Daniel Radcliffe says Rihanna (sort of) played a role in getting him cast as Weird Al Yankovic

nme.com:

Daniel Radcliffe has opened up about how he landed the role of Weird Al Yankovic in the upcoming biopic, explaining how Rihanna played an (indirect) role in the casting.The Harry Potter star is set to play the iconic comic musician in Roku Channel film WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, though revealed in a new interview that a rendition he did of Tom Lehrer’s song ‘The Elements’ likely put him in the frame for the part.“When I talked to Al for the first time, I was like, ‘I’m immensely flattered by the idea that you would pick me to play you, but like, why me?

I’m mystified but excited,” he revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.Radcliffe then recalled an appearance on The Graham Norton Show over a decade ago, where he appeared alongside Rihanna, admitting she was “bemused” by his rendition.“I sang ‘The Elements’ next to Colin Farrell and a very bemused Rihanna,” the actor said. “I think she was like, ‘Who is this kid, and why is he singing all of ‘The Elements’?“I guess Al saw that and was like, ‘This guy maybe gets it,'” Radcliffe added. “And so he picked me.

So I’m very, very lucky, and now I’ve gotten to have accordion lessons with Al. I can go to my grave with that.”A first look at Radcliffe in character was released last month, showing the actor donning Yankovic’s famous “Hawaiian shirt”.Daniel Radcliffe is @alyankovic.