Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint
Cast members Rupert Grint (R), Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson (L) arrive for the premiere of the film "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" in New York July 11, 2011. Reuters/Lucas Jackson

“Harry Potter” films are over, but Daniel Radcliffe still cannot shake off his boy wizard image. This perplexes the 25-year-old actor because his co-star Emma Watson, who played Harry’s best friend Hermione Granger, doesn’t get the same problem.

No matter what he does, whatever film or theatre projects he takes, people always see him as the titular character in JK Rowling’s novels. He has played the role for 10 years from age 11, and somehow Harry’s name has stuck with him even after the multi-billion film series has ended.

In an interview with the Associated Press, he acknowledged the fact that his fans find it “weird” that he is being seen as a sex symbol, saying that he is delighted that some people see him as such. He also addressed concerns that he is deemed as an “unconventional romantic lead.”

“Around the time of ‘What If’ ... a lot of people were saying that I’m an unconventional romantic lead. And so eventually I got bored of hearing that and kind of picked someone up on it, so I was like, ‘What about me is unconventional exactly? Like, tell me.’ And she said, ‘Well, I think it’s probably the fact that we associate you with playing Harry, the boy wizard,’” Radcliffe said, referring to the romantic comedy he starred in opposite Zoe Kazan.

“My immediate reaction to that was, ‘Well, the male population has had no problem sexualising Emma Watson immediately.’”

He is right in that regard, though. Although people still associate Watson with being Harry’s super smart best friend, they also see her as a sexy young woman who just happens to be as intelligent as the fictional Hermione.

Watson recently made headlines after delivering her UN speech on gender equality. She has enlisted the support of men to make gender equality possible.

In the same interview, Radcliffe also admitted that he gets frustrated whenever people think that he isn’t proud of “Harry Potter” just because he wants to do other things, which, according to him, is just “ludicrous.”

He was 17 and still doing “Harry Potter” films when he starred in the theatre production of “Equus,” in which required him to appear nude on stage. Some had thought he was undergoing a rebellious stage, typical of child actors who want to break away from their clean image. The role earned him nominations and awards for his acting.

Radcliffe currently stars in the dark fantasy thriller “Horns,” based on Joel Hill’s novel.