Brody's Notes... Daniel Radcliffe: "This Is The One Thing That I Am The Most Passionate About"

 

Daniel Radcliffe             Photo By Getty Images

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Feb 26 | British film and theatre star, actor Daniel Radcliffe, in an interview with Associated Press Drama Writer Michael Kuchwara, announced that he had earlier today filmed a Public Service Announcement for The Trever Project. The Trevor project is the leading organisation in the United States that focuses on suicide prevention for at-risk LGBT youth.

Radcliffe told Kuchwara that because his parents were both actors, 

"I grew up knowing a lot of gay men and it was never something that I even thought twice about — that some men were gay and some weren't," the "Harry Potter" megastar said Friday. "And then I went to school and (for) the first time ... I came across homophobia. ... I had never encountered it before. It shocked me. I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals," he added. "Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it."

According to Radcliffe, he first encountered The Trevor Project while performing in New York City as the lead in the Broadway production of "Equus." During his stay he met The Trevor Project's founders, filmmakers James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone. They are the creators of the 1994 Academy Award-winning short film, Trevor, a dramedy about a Gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life.

When Trevor was scheduled to air on HBO in 1998, the filmmakers realized that some of the program's young viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis as Trevor, and began to search for a support line to be broadcast during the airing. They discovered that no such helpline existed, and decided to dedicate themselves to forming what was, in their view, a much-needed resource: an organization to promote acceptance of LGBTQ youth, and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group.

Radcliffe also told Kuchwara, 

"I have described myself as being 'gently eccentric' and slightly different as a person just because I've had a very different set of influences growing up than anybody else in my peer group did," the 20-year-old Radcliffe said. "I've always felt very lucky to have the life that I've had. I never had to cope with anything serious about my religion or sexual orientation or anything like that. "I think it's important for somebody from a big, commercial movie series like 'Harry Potter' and particularly because I am not gay or bisexual or transgendered. ... The fact that I am straight makes not a difference, but it shows that straight people are incredibly interested and care a lot about this as well."

During the interview, which was also broadcast live on The Associated Press AP Live, when Kuchwara asked Radcliffe why this was so important to him, working with The Trevor Project, Radcliffe replied that; "This is the one thing that I am the most passionate about."
The PSA was filmed today at the Trevor Project's Wall Street  New York offices and is scheduled to air sometime in the spring.