British actor scoops Harry Potter role

The hunt for the young actor to play young wizard Harry Potter has ended. British actor Daniel Radcliffe has won one of the most coveted roles in recent memory.

The hunt for the young actor to play young wizard Harry Potter has ended. British actor Daniel Radcliffe has won one of the most coveted roles in recent memory.

The 11-year-old appeared in the BBC's adaptation of Charles Dickensÿs David Copperfield, in which he played David as a youngster.

Film studio executives tested thousands of talented young hopefuls for the role and Radcliffeÿs success was announced on the Internet this afternoon.

Chris Columbus, director of Harry Potter and the Sorcererÿs Stone, said: "We saw so many enormously talented kids in the search for Harry.

"The process was intense and there were times when we felt we would never find an individual who embodied the complex spirit and depth of Harry Potter.

"Then Dan walked into the room and we all knew we had found Harry."