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Charles Sykes / AP
Daniel Radcliffe
As the Harry Potter chapter in Daniel Radcliffe's life comes to a close with the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," a new adult chapter is beginning. So far, this one has been dominated by Radcliffe's admission to struggling with alcohol.
He previously told GQ, "I became so reliant on alcohol to enjoy stuff," and on TODAY, Radcliffe was even more candid about the admission, telling Ann Curry that it was between the ages of 18 and 21 that he struggled most (Radcliffe turns 22 later this month).
"I stopped drinking in August last year, right after I turned 21. I suppose it (alcohol) was something to make myself interesting and make myself enjoy my life, I did become very reliant on it. And I think there's a moment when you realize that something that's actually ultimately very destructive has crept into being a routine, so that was the moment I decided that the amount I was drinking had led me to become unhappy," he said. "So I stopped with the help of friends and family. The last year has been a lot more managable and a lot better. I've been a lot happier."
Was it peer pressure that led Radcliffe down a destructive road? The actor doesn't think so. "I don't know that it's something that would have been affected by my life or it's something I would have stumbled upon anyway had I never been Harry Potter. But I wouldn't put it down to peer pressure at all. If anything, the only pressure that was put on myself to drink and become good at it--which I never achieved, I was always very unsuccessful at it--was put on by myself."
The entire conversation didn't have such a serious tone: Radcliffe was effusive in telling Curry that this final installment of the film is his favorite.
"I'm so proud of it, and I haven't been pleased with all the films," he said. "Particularly number six ('Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince'). I particularly hated my own performance in it. But this film is so far ahead of anything else we've done. It's a fantastic piece of filmmaking."
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