Actor Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, has said making those movies felt “suffocating” at times and when they wrapped up, he wasn’t sure he still wanted to be an actor.
Speaking to Bustle, Grint said, “Potter was so full on–[filming] all year, then we’d promote the rest of the time. It was quite suffocating.”
Grint said he “wanted a break” so he could step back and reflect. Had the series gone on longer, however, Grint isn’t sure things would have been so good for him.
“It was an out-of-body experience for a while, but I think we finished at the right time. If we continued, it could’ve gone downhill,” he said.
Also in the interview, Grint spoke about how how he and the character Ron are remarkably similar. Grint and Ron and both redheads with names that start with R, and they both are one of five siblings. Grint also mentioned how he connected with Ron feeling inferior in his own family, when he was young. Presumably things have changed now that he’s one of the most successful actors ever.
“I was feeling the difficulty of being seen, being overshadowed,” he said. “In the movies, we merged into one. By the end of it, I was playing myself. The lines were blurred.”
Grint starred in the Harry Potter series alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in the lead roles, and he’ll be seen next in the M. Night Shyamalan movie Knock at the Cabin. Together, all of the films earned nearly $10 billion at the global box office. The franchise’s follow-up, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, didn’t strike the same chord and the series may have now stalled out.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s new boss, David Zaslav, is reportedly keen on creating more Harry Potter content for HBO Max in the time ahead.
Outside of film and TV, Warner Bros. is about to launch the long-awaited Harry Potter game, Hogwarts Legacy, which releases on February 10.
Hogwarts Legacy is developed by Avalanche Software, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game has been embroiled in controversy due to transphobic remarks from Harry Potter author JK Rowling. Although she is not personally involved with its development, she stands to profit from its success. For more, read our in-depth article on how Rowling’s comments have impacted the trans community. In this article, you will also find links to trans creators you can support, as well as charities you can donate to.
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