Rupert Grint Biography: In His Own Words – Video Exclusive, News, Photos

Rupert Grint Biography

Rupert Grint (born August 24, 1988) is an English actor. Born the oldest of five to Nigel and Joanne Grint—a memorabilia dealer and a housewife, respectively—Grint became interested in acting early on; he appeared in numerous local and school theater productions. At the age of 11, he gained his first professional acting role: that of Ron Weasley in the adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

Rupert Grint and Harry Potter

Grint was already a fan of the book series before seeing an open casting call in the paper. He sent in a video rapping about how he wanted to be cast. Despite this, he was still allowed to meet with Rowling, casting director Susie Figgs and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone director Chris Columbus. After the meeting, Grint was cast as Ron Weasley, the role he wanted. Daniel Radcliffe soon joined him as the eponymous lead and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.

Given the already strong popularity of the franchise and Rowling’s insistence that only English actors be used, many clamored for roles. While not every imaginable Englishman worked on the film, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Miriam Margolyes, Helen McCrory, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, and Julie Walters certainly did.

The series had numerous talented directors, including Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates. Steve Kloves wrote the screenplays for the adaptations (except for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which Mike Goldenberg wrote), though creator Rowling had a great deal of input throughout.

While the first film received a somewhat mixed review, critics were all high on the trio of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint, who were repeatedly called “perfect” in their roles. It also didn’t hurt that the film broke box office records and earned nearly a billion dollars in its initial theatrical run.

The fact that this was just Grint’s first professional role must have been overwhelming, especially for an adolescent. However, rather than being self-destructive, as is the tendency of early successful actors, Grint remained solid and reliable and was clearly popular with his peers, as well as the auteurs and thespians he was suddenly surrounded by.

Given the length of the book series, Grint’s life was overtaken by the production of the adaptations, which were his primary focus from 2001 to 2011. In 2022, Grint and his cast mates returned for a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the series’ first film. The reunion is entitled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts and can be watched on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

Rupert Grint’s Career Outside

Despite filming the Harry Potter series almost constantly for a decade, Grint managed to land a few outside projects to bolster his resume—Thunderpants, Driving Lessons, Cherrybomb, and Wild Target, which were a mix both quality and genre-wise, but Grint’s performances were consistently cited as positive attributes and showed his desire to branch out so as not to become typecast.

Since the end of the Harry Potter film franchise in 2011, Grint has remained in high demand. Since 2012 he has appeared in five movies with numerous others in pre-production. He’s co-starred with Mads Mikkelsen, Melissa Leo, Bill Nighy, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Emily Blunt, Martin Freeman, Shia LaBeouf and Rupert Everett.

Grint has taken on decidedly smaller films outside of the Potter films, going for more artsy, indie film projects than Hollywood blockbusters.

He is currently dating English actress Georgia Groome, whom he has been with since 2011. The two have remained private about their relationship

Rupert Grint Theater Work

Like co-star and friend Daniel Radcliffe, Grint returned to his theater roots after working so extensively in film. Grint’s experience in the theatre was limited to runs in school and local productions; his first professional theater debut was in July of 2013 in Jez Butterworth’s Mojo, where Grint played the role of Sweets, an amphetamine-addled young hood. Grint won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best London Newcomer for his role.

It was announced in June 2014 that Grint would make his Broadway debut in It’s Only a Play.

Rupert Grint Charity Work

Grint is also known for his charity work. He has auctioned off clothes and other memorabilia, raising money for the poor and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.