Weird Al Yankovic reacts to Daniel Radcliffe’s lead performance in new biopic

Grammy-winner is most famous for parodying hits such as Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ and The Knack’s ‘My Sharona’

“Weird Al” Yankovic has commented on Daniel Radcliffe’s portrayal of himself in the new Roku biopic released on Friday (4 November).

Radcliffe has stepped into the shoes of the American singer best known for parodying famous songs, such as the 1984 hit “Eat It”, which spoofs Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, inWeird: The Al Yankovic Story.

In a new interview with Variety, Yankovic, 63, reacted to the Harry Potter star’s performance, telling the publication that Radcliffe “absolutely nailed” the role.

Explaining the decision to cast Radcliffe, the Grammy winner said he “generated a list of maybe half a dozen or so actors” that could potentially “play me” withWeird director Eric Appel.

“And the name that we kept focusing on was Daniel’s, because we just thought that he had the right attitude and the right energy for the movie. Daniel is amazing at comedic acting as well as dramatic acting,” Yankovic continued, adding, “And we definitely needed somebody who could do both. Because even though it’s a comedy, we don’t play it like a comedy.

“We play it like a very, very serious Oscar-worthy Hollywood biopic.”

The “My Bologna” hitmaker co-wrote the biopic with Appel, and is also one of the film’s producers.

“We’re both thrilled that Daniel was open to doing the role,” Yankovic said.

Radcliffe previously admitted he was “concerned” about what the parents of his actor girlfriend, Erin Darke, will think of Weird.

“Actually, after [director] Eric [Appel] and Al [Yankovic], the people I’m most concerned about their reaction is probably my in-laws,” Radcliffe said, in an interview last month.

In her four-star review of Weird for The Independent, Clarisse Loughrey wrote that Radcliffe is a “genius casting choice” for the role because he “has pitch-perfect comic timing without necessarily coming across as someone trying to tell a joke”.

You can read the full review for Appel’s “artfully absurd” film here.

The film also stars Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, Rainn Wilson as Weird Al’s mentor Dr Demento, Arturo Castro as Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and Quinta Brunson as Oprah.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is currently streaming on Roku.