Daniel Radcliffe stunned staff at Nylon magazine when he agreed to sit in as a replacement receptionist for an hour.

The prank, which was devised by publication bosses, was caught on camera and posted online on Wednesday (15Jul15).

At first, workers simply ignored the celebrity at the front desk as they walked past the Harry Potter star, but when staff started realizing Radcliffe was taking calls and greeting guests, they started nervously queuing up to chat to the actor and take selfies with him.

Playing the receptionist in New York City wasn't an easy task for the 25-year-old Brit, who confessed he really wasn't qualified to take on many of the tasks regular front desk worker Lauren did.

He told one employee, "It's already proving to be the hardest thing I've ever done", and when one puzzled staffer came to ask for his help, Radcliffe joked, "Unless you need a bathroom key, you're pretty much out of options."

When the man asked for postage stamps, Radcliffe said, "I'm not sure if I can help you out right now; you might want to come back when someone more experienced is working here."

And the actor struggled to help Joe Jonas when the singer arrived late for an interview. Appearing not to know who the new receptionist was, Jonas seemed a little annoyed when Radcliffe couldn't reach the woman with whom he had an appointment, and said, "This guy sucks", as the Harry Potter star left his desk to go and find her.