Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint both walked away with awards at this year’s WhatsOnStage awards. The full list of winners may be read here.
Dan won his award for Best Actor in a Play with 37.4% of the votes beating out Ben Winshaw, James McAvoy, Lenny Henry and Rory Kinnear. He won for his role in The Cripple of Inishmaan, which will be opening on Broadway in April.
Rupert received the The DEWYNTERS London Newcomer of the Year award for his role in Mojo with a whopping 50.3% of the votes! Rupert surpassed Jack Huston, Kyle Scatliffe, Olivia Vinall and Tori Amos (composer) to take the award.
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.”
Goldcrest Films has just announced that Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in their upcoming film Brooklyn Bridge. The film is set to shoot in August 2014 and subsequent casting announcements, including the lead actress, are anticipated to follow swiftly. According to the press release sent to us this morning,
Inspired by true events, the brilliant but inexperienced engineer Washington Roebling (Radcliffe) is left to oversee the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge when his father passes away. Besieged by calamity, danger and doubt, Washington’s obsession threatens his health and to drive his family apart until he discovers he has an improbable ally… his charming and shrewd wife Emily.
Notes Pascal Degove, Managing Director Goldcrest Films: “Having Daniel’s involvement is a massive coup for the film, not only is he perfect for the role, but he’s consistently proved himself to be one of the very few actors who is genuinely a massive draw for audiences of all ages.”
“We love Doug’s extraordinary script and working with Daniel is one of the rare treats in the business …this is thrilling for everyone at Killer” comments producer Christine Vachon.
Last year, Daniel Radcliffe appeared in the West End production of ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’, a comedy about a young man (Daniel) with a sea of troubles who tries to become a movie star. The play will be coming to New York this April through July. According to The New York Times:
The production, which was mounted in London last summer by the Tony Award-winning director Michael Grandage (“Red”), will begin running at the Cort Theater on April 12, less than two weeks after the closing performance of the Cort’s current double-bill, “Waiting for Godot” and “No Man’s Land.”
Such a quick turnaround is relatively rare for a Broadway theater, but the timing accommodates the schedules of Mr. Radcliffe (best known from the “Harry Potter” movies) and Mr. Grandage while allowing for an official opening at the play’s April 20 matinee — just in time for the April 24 eligibility cut-off for Tony award nominations. Mr. Radcliffe was a surprise Tony snub in 2011 when he was passed over for a nomination for his lead performance in the Broadway revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” He has also starred on Broadway in the 2008 revival of the play “Equus.”
[…]
The new production, which is scheduled to run through July 20, will feature the same cast from London. The Broadway run is being mounted by Mr. Grandage’s producing company as well as Arielle Tepper Madover and several other New York theater producers.
Harry Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint have been nominated for the 2014 What’s On Stage Awards for their recent performances. Voting for the awards starts today, via this link, and runs through January 31st. The Awards Ceremony and Concert will be held on February 23rd at the Prince of Wales Theatre, tickets to the event can be purchased here.
Best Actor in a Play
Ben Whishaw – Peter and Alice at the Noël Coward and Mojo at the Harold Pinter Daniel Radcliffe – The Cripple of Inishmaan at the Noël Coward James McAvoy – Macbeth at Trafalgar Studios Lenny Henry – Fences at the Duchess Rory Kinnear – Othello at the NT Olivier
The DEWYNTERS London Newcomer of the Year
Jack Huston – Strangers on a Train at the Gielgud Kyle Scatliffe – The Scottsboro Boys at the Young Vic Olivia Vinall – Othello at the NT Olivier Rupert Grint – Mojo at the Harold Pinter Tori Amos (composer) – The Light Princess at the NT Lyttelton
Daniel Radcliffe recently popped into the BAFTA headquarters and answered a few questions about acting. Here are some snippets as well as a video:
“If I feel the script is trying to emotionally manipulate the reader in a way I’m not feeling, that’s something I find pretty off putting.”
“I like that my job means I have to prepare something different each time. Every scene presents a different set of challenges.”
“You have to trust the director, trust the other actors you are with, give yourself over and be as emotionally open and available as you can.”
“The more challenging a scene is the more fun it is as well, because the more of my job I get to do.”
“Learn as much as you can about the type of actor you’d like to be…If you’re working on a film, always remember how lucky you are.”
“Most actors treat every job as if it’s going to be their last, because that’s the permanent fear we live in, but I think that’s a good attitude to have.”
Daniel Radcliffe can currently be seen on our screens in the new series of A Young Doctors Notebook in the UK (the first series is airing in the US on Ovation) and BAFTA have an exclusive Q&A podcast with the cast and crew, including the man himself, available on BAFTA Guru.
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