Daniel Radcliffe Reveals If He’s Talked to Emma Watson and Rupert Grint About the New “Harry Potter” HBO Series (Exclusive)

Valerie Terranova/FilmMagic; David M. Benett/Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/WireImage; Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• HBO is making an all-new TV series adapting the Harry Potter books, with an all-new cast set to star

• Daniel Radcliffe tells PEOPLE how he's feeling about the reboot series and reveals if he's talked to his former costars, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, about it

• As a new Harry Potter era begins, Radcliffe is shifting his focus to comedy as he stars alongside Tracy Morgan in NBC's The Fall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins

The Wizarding World is being revisited for the first time inan all-new HBO TV show, which is slated to adapt each ofJ.K. Rowling's seven books into their own respective seasons. ForDaniel Radcliffe, it's a lot to take in.

The series, whichbegan production in July, sees a new trio of young actors —Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton— portray Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as they matriculate at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

For Radcliffe,Rupert GrintandEmma Watson, who originated the characters in the eight-film series, playing them from 2001 until 2011, seeing new faces come into the frame is "surreal" — and they're processing it together.

Radcliffe, 36, tells PEOPLE that he has been in touch with Grint, 37, and Watson, 35, amid the news of the new adaptation, and they have all been reflecting on "how surreal [it is] to watch people starting off on that journey, all those years later."

Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros.

Radcliffe — who starsTracy Morganin an all-new NBC comedy,The Fall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins— says he and his former costars haven't had "a ton of communication about the show specifically," but they're all on the same page about the range of emotions they're feeling.

"It's one of those where I think we all just know how the others feel, because we're also feeling it," he says. "You justsee the pictures of these kids, and you just want to grab them and hug them. That's the impulse that I think that we, mainly, all have."

Radcliffe also shares that seeing how young the new castmembers are is giving him a new perspective on his own experience as a child star. "When you're 11, and you're doing something, you're like, 'Of course I'm old enough to do this — I'm the oldest I've ever been.' But now when I meet 11-year-olds, I am like, 'Whoa, that seems nuts.' It puts into perspective," he says.

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"Honestly, it makes me admire – and I do tell them this, but my parents — more than I was capable of doing at the time. Just going like, 'Wow, you got me through something crazy, and you did it with a huge amount of humor,' yeah, it's a big task."

Peter Mountain/Warner Bros.;Aidan Monaghan / HBO

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As a newHarry Potterera begins, theTony-winneris shifting his focus to the comedy world. InThe Fall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Radcliffe stars as a down-on-his-luck director who decides to film a documentary about disgraced football player, Reggie Dinkins (Morgan), in an attempt to rehabilitate Reggie's public image.

Working with Morgan, 57, was "awesome," Radcliffe says. "I always say, the thing about Tracy — what he brings as an actor is it is unteachable and unlearnable. He just has a natural comedy, charisma in his bones. There are line readings he has access to that 99% of actors just cannot say."

"Every day, he's going to say five of the craziest things you've ever heard, but also be incredibly kind and generous and funny," he adds of the30 Rockstar.

Scott Gries/NBC

Along with Radcliffe and Morgan,Erika Alexander, Precious Way,Bobby Moynihanand Jalyn Hall also star in the new comedy series fromTina Feyand Robert Carlock.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkinspremieres Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Read the original article onPeople

byDonna Devi

in

February 16, 2026

Daniel Radcliffe Reveals If He’s Talked to Emma Watson and Rupert Grint About the New “Harry Potter” HBO Series (Exclusive)

Valerie Terranova/FilmMagic; David M. Benett/Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/WireImage; Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty ...

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'Lovers' Arch' collapses on Valentine's Day on Italy's Adriatic coast

ROME, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A famous rock structure on Italy's Adriatic coast known as the "Lovers' Arch" collapsed ‌on Valentine's Day after days of bad weather, prompting ‌local officials to warn that other stretches of the fragile coastline could ​be at risk.

Drone view of Italy's 'Love Arch'

The natural arch, part of the Sant'Andrea sea stacks near the town of Melendugno in the southern region of Puglia, had long been a popular backdrop for wedding proposals ‌and tourist photos.

"This ⁠is an unwanted Valentine's Day gift," Melendugno Mayor Maurizio Cisternino told the local Corriere Salentino newspaper, ⁠calling the collapse "a very hard blow" for the area's image and for tourism.

Cisternino said days of heavy rain, strong winds and ​rough ​seas had battered the coastline ​and ultimately destroyed the arch. "Nature ‌has taken back what it created," he said.

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Officials have warned that other parts of the rocky coastline could also collapse, with cracks visible along the cliff, underscoring the growing threat of coastal erosion.

