Rupert Grint has played Harry Potter’s faithful sidekick, Ron Weasley, for more than half his life. And with each film, he’s come into his own — both on and off screen.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, the young star transforms into a romantic hero, as Ron and Hermione Granger [Emma Watson] finally share their first kiss.
Grint, 22, talked to Parade.com about saying farewell to his beloved character as the series reaches its end.
Here are some highlights from the Parade.com interview:
It hasn’t sunk in that it’s over…
“Not entirely, no. It’s still quite a strange thing to come to terms with, just the fact that we won’t be coming back next year. It really is the end. I’m not usually sentimental with stuff like that, but it has been a huge part of our lives, and it just feels really sudden that it’s all coming to an end. This feeling of freedom is quite overwhelming.”
On letting go of Ron Weasley…
“It’s been a decade of playing the same person and a character I already felt quite close to anyway because of the books. We really have become the same person. I think it’s going to be hard to shake him out of me.”
On the most emotional scene he filmed..
“The scene after the battle, with the three of us on the bridge. It’s the moment that kind of chokes me up the most. It is just that power between me, Dan, and Emma. Every day, every week, every month, every year, we’ve come together and made these films quite intensely. It is a really intimate process, making a film. You do form this tight bond, especially this being such a unique way of growing up, we’ve all shared that. We’ll always stay in touch.”
On the highly anticipated kiss with Emma Watson…
“We felt the pressure a little bit, because this is a moment that’s been built up for so long now, and it had to come down to this one moment. It’s a scene that wasn’t in the book, it was written for the film. And it’s not just a kiss—it’s this big, romantic moment, and it had to be believable, which I hope it is. It was a challenge. We had a laugh about it.”
Plus, check out more from Rupert including his favorite Potter memory, what he’ll miss most AND what it was like to watch the big lip-lock on the big screen!
http://www.parade.com/celebrity/celebrity-parade/2011/07/rupert-grint-deathly-hallows.html