How Daniel Radcliffe Prepared to Play Weird Al
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VOICE OVER: Emily Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spake
Daniel Radcliffe is preparing for the weirdest role of his career. For this video, we'll be looking at how this English actor transformed into the man, the myth, the legend, the weird, Mr. Al Yankovic. Our video includes "Harry Potter," "Miracle Workers," "UHF," and more!
Script by Nick Spake
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing how Daniel Radcliffe prepared to play Weird Al.
For this video, we’ll be looking at how this English actor transformed into the man, the myth, the legend, the weird, Mr. Al Yankovic.
Are you looking forward to “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story?” Let us know in the comments.
Daniel Radcliffe was propelled to icon status at a young age when he was cast as Harry Potter. While Radcliffe was the face of the blockbuster franchise for a decade, this came with some potential drawbacks. When you play a character as recognizable as Harry for so long, audiences can struggle to accept you in another role. Similar to Albus Severus in “The Cursed Child,” it appeared Radcliffe may live in Harry’s shadow. However, Radcliffe has managed to avoid type-casting post-“Potter.” Since the series ended, he’s played eccentric villains in films like “The Lost City,” a farting corpse in “Swiss Army Man,” and himself on an episode of “BoJack Horseman.”
Since putting away the wand, Radcliffe’s career trajectory has been ambitious, unpredictable, and, in some cases, flat-out weird. He even kind of referenced this with his “Trainwreck” cameo. So, perhaps it was only a matter of time until he played satirical musician “Weird Al” Yankovic. When the news broke on January 18, 2022, many were caught off guard by the casting. Not just because Radcliffe was primarily known for Potter, but his singing chops hadn’t gotten much mainstream exposure. However, Radcliffe has showcased his musical range in Broadway productions like “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” He’s also combined music and comedy on “The Tonight Show” and “Miracle Workers.” We’ll never listen to “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain” the same way again.
Still, even Radcliffe was a little confused when Yankovic hand-picked him for the biopic. According to Radcliffe, he got the role because of a November 2010 appearance on “The Graham Norton Show.” Seated with Colin Farrell and Rihanna, Radcliffe performed “The Elements,” a Tom Lehrer novelty song that runs through the periodic table in rhyme. Similar to Weird Al’s parody songs, “The Elements” is set to the melody of “Major-General’s Song” from “The Pirates of Penzance,” but the lyrics are original. While Radcliffe slipped up just a little bit towards the end, his otherwise flawless delivery demonstrated the timing, wit, and fearlessness to play Yankovic. Thus, Yankovic proclaimed, better be Radcliffe!
Radcliffe isn’t the first actor to portray Yankovic. The same year Radcliffe appeared on “Graham Norton,” Funny or Die released a fake trailer for a “Weird Al” biopic with Aaron Paul in the lead role. Funny or Die and director Eric Appel are also behind this 2022 feature film, which is very much real. Originally, Paul was going to make a cameo in the film, but then he got COVID-19 before the shoot. Paul was out of it for about 10 days, missing his window of opportunity. Nevertheless, Paul is confident that Radcliffe is “absolutely going to crush it.” Paul also gave Radcliffe some sound advice from one Yankovic to another: “Just be weird, man. Just be weird.”
Based on the trailers, it’s been deduced that Yankovic himself is dubbing Radcliffe during the film’s singing segments. Radcliffe is diving deep into the music, though. Radcliffe not only received accordion lessons from Yankovic, but the musician lent him his signature instrument for a month to practice with. Fortunately, the strap was quickly replaced and Yankovic, being such a nice guy, didn’t express any anger towards Radcliffe. It was a sad day when Radcliffe had to give the accordion back.
Aside from the accordion, Hawaiian shirts are perhaps what we associate the most with Weird Al. When the first-look image of Radcliff as Weird Al was released, the actor said, “Wearing the Hawaiian shirt is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly, and I’m honored to finally share with the world the absolutely 100 percent unassailably true story of Weird Al’s depraved and scandalous life.” With this statement, Radcliffe exemplifies why he’s such a good fit to play Yankovic. He clearly respects Yankovic’s legacy and the wardrobe that comes with it, but he’s also not afraid to poke a little fun at him. Yankovic himself has based much of his career on doing just that.
