Daniel Radcliffe Would Play This Beloved Harry Potter Character In The HBO Series

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it: Daniel Radcliffe is a cinematic legend. From 2001 to 2011, he was the face behind arguably the most famous fictional protagonist of the first quarter of the 21st century: Harry Potter. Indeed, starting with his debut in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," Radcliffe has been at the center of millions of people's childhoods. Whether they were attending sold-out midnight screenings for all eight "Harry Potter" films, hosting at-home movie marathons, or embarking on a "Forbidden Journey" at Universal Parks, Wizarding World fans turned the actor into an undisputed giant of popular culture.

The tragedy of former child stars is a cliche at this point, with many unfortunate stories of such performers struggling due to intense public scrutiny. Radcliffe himself dealt with his private struggles during his teen years, including an over-reliance on alcohol, which he has been sober from since 2010. But while the actor certainly dealt with the trials and tribulations of being arguably the most famous child performer of the century, he thankfully came out of a decade at Hogwarts stronger and more creatively fulfilled than ever. Now, a new "Harry Potter" TV show is coming to HBO, and while the jury is out on whether it will be a worthwhile endeavor, some fans are speculating that certain cast members from the "Harry Potter" movies could appear as a way of passing the torch to the next generation.

But if Radcliffe, in particular, were to show up, who would he even play? Well, The Boy Who Lived himself has a suggestion.

No matter how many exciting projects he pursues for the rest of his career, Daniel Radcliffe will probably always be asked questions about "Harry Potter," and that is no different when it comes to the HBO series. In an interview with The Movie Dweeb (via The Direct), the actor was asked about the rumor that his former co-star Tom Felton could potentially play Lucius Malfoy (who was portrayed by Jason Isaacs in the "Harry Potter" movies) on the show and, more to the point, who he himself would be open to playing on the show. (This was all strictly theoretical, of course; seeing as Radcliffe is one of many "Harry Potter" actors who have openly condemned J.K. Rowling's anti-trans comments, he probably won't be returning to the Wizarding World anytime soon.)

Thankfully, Radcliffe did not consider the boring idea of playing Harry's father, James Potter — something that, for starters, would probably be troubling, given that we would eventually have to think about him bullying Severus Snape (Paapa Essiedu) when they were younger (itself a can of worms this already-controversial franchise doesn't need to be opening). Instead, Radcliffe playfully threw out the idea of him playing one of the property's most beloved characters:

"A moving portrait? I am trying to think what is like a fun role that is not too many days. I always thought one of the other great characters in the series is Sirius Black. [He] is obviously super cool."

Granted, The Movie Dweeb only asked this question to nab a "juicy headline" from Radcliffe. The latter acknowledged as much, stressing that while we will not be seeing him appear in the "Harry Potter" series in any way, shape, or form, he's not above having a little fun for the sake of an interview:

"But I can tell you, there is no world in which I will actually be playing that character, but I will give you the headline of 'Dan Radcliffe says Sirius Black would be fun to play, but he won't actually be doing it.'"

Again, it won't happen, but the idea of Daniel Radcliffe playing Sirius Black is intriguing. The character, as portrayed by Oscar-winner Gary Oldman in the "Harry Potter" films, was both part of James' schoolmate group, the Marauders, and Harry's godfather. He was sent to the magical prison Azkaban after seemingly killing several people and betraying Harry's parents to Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), but it eventually came to light that he had been framed for these crimes by his and James' fellow Marauder-turned-traitor, Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall).

In a film series with a murderers' (or Marauders') row of acclaimed English performers, Oldman's turn as Sirius is one of the highlights and yet another feather in the cap of one of the greatest actors of the last 40 years. Following in Oldman's footsteps will be a heavy task, and I wish the actor who plays Sirius on the HBO show (assuming it lasts that long) all the luck in the world.

Still, while that person won't be Radcliffe, the latter has continuously refined his craft in his post-Hogwarts career. Really, he's in the most financially enviable position any actor could dream to be in, where every decision he makes is based on what he finds creatively fulfilling (rather than an easy paycheck). Some of his most notable film credits include "The Woman in Black," "What If," "Now You See Me 2," "Swiss Army Man," and "Guns Akimbo." He has also played a few TV roles, including hosting "Saturday Night Live," voicing his animated Hollywood counterpart in "BoJack Horseman," and portraying the titular comedy musician in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" (which garnered him an Emmy nomination).

Radcliffe is also an acclaimed stage actor, having appeared in the play "Equus" on both the West End and Broadway. He also led the 2011 Broadway revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and starred in a production of Martin McDonagh's "The Cripple of the Inishmaan." His most recent role onstage was in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical "Merrily We Roll Along," which garnered him his first Tony Award win for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He's doing quite well, suffice it to say.