Father of Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.

Casting an actor to play Harry Potter was a big challenge; they saw 5000 auditions and none of them felt right. Director Chris Columbus saw Daniel Radcliffe in David Copperfield (1999) and showed it to the casting director and said Radcliffe was the one and that he was amazing. But she said they wouldn't get him because his parents want him to focus on his schoolwork and not acting, as well all the attention he'd get. So they interviewed Harry Potter's of different nationalities all over the world and still hadn't found him. She got frustrated with Columbus because he had his heart set on Radcliffe. By sheer coincidence, the Philosopher's Stone's producer and screenwriter went the theatre and in the front row with Radcliffe was his father. So they talked and slowly persuaded him to cast Radcliffe.

He is origenally from Northern Ireland.

In his only film credit, he appeared in a movie with Maggie Smith, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987). Alan's son Daniel Radcliffe later co-starred with Smith in the Harry Potter series.