It Has Been 25 Years Since the ‘Harry Potter’ Stars Gave Their Very First Interview
Imagine being 11 years old, sitting in front of a wall of cameras and having no clue you’re about to become worth millions.
That’s essentially what happened to Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint when they were introduced to the world as the stars of the Harry Potter franchise on August 23, 2000.
A clip from that press conference is now going viral — and the contrast between their childhood innocence and their now-staggering fortunes is almost too perfect.
The Question That Puts Everything Into Perspective
At the London press event, the three kids — Radcliffe and Grint were just 11 years old, Watson was just 10 — were asked a simple question: What would they spend their first paycheck on?
Their answers? Absolutely priceless.
Watson, ever the Hermione even before cameras rolled on the first film, gave the most responsible answer imaginable.
“I’m afraid I’m really going to bore you all,” she said, “but I’m going to stick it in a bank until I’m 21.”
Radcliffe, who was visibly struggling to make eye contact with the press, was asked if he’d be a “saver” too.
“Probably,” he said. “Um, I… No, I don’t have any idea.”
And then there was Grint — delivering what can only be described as the most shareable moment of the entire clip.
“Well, speaking as a Wizard, uhm, we’re going to get paid muggle money and I don’t really understand it,” he said into the mic.
That’s it. That’s the line. Peak Ron Weasley energy before he’d even filmed a single scene.
The Numbers Behind Their ‘Harry Potter’ Stardom
Here’s where the viral clip gets its real punch. Parade estimates Radcliffe’s net worth today at $110 million. Watson sits at $85 million. Grint comes in at $50 million.
Three kids who didn’t understand paychecks became worth a combined quarter of a billion dollars. Let that sink in.
Radcliffe reportedly made around $96 million from the Harry Potter franchise alone. And by his own admission, he barely touches it.
“I don’t really do anything with my money,” he told The Telegraph in 2016. “I’m very grateful for it, because having money means you don’t have to worry about it, which is very lovely freedom to have. It also gives me immense freedom career-wise.”
He’s been even more blunt about the guilt factor.
In 2012, he told Parade: “I got paid so well for doing the Harry Potter films, it’s ridiculous. If somebody asked me, ‘Did you think you deserve that money?’ No, of course I didn’t.”
The ‘Harry Potter’ Cast Was Just Kids
The press conference was the first time the trio were officially introduced to the world as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
The first film in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, wouldn’t be released until over a year later on November 16, 2001.
During the documentary Creating the World of Harry Potter, Radcliffe confirmed it was the first time the trio had properly met.
Watson recalled being “terrified” and “so nervous” that she thought she would be sick as she walked into a room full of cameras and journalists.
Radcliffe described Grint as the “really chatty one” in those days, while describing himself as “very quiet.”
Even back then, the kids were already channeling their characters.
When asked if he bore any resemblance to Harry, Radcliffe said: “I think I’m a tiny, tiny bit like Harry… because… I’d like to have an owl.” Someone else joked that “he can’t fly on a broomstick yet.”
Grint took it further: “I think I’m a scary bit like my character. I live in a family of seven, I’ve got a red-headed sister and I live in a burrow.”
25 years and hundreds of millions of dollars later, the clip proves one thing: they had absolutely no idea what was coming. And honestly, that’s what makes it so good.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
