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Daniel Radcliffe praised Stranger Things cast for handling early fame 'so well'


Published by Cover Media
21 Feb 2026
Daniel Radcliffe has revealed he recently praised the cast of Stranger Things for handling fame at a young age "so well".
The British actor, who became a global phenomenon at just 11 after landing the title role in the Harry Potter film series, has "deep sympathy" for child actors navigating sudden stardom.
Speaking in a recent interview with Bustle, Radcliffe reflected on his experience of growing up in the public eye.
"I was really lucky that I had a crazy youth, but it was also very structured, and there was tremendous continuity in the people around me the whole time," he said. "It can be a blessing and it can also really f**k a person up."
The star shared that he recently met several members of the Stranger Things cast - which includes the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink and Gaten Matarazzo - who were all under the age of 16 when they joined the hit Netflix series.
"I got to meet a couple of the Strangers Things kids recently, and I was able to just hug them and be like, 'You're all doing so well. You seem nice. Well done!'" Daniel, 36, recalled. "It was really lovely."
He added, "Anytime I see somebody dealing with fame, I am both interested and deeply sympathetic and want to hug people."
Radcliffe also referenced 28-year-old singer Chappell Roan, who has previously spoken out about the way the public treats celebrities in the street.
"I remember when Chappell Roan was having that moment last year - there was something so beautiful about it," he told the publication. "And it made me really sad as well. I don't know her, so I don't want to speak about her life. But watching somebody go from nought to 100 in a year, her rise was so crazy."
"And then her very sweet videos where she was like, 'Hey, I might not want to take a photo...,'" he continued. "It felt like somebody realising that they had moved past a point of fame that they could never get back from."

Published by Cover Media
21 Feb 2026