Years after the Harry Potter franchise delivered its final film, Rupert Grint, one of its main stars, is all grown up and forging ahead. The actor has since pursued other roles and started a family.
And while Grint readily joined his other cast mates in HBO Max’s Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, the actor recently admitted that he hasn’t been able to watch his Harry Potter movies, save for one.
After Years Of Working On Harry Potter Movies, Rupert Grint Felt ‘An Overwhelming Sense Of Freedom’
Grint essentially spent his childhood being Ron, growing up on the Harry Potter set as the cast shot one installment after another. By the time they wrapped up the film series, the English actor was already in his early 20s. He dedicated much of his teen years to the franchise and finally, it was done.
“It was this overwhelming sense of freedom…. I could do anything,” Grint remarked. “Weirdly, the first thing I did was have my tonsils removed. And weirdly, it felt like tonsils represented freedom. It became this, like, symbol that I was now kind of free of [the franchise].”
Soon after, Grint also wondered if he had enough range to pursue other roles. “It then was also the mindset of: I don’t know what else I can do. Can I only do this one character?” he explained. “Because we’d become so entangled as one thing.”
Gradually, Grint explored the acting world beyond the franchise. His co-star, the late Alan Rickman, suggested that he venture into theater, which was how he ended up starring in a revival of Jez Butterworth’s Mojo.
“I think it’s really important, when you’ve been from where I’d come from—this huge machine that started to define me—to feel the fear [of theater]…. I felt very human again,” Grint remarked.
More recently, the actor also landed a role in M Night Shyamalan’s new Apple TV+ series, Servant, which he auditioned for, something Grint rarely got to do. “I feel like I got it on merit,” he said. “That was a good feeling. Even if my American accent was ropey.”
Soon after, he also got cast in Shyamalan’s latest film, Knock at the Cabin. They shot the film while Servant was on a production break.
Since Then, Rupert Has Only Watched One Harry Potter Movie
And while it might seem like Grint has moved on from his time in Harry Potter, there are times when the actor would take a trip down memory lane. It just so happens that the formative years of his life are intertwined with this behemoth of a franchise and reminiscing just can’t be helped.
“They’re a big part of my life. I owe a lot to them,” Grint said. “I think. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing if it wasn’t for them. It’s something I reference a lot, I think, even in my personal life. It’s the way I measure my life in a way. When I’m thinking about when I passed my driver’s test, I know that that was film five. It’s like college or something similar.”
As for the films themselves, Grint also admits that he thinks about them on “most days” in “some way.” So far, however, the actor has only managed to watch one of the Harry Potter films.
“The only one I’ve ever rewatched is Philosopher’s Stone. And I enjoyed it,” he said. “I felt detached enough, because it was so long ago.”
For Grint, the first Harry Potter movie is “like watching a home movie. It was my childhood, after all. I didn’t go to school; I lost touch with a lot of old friends. I missed out on a lot of shared experiences.”
He Is ‘Looking Forward’ To Watching Harry Potter With His Daughter
And while Grint hasn’t watched the rest yet, it seems that he is just holding off on watching more of his past work for now simply because it’s just not the right time yet. The right time may be when his daughter Wednesday, now two, would be old enough to appreciate them.
That said, the actor has tried to introduce Harry Potter to his little girl, specifically Ron. Grint even got Wednesday her first Hogwarts robes (Gryffindor, as fans might expect) but it seems he has a long way to go.
“I’ve shown her clips from Potter but I don’t think she understands it’s me,” the actor said. “When she’s old enough, I’m looking forward to watching them with her.”
As for the future of the franchise, it is unclear if Grint would rejoin the films after Warner Bros. Discovery expressed interest in reviving it. The actor also has mixed feelings about seeing someone else play Ron.
“I think there’d be a feeling of passing the baton, letting someone else play Ron,” Grint said. “It’s weird because I’m protective over him, I could relate to him so much, and then I was picked to bring him to life. That’s hard to let go. But it would be nice to, as well.”
Meanwhile, fans can catch Grint on Servant, which is streaming on Apple TV+. Knock at the Cabin begins streaming on Disney+ after its theater run.
