Rupert Grint has spoken candidly about the “isolating” and “traumatising” aspects of early fatherhood, after welcoming his second child with long-term partner Georgia Groome. The 37-year-old actor, best known for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, shares two daughters with Groome: Wednesday, five, and Goldie, ten months.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Grint reflected on the anxieties he experienced after becoming a parent. “The fear of the dangers and the baby getting hurt, something being not quite normal. I definitely had it with Wednesday,” he said. “Those first few months can be quite isolating. It's a terrible feeling when it should be the most amazing thing, but it can be quite traumatising.”
Grint and Groome, who appeared in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, have been together since 2011 and have largely kept their relationship private. Speaking to Glamour in 2021, he described their bond as instinctive. “It's a very natural thing, we're just best friends. We're kind of the same person; we think the same way. That's always made it work, that's why it's lasted,” he said.
Grint was the first of the three principal Harry Potter child stars to become a parent. He and Groome welcomed Wednesday in May 2020, and six months later he joined Instagram for the first time to introduce her to followers. His former co-star Daniel Radcliffe became a father in April 2023.
Grint’s reflections on fatherhood come after he faced questions at the Berlin International Film Festival about the resurgence of fascism and far-right politics. Speaking at a press conference for his new Finnish horror film Nightborn, he said: “Obviously, I’m against it. But I choose my moments when to speak. But I think yeah, it’s obviously hugely relevant now. You’ll hear from me.”
Political questions have been a recurring theme at this year’s festival, with several prominent figures declining to comment, a move that has become one of the most discussed elements of the Berlinale so far.
