Compared to what we’ve seen before, What If shows a slightly different side of you. What’s something you loved, and you hope viewers will love, about this shake-up?
Daniel Radcliffe: I’m just very excited to be in a modern film where I’m playing a 21st-century person. I think it’s sort of an occupational hazard of growing up as an actor in Britain: you do a lot of period stuff because we have the sets. So, yeah, I'm definitely excited for [viewers] to see me in what I feel is a more natural, more modern, and more familiar setting.

Also, growing up, most of what I watched was comedy, so I’ve always wanted to get into that. Hopefully I make people laugh.

It’s interesting that you say your humor and Wallace's are similar, because there’s a lot of modern irony in What If, which I associate with being very much an American thing.
Radcliffe: I don’t know, I think that’s quite similar to British humor. There definitely was not a moment in reading it where I was like “Oh, I’m too Brit to laugh at this.” I think what’s funny is kind of funny everywhere. What’s really funny is that we, in Britain, kind of think of ourselves as being the more ironic of the two countries, so it’s interesting to hear you say that. It’s interesting that that’s the impression we both have of ourselves—that we are, like, kings of irony.

I loved how, at the What If screening I attended, you were engaging with the audience, and even sitting with people; however, you had to run off quickly for a performance of The Cripple of Inishmaan. Is that an accurate snapshot of your life? “Hi, I’m here, but I’ve got to go do this thing!”
Radcliffe: Pretty much. It’s a lot of me going places and then saying, “I’m really sorry, guys! I have to go, right now.” It’s a weird part of my life, especially when a film is coming out. That’s when any free time is stopped to get geared towards promoting the film or doing something for it. One of the things I quite like about doing a play, actually, is it gives you kind of a regular life where you can do stuff during the day as well, and have more of a life. But I’m always busy. Which is fine. I like it. And you need to be busy as an actor—there are so many films coming out, why should people go and see yours? You have to find whatever you can to find separation from the rest of the pack.

If there's one actor or character from Harry Potter whose style you could steal, whose would it be?
Radcliffe: Oh. Well, Sirius Black’s costume are awesome. He’s just got, like, a whole collection of slightly ragged but like floor-length frock coats and cool jackets and stuff like that. And David Thewlis has got a kind of shuffling-geography-teacher cool about him as Lupin, but I think it’s definitely Sirius. I’ve got to go for Gary Oldman as Sirius Black.