Storms and heavy rain in recent days ‌have also eaten away at long ​stretches of coastline on the Ionian ​Sea, from Ugento to ​the beaches of Gallipoli, damaging beach structures, ‌causing small cliff falls and harming ​ports.

Weeks of ​terrible weather this year have also caused damage estimated at well over a billion euros in southern Italy, including ​a landslide that ‌has forced more than 1,500 people to evacuate ​their homes in the Sicilian town of Niscemi.

(Reporting by ​Crispian BalmerEditing by Ros Russell)

byDonna Devi

in

February 16, 2026

'Lovers' Arch' collapses on Valentine's Day on Italy's Adriatic coast

ROME, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A famous rock structure on Italy's Adriatic coast known as the "Lovers' Arch"...

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2 years on, Navalny's death still casts a shadow over Russia and wider Europe

MOSCOW (AP) — Mourners gathered in Moscow Monday to mark two years since the death in custody of Russian opposition leaderAlexei Navalny, under the shadow of a Kremlin crackdown and just two days since a new analysis reinforced suspicions that he was killed by poisoning.

Russia Navalny Anniversary

Navalnydiedin an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024, while serving a 19-year sentence that many believed to be politically motivated. His death at the age of 47 left the Russian opposition leaderless and divided, struggling to build an effective or united front without one of its most visible and charismatic figures.

On the second anniversary of Navalny's death, we look at the latest investigation into its cause and the continuing political repercussions, both within Russia and beyond.

Across Russia, Navalny's supporters pay their respects

Navalny's mother,Lyudmila Navalnaya, and his mother-in-law, Alla Abrosimova, were among the mourners laying flowers on his grave. A mound of bouquets rose above the heavy drifts of snow that blanketed Moscow's Borisovsky Cemetery.

Representatives from several European embassies also paid their respects, watched by a conspicuously high security presence. Later, a small choir gathered to sing by Navalny's graveside.

Addressing the crowd, Lyudmila Navalnaya restated her belief that her son waskilled by the Russian authorities, a scenario which has also been backed by several European countries in recent days. "We knew that our son did not simply die in prison," she said. "He was murdered."

The Kremlin has denied the allegations, saying that Navalny died of natural causes.

Flowers were also laid at the memorial to the victims of political repression in St Petersburg. Access to the site was later blocked with temporary fences, local news outlets reported.

European nations believe Navalny was poisoned

The anniversary coincides with the release of a joint statement by five European countries, which said that Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with a rare and lethal toxin found in the skin of poison dart frogs.

The foreign ministries of the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said on Saturday that analysis in European labs of samples taken from Navalny's body "conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine." The neurotoxin secreted by dart frogs in South America is not found naturally in Russia, they said.

A joint statement said: "Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison."

In a written tribute to Navalny on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron also linked the Kremlin with the opposition leader's death.

"Two years ago, the world learned of the death of Alexei Navalny. I pay tribute to his memory," Macron wrote on social media. "I said then that I believed his death said everything about the Kremlin's weakness and its fear of any opponent. It is now clear that this death was premeditated.

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"Truth always prevails, while we await justice to do the same."

Moscow has vehemently denied its involvement in Navalny's death, saying that the politician had become unwell after going for a walk.

When asked about the allegations by journalists on Monday, presidential spokesperson said that the Kremlin does "not accept such accusations."

"We consider them biased and unfounded. In fact, we resolutely reject them," he said.

Saturday's announcement came as Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attended theMunich Security Conferencein Germany. She said she had been "certain from the first day" that her husband had been poisoned, "but now there is proof."

"Putin killed Alexei with a chemical weapon," she wrote on social media, describing the Russian leader as "a murderer" who "must be held accountable."

Navalny was the target of an earlier poisoning in 2020, with a nerve agent in an attack he blamed on the Kremlin, which always denied involvement. His family and allies fought to have him flown to Germany for treatment and recovery. Five months later, he returned to Russia, where hewas immediately arrestedand imprisoned forthe last three yearsof his life.

Russia's opposition is struggling to start a new chapter

Navalny's closest allies, as well as otherkey members of Russia's opposition, now continue their fight from exile.

Many have been handed lengthy prison sentences in absentia in Russia and are unable to return home. Some have been designated "terrorists and extremists" by the authorities, a designation that was also applied to Navalny in January 2022.

Yet Russia's opposition has failed to form a united front and a clear plan of action against the Kremlin. Instead, rival groups have traded accusations that some see as efforts to discredit each other and vie for influence.

In one small victory for opposition activists, Europe's leading human rights body, PACE, announced in late January the creation of a new body — the Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces — tasked with giving opposition Russians a voice and a formal platform to engage European lawmakers.

