‘Harry Potter’ HBO series star Dominic McLaughlin on letter from Daniel Radcliffe

The boy who lived, squared.

Dominic McLaughlin, the young actor who has taken over the role of Harry Potter in the upcoming HBO TV series based on the books by J.K. Rowling, is opening up about a personal letter he received from Daniel Radcliffe, who originated the role in the popular film franchise.

McLaughlin shared what it was like to get a letter from Radcliffe in a recent interview with BBC’s Saturday Mash-Up! Live.

“I got a letter from the man himself, from Daniel Radcliffe,” McLaughlin said. “It was insane. I was on the train back up to Glasgow … and my dad tapped me on the train and just gave me this letter.”

The 11-year-old actor said he didn’t fully understand what he was reading until he reached the end of the page.

“I read it and then I got to the bottom, and it said ‘Dan R.,'” McLaughlin said. “I was going mad, but I had to [keep cool]. I was on the train.”

McLaughlin also shared an update on how the Harry Potter TV series is progressing.

The show has been “going amazing,” he said. “It’s going really well. I’ve made good friends with everyone, it’s great to be there.”

HBO shared first-look photos of McLaughlin in costume as Harry Potter and Nick Frost in costume as Hagrid in July. The photos were shared the same week cameras officially started rolling on the series as it began production at the Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England, the same location where all eight of the Harry Potter films were made.

McLaughlin leads the cast alongside Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton, who will play Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively.

The Harry Potter series will premiere on HBO and HBO Max in 2027.

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