There are major franchises, and then there's the Wizarding World. Generations grew up with these stories, which spanned novels, theme parks, video games, stage plays and (of course) the Harry Potter movies. Cinephiles watched as the Potter cast grew up before our eyes, especially Daniel Radcliffe himself. And now that the Stranger Things series finale has aired for those with a Netflix subscription, he's got some A+ advice for the young cast. And yes, an F-Bomb is involved.
Stranger Things fans watched the young cast grow up throughout the show, and they've got some thriving careers. And now that their time in Hawkins has reached its end, Radcliffe knows exactly what they should do next. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Tony-winning actor spoke about some interactions he had with the Stranger Things kids. In his words:
I've met a few of the Stranger Things kids recently, and it's always lovely to meet them and see how great they all are and how well they're all doing. But I give the same piece of advice to all of them. I was just like 'Do...' Can I swear? 'Do whatever the f--- you want. You have done the thing. You can now use that; you have the most amazing jumping off platform.'
Mic drop. Daniel Radcliffe is uniquely qualified to speak about what to do post-franchise, especially when previously synonymous with one specific role. He thinks the Stranger Things cast should use their platform to take on projects that really excite them, which is exactly what he did post-Potter.
Radcliffe has proven himself as a versatile character actor in the years since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 hit theaters. That includes starring in a whopping six Broadway shows, and taking a variety of film and TV projects. And his time in Hogwarts allowed him the fame and financial stability to take those bold swings.
The Harry Potter movies (which are streaming with an HBO Max subscription) were a global sensation that are still regularly re-watched to this day. But Radcliffe has carved out a thriving career apart from the Wizarding World, largely thanks to the wide range of projects that he's taken on. Later in the same podcast, the 36-year-old actor spoke about what Gaten Matarazzo has been up to post-Stranger Things, saying:
Gaten [is] doing multiple [Stephen] Sondheim shows and doing the Pizza Movie with Nick [Kocher] and Brian [McElhaney]. I think that they’re making smart choices, but they’re all just doing whatever they like, and that should be the goal. If you’ve had that kind of a start in your career, now you are free to have fun.
Of course, he's not the only one who has been keeping super busy. For instance, Millie Bobby Brown has led a number of movies, many of which are on Netflix. Finn Wolfhard has worked as both an actor and director, and Sadie Sink will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in addition to a number of theater credits. But if they want to follow Daniel Radcliffe's advice, they should make sure they do whatever projects they want... regardless of how big they might be.
Radcliffe can currently be seen on Broadway in Every Brilliant Thing, and also stars in The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, airing as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
