Rupert Grint interview: 'Potter' star chats about famed role in blockbuster series (original) (raw)

ANDREW GOMBERT Rupert Grint plays as Ron Weasley, in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1." Grint has been co-starring in Harry Potter movies since 2001.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1" This film feels more like a march than a movie — being careful to lay in all the exposition, do all the foreshadowing, for the no-doubt-incredible finale to come next year. Still, if you can treat this strictly as a prologue there are a few pleasures here, including a fun undercover raid on the Ministry of Magic and a newly complex role for Ron. The film contains violence and sensuality.

— Stephen Whitty

Perhaps the most unexpectedly magical thing J.K. Rowling ever accomplished was the transformation of names.

After all, if you hadn't read the books and seen the films, wouldn't Harry Potter sound like some dull duffer out weeding his garden? Or Hermione Granger like the blue-haired owner of an antiques store? Or Ron Weasley like a nasty, spineless little sneak?

Well, names can be deceiving.

To American ears, Rupert Grint, for example, sounds positively Dickensian — and not in a good way. It's a name for a minor villain, the pasty-faced sort who curses orphans and kicks dogs, all the while rubbing together his cold, hard hands.

Whereas the real Rupert Grint is a jolly 22-year-old with an enormous amount of red hair, a ready laugh and an apparent inability to have a bad time. Even as what seems fated to be the signature event of his life — playing Ron Weasley in the "Harry Potter" franchise — winds down.

Proving it, Grint phoned from London the day after the world premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” to talk happily about his initial filmmaking naïveté, the secret story of rapping Ron Weasley, and the spell he’d most like to be able to cast (“Apparating — it makes travel so much easier!”).

Q. Although we won't see the second half of this last film until summer, the actual work is pretty much done for you. It must feel odd, having this experience finally coming to an end.

A. Yeah, it is kind of weird, actually. It'll take a while for me to come to terms with it. I mean it literally has been my childhood and suddenly it all came down to really just one random scene, with us jumping through a fireplace, and then it was over.

Q. I've heard that before from other actors in a series, where they're expecting some sort of great finale on the last day. But because you shoot out of sequence, it's often just "Turn left, cross the room, okay, that's a wrap." And you're done.

A. Yeah, it’s very odd. Because suddenly it was all over, just like that. It was really emotional for all of us, realizing that we’re never going to be doing this again.

Q. It's been fun not just to watch you all grow up on-screen, but to watch the characters change. Ron isn't the same boy he was in the first film.

A. No, in the first few, I think, he was quite insecure, always overshadowed by his brothers. I think he felt a little second to everyone, in all aspects. It wasn't until recently he's become more secure. I think in "Half-Blood Prince," he found a new confidence from the Quidditch team and a girlfriend and stuff. He changed. And here, we even see a darker side of him — he's quite aggressive, paranoid, scared, jealous. All of which is fun to play. Much more fun to play than to be!

Q: I don't think it's giving anything away to say that Ron and Hermione finally share a kiss (in "Part 2"). Was that awkward?

A: It was, actually. We were both really dreading it. The anticipation of it, it was not something — I mean, it felt like the most unnatural thing to do. I’ve known Emma (Watson) since she was 9, we’ve watched each other grow up, formed this sort of brother/sister bond, and suddenly I’m leaning in to kiss her. Well, it felt completely wrong . . . but, you know, you try to sink into the character and divorce yourself from it. We ended up laughing hysterically afterwards.

Q. You'd only acted in a school play or two before the first Potter film. Do you remember what surprised you most after you got the job?

A. I was quite surprised that I was actually going to get paid.

Movie Review

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1(PG-13) Warner Bros. (146 min.) Directed by David Yates. With Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint. Ratings note: The film contains violence and strong language.Stephen Whitty's review: TWO AND A HALF STARS

Q. And now producers are slapping themselves and saying, "Damn, we could have gotten him for nothing!"

A. Really, the whole thing was very new to me. It was such a fluke. I come from quite a normal background, I'd only even been to London a few times. I enjoyed acting, but I only went on the audition because I was such a fan of the books. Although I had won a Ron Weasley look-alike competition once.

Q. It'd be pretty embarrassing now if you'd lost.

A. Right! For the (film) audition, I even did this sort of rap song I’d written about the character.

Q. And can we find that on YouTube . . .

A. No, no! I’ve got that tape safe at home now. You’ll never see it.

Q. As famous as the three of you got, you all seem to have survived the child-star experience. I don't remember ever seeing any pictures of you or Daniel (Radcliffe) stumbling out of pubs or Emma passed out at the wheel. It seems as if it's been nothing but positive for you.

A. Yeah, I really can't find any downside. I've had a chance to do things I'd never do otherwise, to travel. If I had to pick anything negative, it'd only be that it could get quite exhausting, with the filming and everything. I wasn't even able to take the time to have my tonsils out. So it was nice finally being able to do that, actually.

Q. You never thought you'd be an actor. Now that you are, do you think you always will be?

A. That’s a good question. I do enjoy it. I did two other films, quite low-budget: “Cherry Bomb” and “Wild Target.” It was quite daunting — I’m so used to be being surrounded by people and having this sort of endless budget, and here everything was smaller and faster-paced and there was more urgency about getting it right. But I actually liked the pressure. So yes, I do want to try and keep things going if I can. I have a few things brewing. . . . And if it doesn’t happen, I did buy an ice cream van a while ago. So I always have that to fall back on.

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