Time and again it becomes clear that being part of a major franchise is a double—edged sword. This is especially true of the actors who made up the young ensemble of Harry Potter films. Although starring in these high-profile films made it easier for actors to get roles after Harry’s story came to an end, it also had some serious flaws, and Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, talked about it while reflecting on his time. play one-third of the iconic trio for a decade.
Grint remembered how much he was connected to Ron, he said he loved playing him, and he had a lot in common with Brother Weasley. The actor explained that he also grew up in a large family with a lot of brothers and sisters. He told Bustle that because of this, he could relate to Ron’s insecurities about not being seen, he said:
I felt how difficult it was to be seen, to be in the shadows. In the cinema, we merged into one. By the end, I was already playing myself. The lines were blurred.
The actor even said that he responds to “Ron” if someone calls him by his character’s name. “That’s my middle name,” Grint explained.
While I am well aware of how much in common with your character makes the job much easier, it also creates a serious disadvantage. The article pointed out that Grint started working on Harry Potter films when he was 11 years old, and they ended when he was 21. Playing a character for so long is fraught with serious problems, and the actor said:
Potter was so busy — [filming] all year, and the rest of the time we were moving forward. It was quite stuffy. I wanted to take a break to think about everything… It was an out-of-body experience for a while, but I think we finished at the right time. If we had continued, everything could have gone downhill.
I fully understand where it came from, there comes a time when it’s time to move on, and if the greeting is delayed, everything becomes difficult. Fortunately, Potter ended at the “right time,” according to Grint, and he fondly recalls the experience, although there were drawbacks.
Many of the actors who were in the young ensemble of the Harry Potter films talked about the difficulties of transitioning from Potter into adulthood. As Grint explained, for him it meant untangling himself from Ron Weasley, because they were so intertwined. Emma Watson realized how “protected” she was playing Hermione. Matthew Lewis talked about how difficult it was to break out of Neville’s shadow. Tom Felton also spoke openly about his transition, saying that being involved in these films was a “huge disadvantage” when it came to getting other roles at first. However, actor Draco also said that he is “grateful” for the difficulties because he was able to prove himself and learn from this experience.
The challenges of growing up after these films really seem difficult. Still, it’s amazing to see how all of these actors have flourished and now have a surprisingly unique career outside of Harry Potter.
Grint said he was ready to return to Harry Potter if the time was right and everyone was involved. However, at the moment he has a lot of new interesting projects that he is looking forward to. He has already appeared in the TV program for 2023 in the new season of the Apple TV+ series “Servant”. He is also included in the film schedule for 2023, as he is part of the cast of M. Night Shyamalan’s film “Knock in the Hut”, which is released in theaters on February 3.
So while the transition from the Harry Potter world may have been difficult, Grint did it with grace, and since then he has created some very interesting projects.