Where Paul’s ensemble in the fake trailer admittedly looked like a Halloween costume, Radcliffe is the spitting image of a young Yankovic in the film. Naturally, the head of curly hair is a wig, but Radcliffe grew his own mustache. In addition to his physical transformation, it’s somewhat jarring to hear Radcliffe’s American accent after years of mostly listening to his natural English accent. Radcliffe has stated that he developed his American accent watching shows like “Friends” growing up. He’s also been told that his American accent sounds like Chris Columbus, who directed the first two “Harry Potter” movies.
As Yankovic, Radcliffe sounds more intense than the real deal. He’s more ripped too, as many pointed out after seeing Radcliffe shirtless in the trailer. It’s safe to say that Radcliffe is taking a few liberties with his portrayal, but that’s the point. “Weird” looks like the missing link between legitimate music biopics like “Walk the Line” and parody biopics like “Walk Hard.” The central singer is real, but everything is approached through a satirical lens. Sometimes when you tackle goofy material with a dramatic flair, it becomes even funnier and weirder. In that sense, “Weird” might not be 100% true, but Radcliffe’s approach feels 100% in Yankovic’s self-aware spirit. You could also argue that Radcliffe’s muscles pay homage to Yankovic’s “Rambo” parody in “UHF.”
Speaking of “UHF,” that comedy came out in 1989… two days before Radcliffe was born! Why has it taken so long for Yankovic to deliver another movie? According to Yankovic, “I made a solemn vow to my fans that I would release a major motion picture every 33 years, like clockwork. I’m very happy to say we’re on schedule.” While it’s taken 33 years to bring Yankovic’s story to the screen, the shoot was fairly short. By contrast, “Elvis” spent nearly a year filming, albeit with COVID factoring in. While the “Weird” shoot flew by, Radcliffe called it “one of the most fun” experiences he’s ever had. Yankovic, who co-wrote and co-produced the film, was also on set every day.
Yankovic sang Radcliffe’s praises after filming ended, posting, “That is a WRAP on Mr. Radcliffe! Wait till you see him in this. He’s even more like me than I am.” Yankovic has also stated, “I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.” Considering that Radcliffe hit the ground running, it’s hard to imagine anything else surpassing Harry Potter as his career-defining role. Radcliffe has consistently surprised us as he’s matured as an actor, though. Former child stars have taken their careers in numerous directions, many of them overly familiar. Radcliffe, though, has kept us eagerly guessing what will come next. Here’s hoping that with this biopic and beyond, Radcliffe continues to keep things interesting and weird.
How Daniel Radcliffe Prepared to Play Weird Al
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing how Daniel Radcliffe prepared to play Weird Al.
For this video, we’ll be looking at how this English actor transformed into the man, the myth, the legend, the weird, Mr. Al Yankovic.
Are you looking forward to “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story?” Let us know in the comments.
Daniel Radcliffe was propelled to icon status at a young age when he was cast as Harry Potter. While Radcliffe was the face of the blockbuster franchise for a decade, this came with some potential drawbacks. When you play a character as recognizable as Harry for so long, audiences can struggle to accept you in another role. Similar to Albus Severus in “The Cursed Child,” it appeared Radcliffe may live in Harry’s shadow. However, Radcliffe has managed to avoid type-casting post-“Potter.” Since the series ended, he’s played eccentric villains in films like “The Lost City,” a farting corpse in “Swiss Army Man,” and himself on an episode of “BoJack Horseman.”
Since putting away the wand, Radcliffe’s career trajectory has been ambitious, unpredictable, and, in some cases, flat-out weird. He even kind of referenced this with his “Trainwreck” cameo. So, perhaps it was only a matter of time until he played satirical musician “Weird Al” Yankovic. When the news broke on January 18, 2022, many were caught off guard by the casting. Not just because Radcliffe was primarily known for Potter, but his singing chops hadn’t gotten much mainstream exposure. However, Radcliffe has showcased his musical range in Broadway productions like “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” He’s also combined music and comedy on “The Tonight Show” and “Miracle Workers.” We’ll never listen to “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain” the same way again.
Still, even Radcliffe was a little confused when Yankovic hand-picked him for the biopic. According to Radcliffe, he got the role because of a November 2010 appearance on “The Graham Norton Show.” Seated with Colin Farrell and Rihanna, Radcliffe performed “The Elements,” a Tom Lehrer novelty song that runs through the periodic table in rhyme. Similar to Weird Al’s parody songs, “The Elements” is set to the melody of “Major-General’s Song” from “The Pirates of Penzance,” but the lyrics are original. While Radcliffe slipped up just a little bit towards the end, his otherwise flawless delivery demonstrated the timing, wit, and fearlessness to play Yankovic. Thus, Yankovic proclaimed, better be Radcliffe!
