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As Potter franchise rolls on, Harry matures from wrestling to Zola

Genevive Roberts
Wednesday 26 October 2005 00:47 BST
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But while his adolescence is being charted through the Potter franchise, the fourth installment being Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Radcliffe said he and his co-stars have "grown up in normal ways".

"Some people find it hard to believe that we can live normal lives," he said. "For me, I only feel famous for two days a year and that's at the premiere." Radcliffe, who was 11 when he first played the role, said it was good not to be "just a child actor" anymore. He said: "We can make our own decisions - in collaboration with Mike [Newell, the director], of course."

He says he can identify with his character, who has his first kiss with another pupil at Hogwarts in the fourth film. "It makes it easier to play Harry because I've been going through all the hormone stuff like Harry has so it's fresh in my mind. In fact. it continues."

Emma Watson says of her role as adolescent Hermione: "I'm so close to her that I feel that I don't have to act any more. It seems like I'm barely doing anything sometimes. She turned into someone that a lot of people can identify with. She's a great role model."

But the exam and job worries of many teenagers seem to have eluded the actors. Watson said: "There are so many scripts and they are fantastic. I think I would like to do something different, maybe something smaller."

Radcliffe will not commit to playing the wizard in all the succeeding films: "I'm definitely doing the fifth, but after that who knows? I'm not absolutely confident that I'm doing them all."

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