On Harry Potter's 35th birthday, the best thing 'Harry Potter' has ever said

Remembering the time Daniel Radcliffe tackled the sexualisation of young actresses head on

Daniel Radcliffe (Getty)

JK Rowling has been flooded with well-wishes from all corners of the world for her 50th birthday. But 31 July also marks another birthday – that of her most famous protagonist, Harry Potter, who would have turned 35.

The birthday of one of the most well-known fictional characters in modern literature is also the perfect excuse to pay homage to Daniel Radcliffe, or more specifically his incredibly refreshing criticism of the sexualisation of his co-star, Emma Watson, who was 11-years-old when she joined the Harry Potter series.

Emma Watson is an ambassador for the United Nation’s HeForShe campaign (Getty) (Getty Images)

The 26-year-old explained his frustration at being described as the “unconventional” romantic hero in films after his turn as a wizard during an interview with the Associated Press.

When asked how he felt about being considered a sex symbol, he replied:

“Around the time of What If, the rom-com, a lot of people were saying ‘You’re a really unconventional romantic lead.'

"Eventually I got bored of hearing that, so I kind of picked someone up on that, so I was like, ‘What about me is unconventional? Tell me.’ She said, ‘Well, I think it’s probably the fact that we associated you with playing Harry as a young boy for so long.

“’The male population has had no problem sexualising Emma Watson immediately.’”

His comments came after Watson launched a rallying solidarity cry for men to join the fight for gender equality with her United Nations HeforShe campaign.

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