Harry Potter Brings His Naked Self to Broadway

No, don't be alarmed, everybody. There's no Harry Potter 8 on the way, although maybe some of us wouldn't be so unhappy to see the boy wizard come back for another turn of magic and mystery. But if Harry's adventures are finally over and the now-all-grown-up wizard may rest for a while on the shelves of bookstores and in the imagination of those who waited for him for so long, Daniel Radcliffe, the young actor who's been playing Harry for about 8 years now is not resting in the slightest and is already stirring up some waves of his own.

Remember how the now growing teenager was enlisted for one of the major parts in a West End play that punches in some serious shock? That's right, it was called Equus and he got (sigh) half-naked for it.

Yes, you heard me. No longer dressed in his swishing black robes, Daniel Radcliffe decided to try his hand at bigger, better things. And believe it or not (well, there are still skeptics among us like myself who believe that when an actor has settled so safely inside a nice, clean role such as the gifted boy wizard, it's hard to break the routine) he's jumped straight into the shoes...or rather low riding jeans...of another teenager who couldn't be more different.

Equus is one of Britain's top plays from the '70s, and its conception and strength are made or broken by the two main characters, one of which - Aland Strangs - is played by Radcliffe. Trouble is, Strangs is a young disturbed teenager who worships and mutilates horses and the atmosphere of the play is altogether bizarre and frightening, with some great and unforgettable visuals. And after his success in Britain, the Boy Who Survived Playing Harry Potter is planning to bring his (half) naked self on Broadway.

"It will be amazing, but I will be terrified because I was talking to Richard Griffiths about playing New York and he said the most stupid thing you can do is underestimate New York audiences", Radcliffe said.


And no wonder. The character he plays in Equus is bizarre, twisted and deeply troubled. And just incidentally, there's a prolonged hot sex scene in the play that already people are making a great deal of fuss about with co-star and former "Holby City" actress, Joanna Christie.

So what can we say, except to admire Radcliffe for his courage...and wonder what the impact on his Potter part will be. The answer comes from Radcliffe's spokesman, Vanessa Davies, who stated that "Daniel does not want to step away from Harry Potter but he does want to show he is a rounded actor capable of very different and diverse roles. He has tremendous support from Harry Potter fans". If that's the case, then it's all go for Daniel.