Daniel Radcliffe has always been a slim, trim and handsome British lad. The trailer for his upcoming movie, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” however, saw impassioned fans screech about his flat ironing-board abs. He revealed the real reason behind his new look in an interview with “Entertainment Tonight” that aired Friday.
“I was shirtless more as Al than I’ve been in anything else,” he told “ET” host Rachel Smith at the Toronto International Film Festival. “An article about the film came out saying that I got in shape for this role, which I didn’t. My parents do CrossFit. They’re in their 60s and they’re insanely fit people, so I’ve just got them to keep up with.”
Let Radcliffe tell it, his parents are “phenoms” when it comes to the fitness regimen. “We don’t do CrossFit together. CrossFit is their thing. I’m not fit enough, probably, for CrossFit,” he added.
For his latest role, Radcliffe stepped into the shoes of “Weird” Al Yankovic, the singer who famously parodied popular songs and solidified that craft into a genre of its own. Directed by Eric Appel, the film will be released on the Roku Channel in November.
The actor naturally tried his hand at the accordion to convincingly portray Yankovic, who once performed a guitar solo live for the very first time on stage in New York City. Radcliffe, whose craft primarily concerns acting, didn’t particularly enjoy the endeavor.
“The accordion is a nightmare,” he said. “It’s lovely, it’s wonderful, it is really, really fun, but also it breaks your brain… [It takes] immense practice and talent. It’s wild what he can do.”
Of the film itself, the actor said it was “the only time I’ve played someone that I’ve been a fan of.” He told “ET” that he was very glad that Yankovic was “an incredibly sweet, kind person” and that he’s merely playing “a version” of him.
“Honestly, this film from front to back was just one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had,” he told the outlet. “There was no one on this set that was indifferent to Al’s music, everyone on this set loves Al and was so pumped to be there every day.”
He went on to add: “It felt like this amazing sort of honor that we all got to be a part of something so crazy.”
“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” hits the Roku Channel on Nov. 4.