Daniel Radcliffe was 11 the year he was cast as Harry Potter.

The then-unknown actor had only one other credit to his name when he landed the leading role in what would become a hugely successful eight film franchise. He was only 11 and new to the industry, and yet he was forced to shoulder the burden of this massive undertaking, alongside his co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

In a new interview, Radcliffe has revealed that his unhealthy coping mechanisms for the pressure of the role and the intense scrutiny of the spotlight included alcohol dependence.

“The quickest way to forget about the fact that you were being watched was to get very drunk,” Radcliffe told Off Camera with Sam Jones in the US. “Then as you get very drunk you become aware, ‘Oh people are watching more now because now I’m getting very drunk so I should probably drink more to ignore that more.”

How Daniel Radcliffe’s friends supported him through his alcohol dependence