Jamie Lee Curtis Reveals She Predicted Daniel Radcliffe Would Be Harry Potter Before He Got The Part

Jamie Lee Curtis recently appeared on the Today show to talk about her role in the upcoming psychological thriller Sender opposite Severance's Britt Lower.

Curtis is known for sharing stories about-fellow actors, often moving the focus away from herself. This interview was no different, as Curtis spoke about her experiences on various projects. She even invited Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe, who was set to appear in the next segment, to share the stage with her.

While reminiscing about The Tailor of Panama, in which Curtis played Radcliffe's mother, Curtis recalled the exact moment when she realized that Daniel Radcliffe would make a wonderful Harry Potter in the upcoming film adaptation.

Most of the children from the film were playing in a pool, while Radcliffe sat on the side watching, because he had a fake tan on for the film. Looking at him, Curtis realized that he bore an incredible resemblance to the cartoon illustration on the original Harry Potter books.

Curtis recalled thinking:

"Wait, you look like that kid who's on the cover of that ['Harry Potter'] book!"

Curtis mentioned this to Radcliffe's mother, who asked her to keep that thought quiet, as a potential offer was already in the works. By that time, Radcliffe had already starred in David Copperfield and was drawing critical attention for his acting skills and for his uncanny resemblance to the illustrated character.

While Curtis clearly enjoyed sharing that story, she wasn't done singing Radcliffe's praises:

"Since then, he's not only done that [fulfilled the 'Harry Potter' role], but now he's doing this work ['Every Brilliant Thing'], this new work."

"He reminds me of Michelle Williams, people who are committed to the art of what they do. She was on 'Dawson's Creek,' and now she's in that fantastic show, 'Dying for Sex.'"

"Daniel's now on Broadway, singing, dancing, doing monologues, and doing something very important."

You can catch the moment here:

Fans were touched by Curtis's comments about Radcliffe.

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You can watch Curtis's full Today segment here:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Radcliffe is currently performing in the interactive one-man show Every Brilliant Thing, and Curtis's latest, Sender, is set to appear in theaters on March 14, 2026, with streaming information to come.