Daniel Radcliffe Lip Syncs in ‘Weird Al’ Movie, but He Still Sang Live in Front of Yankovic: It Was ‘Intimidating’

While filming “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” Daniel Radcliffe had to transform into the iconic parody singer in front of Yankovic himself, who co-wrote and produced the film and was on set every day. And while Yankovic dubbed over the actor’s voice for the film’s soundtrack, Radcliffe actually sang the “Weird Al” songs during takes, something he described as both “intimidating” and reassuring.

“I was singing them on set because I find [that] just lip-syncing and not making any sound is really, really hard, but we always knew it would ultimately be Al’s voice, which is great and took a lot of pressure off,” Radcliffe said at the Variety Studio presented by King’s Hawaiian at TIFF. “There was something both intimidating about having him there every day because like, you know, it’s him and we are making this thing about his life… but also, there was like some tacit reassurance there every time when you hear him laughing at something or when he would come in after a take looking really pleased. We’d be like, ‘Okay, great. We’re doing fine. He likes it.’ If [director] Eric [Appel] is happy, and Al’s happy, then we’re doing our job.”

Appel, who co-wrote and directed the film, added: “Getting Al’s approval was so huge and meaningful. Someone that you’ve just been, you know, a fan of forever… getting a thumbs up from him. After the first two days of shooting he emailed me and said, ‘You’re really good at this.’ And I was like, ‘I’m putting this in a frame.'”

The music biopic made its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday. Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman wrote of the film: “‘Weird’ is witty and inventive enough to sustain what could, in lesser hands, have been a one-joke movie, an ‘SNL’ riff on itself. The film’s ultimate joke is that ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic’s entire career was a joke — not just because he made so-daft-they’re-funny versions of other people’s songs, but because what he did made him a court jester of imitation.”

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” will premiere on the Roku Channel on Nov. 4.

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