Skip to main contentSkip to footer

TV role takes Daniel Radcliffe from sorcerer to soldier

Share this:

He's already received rave reviews for his stint treading the boards in the West End play Equus. And now Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is set to further cement his thespian scope with his first TV lead in the one-off drama My Boy Jack, which airs in the autumn.

Swapping his Hogwarts cape for the dashing uniform of the Irish Guards, the 18-year-old is to play Rudyard Kipling's son in the true-to-life World War I drama. The programme recounts how 17-year-old John Jack Kipling goes missing in action after his father pulled strings to get him accepted into the Army - despite his poor eyesight. 

Jack never returned, leaving his parents agonising over his fate and provoking the author to pen a moving poem about the search for information on what had befallen the lad.

Daniel - who when he turned 18 came into the £23 million fortune generated by playing Harry - has often spoken of his desire to play more varied and adult roles. And a personal interest in the First World War means he's particularly enthusiastic about the new project. "I've always been fascinated by the subject," he told one US magazine. "And I think it's as relevant today as it ever was."

Photo: © Alphapress.com
The boy wizard actor is to play Rudyard Kipling's son in a one-off drama to air this autumn Photo: © Ecosse Films Production for ITV1 MY BOY JACK
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Set during the World War I, the programme recounts the story of how the author's soldier son goes missing in action Photo: © Ecosse Films Production for ITV1 MY BOY JACK

More TV and Film

See more