In a new interview wit Broadway Direct, Daniel Radcliffe talks about returning to New York City to reprise his role in The Cripple of Inishmaan this April, as we reported last month.  The article also mentions his role in the film Tokyo Vice, where he plays an American journalist who gets tangled with the Yakuza, the Japanese crime underworld. Filming begins in July, after the NYC run of Inishmaan.

Of the play Dan says:

“There are a lot of challenges, and I’m just so excited about coming back to work in New York with this play,” says Radcliffe.  “As always, I hope that people who come to see this play get treated to a fantastic story, and hopefully we tell it well. On the surface it’s a very simple story,” notes Radcliffe, “but actually, the intricacies, the twists and turns that Martin creates in these characters’ lives are sometimes shocking, unexpectedly moving or hilarious. It’s such a rare combination to have all those things sitting with each other perfectly, and the tone – the comedy originates in some ways from the cruelty of the characters’ relationship with each other,” the actor explains. “After the first scene, which is quite bruisingly funny in terms of how Billy is treated, I don’t think people will necessarily expect the end of it to be as heart-wrenching as it is.”

[…]“It is never specified in the play exactly what ailment Billy has – you just have clues in the text, which says he has one arm and one leg crippled,” Radcliffe explains. “I arrived, with the help of a friend, at the conclusion that it could be a specific type of cerebral palsy called hemiplegia.  And then I worked with a woman who is a vocal coach but who also has that type of cerebral palsy. We worked together, on and off for about three months before rehearsals started, just learning about the condition and the mechanics of it, and how that affects people in everyday life.  Most people with this type of cerebral palsy often come up with amazing solutions to problems that I would never have thought of, so it was a really fascinating thing to learn about.”

Discussing what he enjoys about acting:

“The fact that I get to do so many different things is one of the parts of my job that make it incredibly fun,” Radcliffe continues. “Maybe the fact of playing one character in one environment for quite a long time built up an energy to want to get out after Potter and grab as many different things as possible; you are constantly learning something new, so you are always in a very receptive state,” he reflects.

He also mentions a quote that keeps him going in his career:

Having deftly avoided the potential pitfalls of early fame and fortune, Radcliffe is well on his way to becoming one of the most versatile actors of his generation. A key to his solid work ethic may perhaps be found in his favorite quote, which comes from Samuel Beckett’s prose piece Worstward Ho!: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” “Somebody I really admire once pointed me in the direction of that quote,” he explains. “To me — who knows if this is what Beckett meant! –it’s about not seeking perfection, but about embarking on a process and trying something. Trying to do something is ultimately just as important as the end result.”