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Daniel Radcliffe: Celebrities on Twitter and Facebook cannot expect privacy

The actor steers clear of social media in an effort to keep a low profile

Jess Denham
Thursday 21 November 2013 12:05 GMT
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Daniel Radcliffe has said that celebrities who regularly tweet personal updates do not deserve a private life
Daniel Radcliffe has said that celebrities who regularly tweet personal updates do not deserve a private life (Getty Images)

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Actor Daniel Radcliffe has warned that celebrities using social media cannot expect privacy when posting updates around the clock.

The Harry Potter star said he steers clear of online networks in an effort to minimise intrusion into his personal life.

"I don't have Twitter and I don't have Facebook and I think that makes things a lot easier," he told Sky News.

"If you go on Twitter and tell everybody what you're doing moment to moment and then claim you want a private life, no one is going to take that request seriously."

Radcliffe added there were "certain things you can do to make it a lot easier on yourself" as a celebrity.

"If you don't, for instance, go to premieres that aren't for a film you're in, or don't just turn up at other events and stuff like that, then that's going to help to not fuel the interest," he said.

The 24-year old admitted to resenting his fame as a young actor but insisted that he does not feel he missed out on having a childhood.

"Kids who are abused have their childhoods taken away from them," he said. "I did have to think where I went more than a lot of my friends and you do get a little frustrated around that age, but ultimately it's childish, petulant."

George Clooney backed Radcliffe's view of social media, telling Esquire magazine last week that he cannot understand "why any famous person would ever be on Twitter".

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"Why on God's green earth would you be on Twitter? Because first of all, the worst thing you can do is make yourself more available, right?” the Gravity actor said.

Since being cast as the lead wizard in Harry Potter aged 11, Radcliffe has starred in stage show Equus, successful film The Woman In Black and comedy drama A Young Doctor's Notebook.

A new series of the latter starts tonight, with Radcliffe playing a morphine-addicted doctor in early 20th century Russia alongside Mad Men actor Jon Hamm.

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