The Staggering Amount Of Prop Glasses In Harry Potter Might Surprise You
Longtime fans of the "Harry Potter" book series will know that Harry's iconic circular glasses take a significant beating throughout the story. When we first meet him in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," Harry's glasses are only held together by tape, having been smashed repeatedly by his cousin, Dudley. He breaks them again after using Floo Powder in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," when he smashes his face falling out of the fireplace in Borgin and Burkes.
Harry's glasses have shattered a handful of other times throughout the series, and each time, they are easily repaired by way of a Mending Charm. However, when it came to filming the adaptations of the series, it wasn't nearly as easy to repair Harry's glasses whenever they broke. In fact, the reported number of prop glasses Daniel Radcliffe went through during the production of the "Harry Potter" films is absolutely mind-boggling.
Daniel Radcliffe is said to have used 160 pairs of glasses throughout filming
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Radcliffe went through 160 pairs of prop glasses throughout the filming of the "Harry Potter" series. That staggering number puts Radcliffe way ahead of Harry in terms of glasses broken throughout the series, though Radcliffe himself seems to think that the number is a gross exaggeration.
On a 2020 episode of "Hot Ones," Radcliffe claimed that he didn't break anywhere near that number of glasses — though he did admit to breaking plenty of wands. "I would definitely say [the rumors] are exaggerated, the glasses one massively so," Radcliffe explained. "I definitely didn't break the glasses that often at all, I don't think." Radcliffe went on to recall how he broke plenty of wands on set due to his unfortunate habit of unconsciously tapping them against his legs until they broke. Regardless of how many prop glasses Radcliffe actually went through, it's remarkable to consider the time and effort spent replacing every broken pair of glasses on set — and the fact that Harry's glasses hardly seem to change throughout the films is a testament to just how dedicated the prop department was during filming.