Jack Whitehall reveals he 'tanked' an audition for the role of Harry Potter as a child after his 'nepo parent' got him a one-on-one slot with casting director

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 07:52 EDT, 17 September 2026 | Updated: 08:04 EDT, 17 September 2026 Jack Whitehall has revealed he left his father feeling 'bitterly disappointed' when he 'tanked' an audition for Harry Potter as a child.Years before the comedian launched his stand-up career, Jack, 38, landed a one-on-one with a casting director, thanks to the connections of his 'nepo parent' Michael, who was well known in the industry as an agent and producer.But rather than it offering an early step into the acting world, Jack revealed he bombed his attempt to land a role as the titular Boy Who Lived.Jack said he got a chance to try out for the part when Michael got him a private audition when they did open casting at his school.He said: 'They sent one of the casting directors to the school to audition a load of the kids there and my Dad, obviously being in the industry, was like, 'that is a complete waste of time, no one has ever been cast from an open audition. 'I will get you one-on-one time with the casting director.' So, classic nepo parent pulls me out of school, drives me down to London, gets me in front of the casting director...' Jack Whitehall has revealed he left his father feeling 'bitterly disappointed' when he 'tanked' an audition for Harry Potter as a childThe comedian said he landed a one-on-one with a casting director (Daniel Radcliffe pictured as Harry Potter with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione)Speaking on the Capital Breakfast show, Jack added: 'Unfortunately, I hadn't read the book, so I went to this audition, and they started asking me loads of questions about the book and Harry Potter, I was trying to wing it and started talking about Orcs and stuff. 'They were like, ''that's the wrong book, mate,'' and absolutely tanked the audition. 'I didn't get it and my dad was bitterly disappointed, having given me this platform and opportunity and I abused it and then from the open casting at the schools, entering through the proper avenues, Emma Watson got cast as Hermione Granger.'So, it was a good example why nepo parenting doesn't always work.'Of course Daniel Radcliffe went on to play Harry Potter in the seven-film franchise, and Scottish actor Dominic McLaughlin is set to play the boy wizard in the upcoming HBO Max series based on JK Rowling's novels.Since it was announced in 2023, the Harry Potter series has sparked controversy from anti-JK Rowling activists, with Nicholas Hoult even backing out of the project last week.Harry Potter author Rowling is a fierce defender of women's rights but has been labelled transphobic by some campaigners.Many of the actors taking up roles in the new series have faced the wrath of her critics, who believe any remakes of her work should be boycotted. Rowling serves as an executive producer on HBO's show. Jack said that his father Michael, who was working as an agent at the time, got him a private audition when they did open casting at his schoolFilming for the second season of Harry Potter is expected to start this autumn, while the first season will come out on HBO and HBO Max on Christmas Day.Jack married Essex model Roxy Horner in a lavish ceremony at the 17th-century Euridge Manor in the Cotswolds in April. After the nuptials, the couple and their guests travelled to the five-star Coworth Park where they partied the night away until 2am. Roxy and Jack have been dating since lockdown in 2020, going on to welcome their daughter Elsie in September 2023, before he popped the question in December the following year. Listen to Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby weekdays from 6am to 10am across the UK and on YouTube.