It has been heralded as a victory for anti-war Russians, but also attracted criticism as the body was not elected democratically. Members ofNavalny's anti-corruption organizationare also absent from the group

In a statement to mark Navalny's death, Russian members of the Council of Europe's human rights body, PACE, said that Navalny's death was "an inevitable link in a chain of systemic crimes by the Kremlin regime against its own citizens and the citizens of foreign states."

"Alexei Navalny gave his life for a free Russia," the statement said. "We are obliged to ensure that his death was not in vain."

byDonna Devi

in

February 16, 2026

2 years on, Navalny's death still casts a shadow over Russia and wider Europe

MOSCOW (AP) — Mourners gathered in Moscow Monday to mark two years since the death in custody of Russian opposition lead...

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Laura Dern recalls bomb threats from 'Ellen' coming out episode

Laura Dernis looking back on her role in making TV history.

The actress, who starred in the 1997 episode of the ABC sitcom "Ellen" whereEllen DeGenerescomes out, talked about the support she has received from the LGBTQ community. Dern told hostsBowen Yang and Matt Rogerson the"Las Culturistas" podcastFeb. 11 episode that in order to "affect change," someone had to be "first."

"The idea of culture catching up to storytelling had to be a thing when someone would go first," she said, referring to the "Ellen" episode.

Dern said she was excited to be a part of the episode, which was one of the first times a character came out as gay on TV and came shortly after DeGeneres came out in real life. But the actress said her choice to star in the episode amid her film success in "Jurassic Park" confused the people around her.

She said it was an "honor and privilege" to be a part of the episode alongside her "friend," with other guest stars includingOprah Winfrey,Demi Mooreand Billy Bob Thornton. She called it a "massive moment" but also recalled the series receiving bomb threats and losing advertisers.

"In a way, the assumption is you're going to do this thing and thank God people will wake up, love their relatives and their neighbors, see them, everything will expand, culture will catch up, and it will be a beautiful celebration," she added. But instead, there was "major security for a couple of years for any of us involved, the world went 'no, no, no,' she lost her show."

Dern faced intense backlash for starring in the episode, once telling DeGeneres on her talk show 10 years after that she did not work for a year and a half after because of it. But, she added, for the LGBTQ community, seeing that representation on screen meant a great deal.

"You go, 'Oh, right.' That's why you want culture to catch up later. Culture is doing it when nobody's caught up," she continued. "It's such a gift."

In the two-part "The Puppy Episode," Ellen's character connects with a woman named Susan – played by Dern – who suggests she might be lesbian, but Ellen rejects the idea. But after Ellen admits the connection to her therapist, played by Winfrey, she rushes to the airport to catch Susan and comes out to her, though mistakenly doing so over the airport's intercom.

"Being part of that moment with Ellen, it wasn't that I was somebody supporting an actor or a friend by being part of the show," Dern said. "But I was holding her hands as they were shaking, and she was looking in my eyes, saying for the first time, 'I'm gay' out loud with people watching."

She continued: "The privilege, the luxury of feeling it for someone in a moment was so beautiful, literally holding space. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Laura Dern on Ellen DeGeneres coming out on TV, making history

byDonna Devi

in

February 16, 2026

Laura Dern recalls bomb threats from 'Ellen' coming out episode

Laura Dernis looking back on her role in making TV history. The actress, who starred in the 1997 episode of th...

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“Love Boat” star admits he messed up scene on purpose to keep kissing Diahann Carroll: 'Cut that out!'

Actor Ted Lange still has fond memories of the time thatDiahann Carrollappeared on a 1977 episode of his show,The Love Boat.

Lange played bartender Isaac Watson on all nine seasons of the ABC dramedy, which aired until 1986, and was he ever excited — perhaps too excited — to share a moment with his leading lady.

"I kissed Diahann Carroll about 15 times before she realized I was messing up on purpose," Lange said on theStill Here Hollywoodpodcasthosted by Steve Kmetko. "So then she said, 'Hey, hey, cut that out!'"

Lange said that he immediately apologized for his behavior.

"You're just so beautiful," he recalled telling Carroll.

"And she could kiss." Lange said, before laughing. "That's my claim to fame!"

More seriously, he said that the Oscar nominee, who later appeared on series includingA Different World,Grey's Anatomy, andWhite Collar, had been "a delight."

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The kissing took place when the long-running show was still a freshman. He and Carroll shared the screen in only the fifth episode of season 1, in which Isaac finds himself romancing his favorite singer, Roxy Blue, who was played by the actress.

Carroll, was already familiar to TV audiences by the time she appeared onThe Love Boat. Most significantly, she had starred on the groundbreaking sitcomJulia, which depicted a Black, widowed nurse raising her son alone, from 1968 to 1971. (She received her second Emmy nomination for the part; her first was for a 1962 episode of police proceduralNaked City.)

The veteran actressdied in 2019of cancer. She was 84.

