Can it really be?! Our boy wizard is all grown up!
Yes, Daniel Radcliffe turns 21 today — and just in time. The British actor is headed to Broadway early next year to star in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," meaning he'll legally be able to hit the bars with his castmates for a post-show night cap.
Of course, the legal drinking age across the pond is 18, so Dan has been pub-eligible for years, including the night he wrapped shooting on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," bringing a decade worth of work on the franchise to a close.
"That wasn't the official wrap party," he told MTV News of their post-shoot celebration. "That was just everybody going out and getting crazy drunk. The wrap party we'll have will be sometime in the next two weeks, which will be exciting."
But this milestone of a birthday isn't just about swilling drinks. It also comes at a time when Radcliffe is closing a long-running chapter in his life ... just as another one opens. And for that, we have to applaud Mr. Radcliffe.
The year was 2000 when he got the call to audition for the title role in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." His life would never be the same. Stepping into the invisibility cloak of the young wizard, Radcliffe soon became one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. Six pictures in, the "Harry Potter" franchise has grossed over $5.4 billion at the worldwide box office.
Yet with production on the series complete and the final part of "Deathly Hallows" arriving next summer, Radcliffe finds himself at a crossroads. Many a child star has struggled to establish an adult career, but not this guy. He's already set to star in the World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," and has just signed onto a thriller called "The Woman In Black." And then there's his successful theatrical work, from a buzzworthy turn in 2008's "Equus" to the upcoming "How to Succeed."
That's some impressive stuff. And so today we wish Daniel Radcliffe a happy and healthy 21st birthday, and we look forward to many more decades of compelling work. Bottoms up, Dan!
** Hollywood Crush Twitter