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.