Rupert Grint doesn’t expect to replicate the early success he had with “Harry Potter,” and he doesn’t mind. Now 30, the actor has spoken with the Guardian about the ups and downs of starring in the massively popular franchise, which he almost left — shooting all eight movies was a “massive sacrifice,” Grint says, and over time he and his character seemed to merge into one.


“There were definitely times when I thought about leaving,” he says. “Filming ‘Harry Potter’ was a massive sacrifice; working from such a young age for such long periods and I definitely remember thinking during one extended break, ‘This whole thing is so all consuming, do I really want to go back? Maybe it’s just not for me.’ I guess I was probably just being a teenager.”

“The line between Ron and me became thinner with each film and I think we became virtually the same person,” Grint reveals. “There’s a lot of me in Ron and moving on was a massive adjustment because it was such a constant part of my life. I don’t want to liken it to coming out of prison because it wasn’t a prison, but it did feel like stepping out of an institution. It was nice to breathe the fresh air and now I’m really enjoying stepping further away from that blue-screen world.”

As for what’s next, Grint isn’t sure — and he seems fine with that. “I peaked pretty early, but I’m fine with that. It would be ridiculous to think that you can replicate that level of success. It’s always going to be a challenge, but I’m kind of enjoying that. It’s quite fun to surprise people.