Rupert Grint embraces Ron Weasley’s enduring legacy 14 years after final film

Rupert Grint embraces Ron Weasley's enduring legacy 14 years after final film

Rupert Grint, who portrayed Ron Weasley in all eight Harry Potter films, told the BBC he doubts he will ever fully step away from the character's shadow-but insists he is "fine with that."

Speaking at a Christmas lights event in Highgate, north London, on Wednesday, the 37-year-old actor called the franchise's lasting impact "great," adding, "I love meeting people who really felt this was part of their childhood."

Passing the baton to a new Ron

Grint revealed he has written a letter to Alastair Stout, the young actor cast as Ron in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series, mirroring co-star Daniel Radcliffe's gesture to the new Harry Potter, Dominic McLaughlin.

"It was really just wishing him all the best with it," Grint said. "I had so much fun stepping into this world, and I hope he has the same experience." The announcement of the new trio earlier this year, he admitted, "took me straight back" to his own casting at age 11-a memory he still recalls vividly.

While noting a "bit of family resemblance" between himself and Stout, Grint emphasized the reboot will be "its own thing." He even left the door open for his own children to join future adaptations: "I don't see why not. It was so much fun."

Life after Hogwarts

Since the franchise concluded in 2011, Grint has taken on roles in films like Into the White, the Apple TV+ series Servant, and stage productions, along with cameos in Ed Sheeran's music videos. Yet unlike Radcliffe and Emma Watson, he has remained more closely tied to Ron Weasley in the public eye-a connection he cherishes.

"It has a quite deep meaning to a lot of people of my generation, and even more to generations who are finding it now," he said. "It gives me a lot of pride."

Grint, who lives in Highgate with partner Georgia Groome and their two daughters, teased "a couple of things" in development for 2026 but declined to share details. His five-year-old daughter, Wednesday, has begun watching clips of the films-"and she loves it," he added, though the full movies remain "a little bit too scary" for now.

Reflecting on the Potter phenomenon

Cast at 11, Grint described the experience as "crazy"-a sudden transformation from fan of J.K. Rowling's books to living inside them. "It changed my whole life quite quickly," he recalled. "For me it was like stepping into the books, and that was very special."

Asked whether he might return to the franchise-following Tom Felton's recent Broadway revival as Draco Malfoy-Grint struck a balanced tone: "Maybe in the future. Never say never." For now, though, he is content exploring roles beyond Hogwarts, even as Ron's shadow endures.

And if magic offered a do-over? Grint laughed: "I think I'm probably more Hufflepuff than Gryffindor. I like the vibe of Hufflepuff."

Silence on Rowling controversy

Grint declined to comment on the ongoing debate surrounding J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues, which in 2020 prompted several Harry Potter stars-though not Grint-to publicly distance themselves from the author. Rowling has denied accusations of transphobia, framing her stance as a defense of women's rights in single-sex spaces.

Emma Watson reignited the discussion in September, affirming her love for Rowling despite their differences, only to face a sharp rebuttal from the author, who called Watson's remarks "ignorant."