Actors thrive to become superstars the moment they enter filmdom, but not many have managed to achieve stardom as early as Daniel Radcliffe, the Harry Potter of celluloid and, undoubtedly, the teenage sensation of the current generation.

Born Daniel Jacob Radcliffe on July 23, 1989, in London, England, he had an interest in acting from an early age, since his mother Marcia Jeannine Gresham was involved as a casting agent with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It was at the tender age of 10 that he made his acting debut with Charles Dickens's David Copperfield on BBC, where he played the younger David Copperfield.

He took a liking to acting from then onwards and was selected to play Mark Pendel in The Tailor of Panama in early 2001, a role that not only brought him to prominence but also allowed him a chance to work alongside Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis and Pierce Brosnan. It was Daniel's acting skills that made his on-screen mother Jamie Lee Curtis point out to his real-life mother that her son could be 'the' Harry Potter, something that proved to be a prophecy later.

Daniel was asked to audition for the role of Harry Potter and before he knew it, he was approved by the award-winning author J.K. Rowling herself to feature in the big-budget production ... and he became an overnight sensation through Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in late 2001.

Radcliffe went on to star in the four subsequent Harry Potter film adaptations Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). He will be appearing in the sixth and seventh films of the series as well — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as well as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I and II, all of which are expected to be released annually, till 2011.

Although he hasn't done much work since his debut 10 years back, Daniel Radcliffe continues to garner a fan-following of the highest level. He has been nominated for numerous awards for his portrayal of everyone's favourite kid magician on screen, but managed to bag the Golden Apple Award for the Youth Male Discovery of the Year in 2001, as well as The National Movie Award for Best Performance by a Male in 2007 for his work in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He was also voted Person of the Year by Time Kids in 2002 and at 19, continues to achieve new heights with every passing day.