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Why Seth Meyers' Harry Potter-Obsessed Kids Said No to Meeting Daniel Radcliffe

"I think I probably have that effect on a lot of kids," the Emmy-nominated Merrily We Roll Along star told Meyers, who shared an adorable photo of his son Axel dressed as the boy wizard.

By Christopher Rudolph

Even without a magic wand, Daniel Radcliffe cast quite the spell over Late Night with Seth Meyers.

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On Tuesday, April 9, the Harry Potter actor swung by Studio 8G to discuss starring in the hit Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along. But when Harry Potter is in the studio, bringing up the boy wizard is irresistible — especially when Seth Meyers' kids are obsessed with all things Potterverse.

"I'm going through a really nice thing right now, which is my kids are the age where they are really into the books, and they're watching the movies," Meyers said of his sons Ashe, 8, and Axel, 5. "You know, I was at the age when they came out that I didn't see them, and I just want to say, you're very good!"

"That's not true, but thank you," replied Radcliffe. "I disagree with you about many of my performances in many of the films, but I thank you for that. That's very kind."

You'd think that a couple of young Potterheads would jump at the chance to meet the man who played the "Boy Who Lived." Turns out, that's not the case for Meyers' children.

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"I said to my kids today, you were going to be on," Meyers told Radcliffe. "I said, 'Do you want to come?' And the speed with which they said, 'No'!"

The boys' reason does make sense. "Because I've shown them the times people who've been on the show, that have been in something they've loved," Meyers said. "And I'm like, 'Look, Daddy talked to...' and they hate that it's not the character."

"So I would imagine when kids meet you, it probably sways wildly between overwhelmed and wildly disappointed," he joked to Radcliffe.

Daniel Radcliffe talks to host Seth Meyers, Episode 1509 on April 9, 2024.

Seth Meyers shared an adorable pic of his son Axel dressed as a wizard while reading Harry Potter

"Yes, I mean it often tilts wildly disappointed," Radcliffe laughed. "Especially because if they're very young kids, they've probably only seen the first one or two films. And so they have a parent who's my age, who's like 'It's Harry Potter!' And the kid's like, 'It is not. This man is old.' I think I probably have that effect on a lot of kids."

The Late Night Host showed Radcliffe an adorable picture of his 5-year-old son Axel, dressed in a Gryffindor cloak while wearing Harry Potter glasses.

"When I read him the books he dresses up," Meyers said as he shared the photo. Even cuter, he then played a video clip of him watching the first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, with Axel.

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Daniel Radcliffe talks to host Seth Meyers, Episode 1509 on April 9, 2024.

"This is the end of the first one, this is my son Axel, and he is so scared, and this made me so happy," explained Meyers, as he played the video which showed Axel hiding behind Meyers during the climatic battle of the first movie.

"I'm really enjoying it," he added, proving that experiencing Harry Potter with kids is its own kind of magic.

Judging from Axel's cloak we're guessing he's in Gryffindor. But which Hogwarts house does Meyers think he'd be sorted into? Ravenclaw? Hufflepuff? Guess that's a question for Radcliffe's next Late Night visit.