As if people don’t like the iconic Harry Potter actor enough, Daniel Radcliffe has shown himself yet again to be quite the wholesome human during an interaction with Alysa Liu. The Olympic gold medalist was backstage at the Today show when she encountered Hollywood veteran Jamie Lee Curtis and Radcliffe, who both congratulated her for her incredible achievement. The Weird: The Al Yankovic Story actor was offered to wear her gold medal as a fun memory for a photo, but he refused, saying it would be like “stolen valor.”
When Alysa Liu offered the gold medal, first Daniel Radcliffe said he wouldn’t have asked in the first place before accepting it. He began placing it over his head before suddenly pulling it away. “You know what? I can’t wear it. I’ll hold it. I’ll hold it,” the Harry Potter star said, respectfully. “Wearing it feels like stolen valor,” was his reason, a common phrase many Americans will usually hear when referring to stories about veterans and military service members.
Needless to say, fans were overjoyed that their favorite Hogwarts student had shown respect to a young Olympic gold medalist, who was born 4 years after the first Harry Potter had been released. “100 Points awarded to Gryffindor!” cheered one Facebook commenter. “Classy move, Potter,” praised a Redditor. “This is the correct response to that offer,” added another. Another person pointed out that an extremely renowned actor knew better than to wear someone else’s medal, whereas FBI Director Kash Patel didn’t make the “same good decision.”
Daniel Radcliffe has always been known to be a sincere actor since his many positive fan interactions and wholesome interviews over the years. One beloved characteristic of him and other Harry Potter alumni that has been well-known is their stance against the Wizarding World creator, JK Rowling, and her far-right extremist views, particularly against trans people. That said, this short yet cheerful interaction with Alysa Liu definitely solidifies many fans’ respect for the actor.
Besides her amazing achievement of becoming a gold medalist, Alysa Liu has her own growing fanbase as well. Long before she ever made it to the Olympics, she had shared her sad past of psychological abuse from both her ex-coach, friends, and even her own father. However, not only did she come out successful on her own terms, but she’s become an icon, similar to Daniel Radcliffe, who shows the world it’s possible to both enjoy and succeed in one’s intense career path, particularly in the grueling path of women’s figure skating.
