Rupert Grint has said it is unlikely that he will ever “step out” of Ron Weasley’s shadow. The 37-year-old actor, who played the red-headed wizard in all eight Harry Potter films, told the BBC he thinks he will always be known as the lovable kid wizard. “I’m fine with that,” he said at a Christmas lights event in Highgate. “I think it’s great. I love meeting people who really felt this was a part of their childhood.”
Asked whether he is fed up of being linked to a role he played decades ago, Grint replied: “No, absolutely not. I love it.” Grint was 12 when he starred in the first Harry Potter alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, and was 22 by the time the final instalment hit cinemas in 2011. “It changed my whole life quite quickly,” he said. “I was a huge fan of the books, so for me it was like stepping into the books, and that was very special.”
The actor went on to say that the films “give me a lot of pride” and gestured to the next “generations who are finding it now”. Grint also revealed that like Radcliffe, he had written a letter to the child actor who will be taking over his role in the forthcoming Harry Potter series, but did not share the details of what he said to his young successor, Alastair Stout. “It’s quite strange to have the cycle happening again,” he said. “I’m really intrigued what it’s going to be like.”
In 2023, HBO Max announced it was adapting the franchise into a “decades-long” TV series, with each season based on one of the seven books. Joining Stout in the TV show are newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry and Arabella Stanton as Hermione. John Lithgow will take over as Albus Dumbledore, alongside Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. Child actor Lox Pratt will play Draco Malfoy, and Johnny Flynn will portray Lucius Malfoy. The show began production in July at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden and is expected to debut in 2027.
