Elijah Wood Says He’s Always Mistaken For This A-List Celebrity

Elijah Wood says he is commonly mistaken for Daniel Radcliffe.

By Sean Thiessen | Published

Elijah Wood, who is set to appear in season two of Showtime’s Yellowjackets, and Daniel Radcliffe, the recent star of the Roku Channel original Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, have a lot in common. That, according to Wood, includes the actors’ looks. He says he is frequently mistaken for Daniel Radcliffe, which certainly makes sense.

Wood and Radcliffe ascended the mountain of fame in 2001 with their star roles in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, respectively. Since the dawn of their fantasy film franchises, these boyish, bright-eyed actors have consistently been mistaken for one another. This begs the question: What if they played each other?

daniel radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe

TMZ suggested the prospect to Elijah Wood, who agreed it would be a blast to do, “the old switcheroo.” Wood expressed much love for his younger counterpart, dreaming of a chance to work with Radcliffe in the future, perhaps even in a biopic about the Harry Potter actor.

While a movie about Daniel Radcliffe’s life is not known to be in the works, one inspired by the actor’s life may be on the way from the man himself. Radcliffe says he has a story written that he would love to direct. While not a direct telling of his life, Radcliffe’s script does draw inspiration from his time growing up in the Hollywood spotlight.

While the chance of the two actors playing each other in a biopic may be slim, audiences can always hold out the hope that the actors’ respect for one another and the many resemblances that link them could coalesce in an on-screen partnership. With these actors, the possibilities are endless. 

Since their time in Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, Wood and Radcliffe have had substantial and, at times, bizarre careers. Wood lent his voice to the animated miniseries Over the Garden Wall and starred in four seasons of the acclaimed FX series Wilfred. Radcliffe’s many feature film credits include off-the-wall pieces like Swiss Army Man, Guns Akimbo, and his latest, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, in which Radcliffe plays the iconic titular musician.

Though their years-long journeys as Frodo Baggins and Harry Potter eventually ended, these two stars continue to speak into the ongoing legacies of the stories that launched their careers. Recently, Elijah Wood, with a few fellow Lord of the Rings costars, spoke out against the racist backlash surrounding Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

In a similar spirit, Radcliffe commented on the infamous and controversial remarks made by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling concerning the transgender community. “It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm,” Radcliffe wrote in a 2020 open letter to fans.

Though Elijah Wood and Daniel Radcliffe no longer play the characters for which they are most recognized (or mistakenly recognized), their voices continue to resonate as they work their magic on and off the screen.