‘Harry Potter’ star Rupert Grint says he answers to Ron: ‘It’s my second name’

Rupert Grint
Photo credit Cindy Ord/Getty Images

“Harry Potter” fans were delighted by the Easter egg in the book “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” when Professor Horace Slughorn mistakenly referred to the character Ron as “Rupert,” a nod to the actor who played the character in the film adaptations of the series.

But Rupert Grint, who starred in all eight “Harry Potter” movies as Ron Weasley, the titular character’s best friend and confidant, says the connection was even deeper.

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In an interview with Bustle, the 34-year old actor revealed that “in the movies, we merged into one. By the end of it, I was playing myself. The lines were blurred.”

Grint laughed, noting that “I answer to it, if someone calls me Ron. It’s my second name.”

In his post “Potter” years Grint has shifted to darker roles, including both a series (Servant) and movie (Knock at the Cabin) with director M. Night Shyamalan, who is known for subverting horror tropes and adding big twists to his projects.

Grint says that as an actor he’s “drawn to a hidden vulnerability. A bit broken, damaged people. At the moment, it seems to be what I’m doing.”

Shyamalan shared with the outlet that he’s told Grint “he shouldn’t exist. A child actor part of an almost religious IP. This renaissance, this second movement of his, shouldn’t be happening … He’s a person of such abandon to his character without any protective mechanisms. He has a connection to his emotions in a way that’s just pure.”

He continued heaping praise on Grint, gushing that “he’s always on time. He’s super professional. It comes effortlessly to him. He’s just an unusual human being in every way. He’s truly become a wonderful actor. I defy you to find somebody that doesn’t have something good to say about him.”

Though Grint says his work with Shyamalan has been formative, so much so that it “may be more significant” that the “Harry Potter” series “because personally so much has changed” in his life, he isn’t sure if he will continue in the horror genre or if he wants to work on something more cheerful for his next project.

In a Shyamalanesque twist, Grint is ready to take on the unexpected. “I like the idea of doing something light next — like a Christmas movie.”

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images