Daniel Radcliffe reveals battle with alcohol: Harry Potter star has given up drinking

By Sarah Bull

Last updated at 12:06 PM on 4th July 2011

Battle with the bottle: Daniel Radcliffe has revealed he has given up alcohol after becoming too reliant on it

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has revealed he has given up drinking after a long battle with alcohol.

The 22-year-old actor told GQ magazine he realised he was becoming too reliant on alcohol.

And Daniel revealed he hasn’t drunk anything since August 2010 after accepting he may have had a problem.

He said: ‘I became so reliant on alcohol to enjoy stuff. There were a few years there when I was just so enamoured with the idea of living some sort of famous person’s lifestyle that really isn’t suited to me.

‘I really got away with that because there were many instances when a paparazzi shot like that could have been taken.’

Daniel also said life with his girlfriend, whose identity has not yet been revealed, has become easier since he decided to become tee-total.

He added to GQ magazine: ‘I’m actually enjoying the fact I can have a relationship with my girlfriend where I’m really pleasant and I’m not f*****g up totally all the time.

‘As much as I would love to be a person that goes to parties and has a couple of drinks and has a nice time, that doesn’t work for me.

‘I do that very unsuccessfully. I’d just rather sit at home and read, or talk to somebody that makes me laugh.

Before the ban: Daniel was seen celebrating his 21st birthday with a bottle of vodka in St Petersburg

Worse for wear? Radcliffe looked slightly worse for wear as he celebrated his milestone birthday

‘There’s no shame in enjoying the quiet life. And that’s been the realisation of the past few years for me.’

Daniel can soon be seen in the final Harry Potter film, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part II.

And the actor, who is currently starring in Broadway show How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, said he is hoping to be able to forge a career for himself in the film world once the Potter franchise is over.

He said: ‘If I can make a career for myself after Potter, and it goes well, and is varied and with longevity, then that puts to bed the ‘child actors argument’.

Screen star: Daniel reprises his role as Harry Potter in the final film in the franchise, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part II

Longevity: Daniel told GQ magazine that he is hoping to break the ‘child actor’ curse after he finishes the Harry Potter franchise

‘If I can do it, in the biggest film franchise of all time, no other child actor who comes after will ever have to answer those same bloody questions.’

Since starring as teenage wizard Potter in the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s novels, Daniel has accumulated a fortune of somewhere in the region of £48million.

However, he said he won’t be blowing all his hard-earned cash on the latest top of the range cars.

Success: Daniel is currently appearing in Broadway musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

He said: ‘I don’t know what to do with it. I’m very fortunate to have it, and it gives you room to manouevre.

‘But the main thing about having money is it means you don’t have to worry about it. And that for me is a lovely thing. It’s not for fast cars and hookers.’