Real Communication An Introduction

To you, growing up might seem like a long and arduous journey, but for

many people watching you, it seems like you’ve gone from an adorable child to

the person you are today in the blink of an eye. Now consider what it might be

like to grow up in front of the entire world, to have millions of people appear

shocked at the fact that you are “suddenly” an adult. Oh, and imagine that in

addition to constantly reminding them that you don’t need a babysitter, you also

have to gently inform them that you are not, in fact, a wizard.

That’s pretty much the life of actor Daniel Radcliffe, better known to a

generation of movie fans as Harry Potter. Stepping away from Potter proved

difficult, but as the franchise came to a close, Radcliffe tried his best to seek out

roles that would put some distance between himself and Harry. He sought out

difficult roles on stage, taking on nude scenes as a tormented teen in the stage

productions of Equus and learning to sing and dance for a Broadway revival of

How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying. He tackled characters that were

nothing like Harry in a string of small, independent films: a Victorian widower

in The Woman in Black and an American, openly gay, aspiring poet in Kill Your

Darlings. Nonetheless, he knows that he can never truly leave Harry behind: “I

have to accept the fact that my face is going to remind people of Harry because I

played that character” (Dominus, 2013).

Yet as much as the specter of Harry Potter loomed over Radcliffe, so did an-

other stereotype: that of the “Child Star.” Many young actors who captured audi-

ences’ attention before him saw their careers fizzle once they hit puberty. Others,

having gotten too rich and too famous too soon, attracted more attention for

offscreen exploits and mishaps than for onscreen work. For Radcliffe, and other

young actors who grew up on screen, being taken seriously may require a set of

perceptive skills that they just don’t teach at Hogwarts.

chapter

Perceiving the

Self and Others

2

Perception: Making

Sense of Your World

Perception in a

Diverse World

Cognitions About

Ourselves

Behavior: Managing

Our Identities

IN THIS CHAPTER

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