Radcliffe isn’t the first actor to portray Yankovic. The same year Radcliffe appeared on “Graham Norton,” Funny or Die released a fake trailer for a “Weird Al” biopic with Aaron Paul in the lead role. Funny or Die and director Eric Appel are also behind this 2022 feature film, which is very much real. Originally, Paul was going to make a cameo in the film, but then he got COVID-19 before the shoot. Paul was out of it for about 10 days, missing his window of opportunity. Nevertheless, Paul is confident that Radcliffe is “absolutely going to crush it.” Paul also gave Radcliffe some sound advice from one Yankovic to another: “Just be weird, man. Just be weird.”
Based on the trailers, it’s been deduced that Yankovic himself is dubbing Radcliffe during the film’s singing segments. Radcliffe is diving deep into the music, though. Radcliffe not only received accordion lessons from Yankovic, but the musician lent him his signature instrument for a month to practice with. Fortunately, the strap was quickly replaced and Yankovic, being such a nice guy, didn’t express any anger towards Radcliffe. It was a sad day when Radcliffe had to give the accordion back.
Aside from the accordion, Hawaiian shirts are perhaps what we associate the most with Weird Al. When the first-look image of Radcliff as Weird Al was released, the actor said, “Wearing the Hawaiian shirt is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly, and I’m honored to finally share with the world the absolutely 100 percent unassailably true story of Weird Al’s depraved and scandalous life.” With this statement, Radcliffe exemplifies why he’s such a good fit to play Yankovic. He clearly respects Yankovic’s legacy and the wardrobe that comes with it, but he’s also not afraid to poke a little fun at him. Yankovic himself has based much of his career on doing just that.
Where Paul’s ensemble in the fake trailer admittedly looked like a Halloween costume, Radcliffe is the spitting image of a young Yankovic in the film. Naturally, the head of curly hair is a wig, but Radcliffe grew his own mustache. In addition to his physical transformation, it’s somewhat jarring to hear Radcliffe’s American accent after years of mostly listening to his natural English accent. Radcliffe has stated that he developed his American accent watching shows like “Friends” growing up. He’s also been told that his American accent sounds like Chris Columbus, who directed the first two “Harry Potter” movies.
As Yankovic, Radcliffe sounds more intense than the real deal. He’s more ripped too, as many pointed out after seeing Radcliffe shirtless in the trailer. It’s safe to say that Radcliffe is taking a few liberties with his portrayal, but that’s the point. “Weird” looks like the missing link between legitimate music biopics like “Walk the Line” and parody biopics like “Walk Hard.” The central singer is real, but everything is approached through a satirical lens. Sometimes when you tackle goofy material with a dramatic flair, it becomes even funnier and weirder. In that sense, “Weird” might not be 100% true, but Radcliffe’s approach feels 100% in Yankovic’s self-aware spirit. You could also argue that Radcliffe’s muscles pay homage to Yankovic’s “Rambo” parody in “UHF.”
Speaking of “UHF,” that comedy came out in 1989… two days before Radcliffe was born! Why has it taken so long for Yankovic to deliver another movie? According to Yankovic, “I made a solemn vow to my fans that I would release a major motion picture every 33 years, like clockwork. I’m very happy to say we’re on schedule.” While it’s taken 33 years to bring Yankovic’s story to the screen, the shoot was fairly short. By contrast, “Elvis” spent nearly a year filming, albeit with COVID factoring in. While the “Weird” shoot flew by, Radcliffe called it “one of the most fun” experiences he’s ever had. Yankovic, who co-wrote and co-produced the film, was also on set every day.
Yankovic sang Radcliffe’s praises after filming ended, posting, “That is a WRAP on Mr. Radcliffe! Wait till you see him in this. He’s even more like me than I am.” Yankovic has also stated, “I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.” Considering that Radcliffe hit the ground running, it’s hard to imagine anything else surpassing Harry Potter as his career-defining role. Radcliffe has consistently surprised us as he’s matured as an actor, though. Former child stars have taken their careers in numerous directions, many of them overly familiar. Radcliffe, though, has kept us eagerly guessing what will come next. Here’s hoping that with this biopic and beyond, Radcliffe continues to keep things interesting and weird.