Michael Simon/Getty

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AfterThe Love Boat, Lange continued acting in projects such asIn the Heat of the Night,General Hospital,The Cleveland Show, andAre We There Yet?.

Ahead of his conversation about Carroll, the actor had wisely made a point to say he was sorry for talking about it to his wife off-camera.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byDonna Devi

in

February 16, 2026

“Love Boat” star admits he messed up scene on purpose to keep kissing Diahann Carroll: 'Cut that out!'

Actor Ted Lange still has fond memories of the time thatDiahann Carrollappeared on a 1977 episode of his show,The Love B...

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Daniel Radcliffe Explains the Funny Way He Became a ‘Huge NFL Fan’ (Exclusive)

Bruce Glikas/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• Daniel Radcliffe stars alongside Tracy Morgan in The Fall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins, a new comedy from Tina Fey

• In the series, Radcliffe plays a down-on-his-luck director who decides to film a documentary about a disgraced football player (played by Morgan) in an attempt to rehabilitate his public image

• Though it may sound surprising, Radcliffe, 36, tells PEOPLE that he's a big football fan himself as he describes the funny way he got into the sport

Daniel Radcliffeis not exactly someone you'd expect to be a die-hard football fan, but he's full of surprises.

TheHarry Potterstar, 36, joinsTracy Morganin an all-new NBC comedy,The Fall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins, which sees him play a down-on-his-luck director who decides to film a documentary about disgraced football player Reggie (Morgan) in an attempt to rehabilitate his public image.

Not only is the show Radcliffe in his most comedic role to date — it's also about a subject that he tells PEOPLE he has a personal interest in. "I did a musical here in 2011, and they started a fantasy football league," he explains. "They needed someone to make up the numbers, and so I got involved."

After he made the account, Radcliffe says he "didn't do anything with my account for four weeks, and then somebody was like, 'You're bottom of the league.' I was like, 'Okay, well, I've got to do something.' "

He "got into it" from there, "and then [has] never looked back," he says. "I'm a huge NFL fan."

If more proof is needed, the Tony-winner admits he's in not just one but "two fantasy leagues, one of which I run with my girlfriend. We're all in now."

Scott Gries/NBC

Radcliffe is also admittedly a big fan of his now-costar, Morgan. "I always say, the thing about Tracy — what he brings as an actor is it is unteachable and unlearnable," Radcliffe says. "He just has a natural comedy, charisma in his bones. There are line readings he has access to that 99% of actors just cannot say."

"Every day, he's going to say five of the craziest things you've ever heard, but also be incredibly kind and generous and funny," Radcliffe continues.

MakingTheFall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins—which also starsErika Alexander,Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way and Jalyn Hall — was a real exercise in joy for Radcliffe.

"The thing we really have in common, that I think all of us do actually, is that we love doing our jobs," he says of the cast. "We love being on set and getting to work on stuff like this."

Scott Gries/NBC

That feeling rang particularly true for Morgan, 57, who reunited with30 Rock'sTina Feyand Robert Carlock for the new series. "I think, particularly, Tracy — on this job with Robert and Tina — I think, is very happy to be working with them again," Radcliffe says.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

That feeling was echoed by Fey, who toldEntertainment Weeklythat Morgan — whose life changed when hesurvived a fatal car crash in 2014that left him critically injured and killed his friend and mentor,Jimmy McNair— is "literally happy to be alive."

"That energy is contagious. He's thrilled to be able to work and make comedy, and he loves everyone around him," she said. "He's just such a wonderful presence to be around, and I've really missed him."

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkinspremieres Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Read the original article onPeople

byDonna Devi

in

February 16, 2026

Daniel Radcliffe Explains the Funny Way He Became a ‘Huge NFL Fan’ (Exclusive)

Bruce Glikas/WireImage NEED TO KNOW Daniel Radcliffe stars alongside Tracy Morgan in The Fall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins , a new comed...

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Italy says it stands ready to train police in Gaza

ROME, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Italy stands ready to help ‌train police forces in ‌Gaza and elsewhere in the ​Palestinian territories, its foreign minister said on Monday, as Rome aims to play a ‌role in ⁠stabilizing the Middle East.

"We are ready to ⁠train a new Gaza police force, and we are ​also ready ​to ​train a Palestinian ‌police force," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a news conference in Rome.

He confirmed that Rome was ready to ‌participate as an ​observer in U.S. ​President ​Donald Trump's Board ‌of Peace initiative, and ​Italy ​had been invited to attend a meeting of the ​group ‌this week in Washington.

(Reporting ​by Angelo Amante, editing by ​Gavin Jones)

byDonna Devi

in

February 16, 2026

Italy says it stands ready to train police in Gaza

ROME, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Italy stands ready to help ‌train police forces in ‌Gaza and elsewhere in the ​Palestinian terr...

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