”
The comparison — between Radcliffe protecting his son’s privacy and Voldemort being referred to as “He Who Must Not Be Named” — was so spot-on that Radcliffe couldn’t help laughing.
The actor also spoke about the upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot, which is set to premiere in 2027 on HBO’s Max platform. Radcliffe has stepped back from involvement in the new adaptation following his public disagreements with J.K. Rowling over transgender rights, but he recently revealed that he wrote a warm letter to Dominic McLaughlin, the young actor taking on the role of Harry.
“I don’t want to be a spectre in the lives of these children,” Radcliffe said. “I had a great time, but I hope they have an even better time.”
He also admitted that seeing photos of the new cast makes him emotional.
“I just want to hug them. They look so young. It’s crazy to think I was doing that.”
During the interview, Radcliffe once again reflected on his discomfort watching himself on screen — something his co-stars lovingly teased him about — but he praised the rest of the cast’s performances.
“If there could be a cut of everything I’ve ever done without me in it, I’d love watching that,” he joked.
For now, fans can watch Radcliffe laughing about Potter jokes — even if only one still has enough magic to get him. The original film series is streaming on Max, where the new reboot will land in 2027.
