“Harry Potter” alum Rupert Grint talked about his famous role of Ron Weasley and playing the character throughout most of his childhood, calling it “quite suffocating.”
During the 34-year-old actor’s interview for Bustle magazine, Grint talked about the difficulties of playing the role of Harry Potter’s best friend Weasley for a decade, from the age of 11 to 22.
The English actor explained how he found it hard to find where his character began and he ended.
Rupert Grint says the #HarryPotter series became “quite suffocating” because “in the movies, [Ron and I] merged into one. By the end of it, I was playing myself. The lines were blurred." https://t.co/K0djvaJFNd
— Variety (@Variety) January 31, 2023
“In the movies, we merged into one,” Grint explained. “By the end of it, I was playing myself. The lines were blurred.”
“Potter was so full on — [filming] all year, then we’d promote the rest of the time,” he added.
The “Sick Note” star said he’s very appreciative of all the opportunities the role gave him, but shared that by the time it was over, he “wanted a break to reflect on everything.”
“It was an out-of-body experience for a while, but I think we finished at the right time,” Grint said. “If we continued, it could’ve gone downhill.”
In 2022, Grint reunited with his co-stars for HBO Max’s “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” special, something he described as too soon, saying he wasn’t initially on board with it, The Hollywood Reporter noted.
However, the actor explained that being part of the franchise itself “was a really unique experience only us core group really know, so it’s nice to see them [co-stars]. It was a good opportunity to reflect on everything and just say how crazy it was. It’s always nice to look back.”
Grint also shared that the experience he had with the “Harry Potter” projects now dictates the roles he takes on, calling them “therapeutic” after taking parts for darker projects like Guillermo del Toro’s “Cabinet of Curiosities,” Apple’s “Servant,” and M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming movie “Knock at the Cabin.”
“I’m drawn to a hidden vulnerability,” the actor shared. “A bit broken, damaged people. At the moment, it seems to be what I’m doing.”
The “Moonwalkers” star said other projects he’d be interested in could involve “something light next — like a Christmas movie.” However, Grint said he’s “happy with where I’ve ended up.”