Daniel Radcliffe in 'Kill Your Darlings': 'Dane DeHaan is the man'

Even in the midst of Harry Potter hoopla, Daniel Radcliffe boldly tackled a starring role in the stage production of Equus that challenged the limitations of the Potter franchise and the perceptions of his loyal fanbase. Now that he’s officially graduated from Hogwarts, the 23-year-old continues to follow his own beat. In Kill Your Darlings, he plays a young Allen Ginsberg in 1940s New York City, just as the writer was experiencing his literary — and sexual — awakening as a freshman at Columbia. The man somewhat responsible for both is Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan), a mesmerizing but troubled free-thinker who murdered Beat Generation associate David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall) in 1944.

In Darlings, Radcliffe’s Ginsberg is enamored with Carr, who introduces him to some promising young writers — and professional troublemakers — William Burroughs (Ben Foster) and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston). It’s easy for the audience to feel the same way about DeHaan, who starred in Chronicle and made the most of his every scene in The Place Beyond the Pines. As Carr, he delivers a star-making performance — think Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley.

“People are starting to realize what I’ve been saying for about a year and a half,” Radcliffe said at the Toronto Film Festival, “which is that Dane DeHaan is the man to watch. He is incredibly naturally gifted but also he is one of the hardest workers that I’ve ever met, and that’s a pretty dynamic combination. I feel like in Kill Your Darlings, his performance is stunning and our relationship in the film I’m really really proud of how we got there. And I want to work with him again and hopefully we’ll find some excuse. He’s the man.”

Below, watch an exclusive clip, a monumental meeting of the minds.

Here’s the complete trailer for the movie, which opens in limited release on Oct. 16.