New Harry Potter TV series star reveals reaction to letter sent from Daniel Radcliffe and why he had to keep his cool
McLaughlin said he was "going mad" when he received the letter from Radcliffe.
After Daniel Radcliffe explained that he sent a letter to the star of the new Harry Potter TV series Dominic McLaughlin, the young actor himself has revealed how he reacted to receiving it.
McLaughlin, who will be playing Harry in the new adaptation of JK Rowling's books, was appearing on Saturday Mash-Up! Live, when he was asked about Radcliffe's letter.
He said: "Oh yeah, I got a letter from the man himself, Daniel Radcliffe. It was insane. I was on the train back up to Glasgow, because we were going home, and my dad just tapped me on the train and just gave me this letter.
"I read it and then I got to the bottom, and it said, 'Dan R'. I was going mad, but I had to keep it cool. I was on the train."
Speaking on Good Morning America last month, Radcliffe said: "I wrote to Dominic and sent him a letter, and he sent me a very sweet note back.
"I don’t want to be a spectre in the life of these children, but I just wanted to write to him to say, ‘I hope you have the best time, and an even better time than I did – I had a great time, but I hope you have an even better time.'
"I just see these pictures of him and the other kids, and I just want to hug them. They just seem so young. I do look at them and say, ‘Oh, it’s crazy I was doing that at that age.’ But it’s also incredibly sweet, and I hope they’re having a great time."
McLaughlin will lead the cast of the series which will also star the likes of John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Meanwhile, one actor who previously appeared in the film series will be reprising his role, with Warwick Davis returning to play Filius Flitwick.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X, in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.
Harry Potter actors including Radcliffe, Grint and Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
Read more:
- 13 ways the Harry Potter TV series could be salvaged – from Peeves to Voldemort's death
- Harry Potter TV series' Hagrid has key element questioned by original film director: "Part of me was like, what's the point?"
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
