The Untold Truth Of Rupert Grint

One of the world's three favorite British redheads (alongside Prince Harry and Ed Sheeran, if that was unclear), Rupert Grint first gained international recognition as Harry Potter's ginger acolyte Ronald "Ron" Weasley in the eight movies of the widely beloved series. As for how he feels about repping the ginger community, he once told Glamour, "I've always enjoyed it. I've always enjoyed anything that makes you stand out." We love that.

Obviously, Grint is more than his hair color. Although he isn't super private, and often gives interviews, he has managed to fly somewhat under the radar in recent years — namely by taking on lesser known acting gigs. If you haven't kept up with his social media activity (which is pretty sparse anyway, so you're not missing much), don't fret: We're going into detail about everything juicy that has gone on in Grint's life before, during, and after "Harry Potter." We're shedding "lumos" on him, if you will.

Rupert Grint loved the "Harry Potter" books when they were first published, but he also had a special affinity with the character he ended up portraying. Now, when someone thinks "Ron Weasley," they automatically think Rupert Grint — and apparently not much has changed since the actor was a kid. "I enjoyed acting, but I only went on the audition because I was such a fan of the books," Grint explained to Inside Jersey in 2010. "Although I had won a Ron Weasley look-alike competition once." Say what?

Upon hearing that nugget, the interviewer said exactly what everyone was thinking: "It'd be pretty embarrassing now if you'd lost." Seriously, can you imagine? "Right! For the (film) audition, I even did this sort of rap song I'd written about the character," Grint then revealed, clearly not realizing the absolute gold he was giving the world. Unfortunately for his fans and fortunately for him, that video is locked up more securely than a Gringotts Wizarding Bank account these days: "I've got that tape safe at home now. You'll never see it," Grint told Inside Jersey. And while no one will probably ever get to see the original, the actor did very kindly recreate it during an interview once. "Hello there, my name's Rupert Grint," it went. "I hope you like this and don't think I stink." Clearly, the casting directors thought he smelled of roses, given the job they trusted him with.

In 2006, at age 18, Rupert Grint suffered a blow: One of his oldest friends, Joshua Lodge, was caught engaging in sexual activity with a minor during the actor's birthday party. Lodge was "​​charged with assault by penetration and sexual activity with a child," the Daily Mail reported. In 2007, however, the charge "was reduced to sexual activity with a child on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service" without trial, according to Metro. Lodge was listed on the Sex Offenders' Register for the next two years, per British protocol.

"In the light of the verdict I feel it prevalent to issue the following statement," Grint said. "I am totally appalled and disgusted by the actions of Mr Joshua Lodge. I am one hundred per cent behind the victim in this case and indeed all victims affected by this type of crime." Grint and Lodge met at the Richard Hale School, and the actor allegedly cried while filming "Harry Potter" after learning about the actions of his former friend. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

For Rupert Grint, filming "Harry Potter" was overall a very positive experience, but he still had a pretty complicated relationship with it all — especially because he was involved in it during his formative childhood and adolescence years. "I had just finished my GCSEs [British exams]," he told The Independent about a wobble he had after filming "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." "I thought 'Do I actually want to keep doing this? It's a bit of a drag.' Because obviously it's a big sacrifice. You take for granted anonymity, just doing normal stuff, just going out. Everything was different and a little bit scary. There were times when I was like 'I'm done.'"

But mostly, "Harry Potter" was an amazing life and learning experience for the actor. As he told Backstage in 2021, "when I started 'Potter,' being on set and being surrounded by so many amazing actors was an education for all of us, really — just watching how everyone works." While he was still in the midst of filming, Grint spoke to Inside Jersey about how much he loved his time as Ron Weasley. "I really can't find any downside. I've had a chance to do things I'd never do otherwise, to travel. If I had to pick anything negative, it'd only be that it could get quite exhausting, with the filming and everything. I wasn't even able to take the time to have my tonsils out."

In what could be considered one of the coolest pop-culture crossovers ever, Rupert Grint stood in for fellow famous British ginger Ed Sheeran in the singer's "Lego House" music video. In said video, Grint mouths along to the words while wearing Sheeran's signature hoodie-and-jeans look, is seen walking backstage and standing outside a tour bus, playing with LEGO bricks, writing lyrics in a notebook, and playing a guitar while looking slightly disheveled and crazed. When at last he makes it on stage, he is pounced on by security guards, revealing that he is actually a stalking superfan rather than just an actor playing Ed Sheeran. Photos of the real Sheeran then pop up in Grint's life, including one of his face stuck to a creepy human-sized doll. A live Ed Sheeran only shows up toward the very end, when he's preparing to walk onstage.

This video is a major pop-culture moment, but it almost didn't happen at all. When Sheeran was starting out, Tom Felton shared his video on Twitter, a connection which snowballed into an intro with Grint. "[Felton] actually told me the other day that it wasn't as open/shut as I thought it was, like he really had to convince Rupert's agent that this was a good thing," Sheeran once told James and Oliver Phelps on their Normal Not Normal podcast. We're glad Grint's agent eventually saw reason. 

Starring in an eight movie-strong series of international blockbusters from the age of 11, it stands to reason that Rupert Grint would rack up a certain amount of cash. But as a kid, extremely unsurprisingly, he had basically no idea what he was doing when it came to managing his money. Speaking to the Washington Post in 2006, Grint explained that he was "not totally sure" how much he was actually worth, because his dad handled all his finances. "I don't have a lot to do with it," he said.

When Inside Jersey asked Grint in 2011 what he found to be the most shocking thing from starting work on the "Harry Potter" franchise, he deadpanned, "I was quite surprised that I was actually going to get paid," a sweet sentiment. Presumably these days, a grown-up Grint handles his own finances — and expects to be paid for the work he does. He is worth an admirable $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The "Harry Potter" movies and HBO Max reunion account for a large chunk of that, but Grint has also appeared in popular TV shows like "Servant," "Snatch," and "Sick Note," and fan-favorite movies "Moonwalkers," "Instruments of Darkness," and "Cherrybomb," to name just a few, according to his IMDb page.

Rupert Grint and his partner, "Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging" actor Georgia Groome, got together just as the "Harry Potter" movies were wrapping up, and it sounds like they have lived out their personal fairytale ever since. "It's a very natural thing — we're just best friends," Grint told Glamour about their relationship in 2021. "We're kind of the same person; we think the same way. That's always made it work — that's why it's lasted. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but it works and it's great." So sweet!

Aside from having basically the same personality, there's another essential ingredient in the secret sauce of Grint and Groome's relationship: They both have the same relative level of fame. Speaking to Radio Times about getting recognized on the street, Grint said it's an advantage to form relationships with people "who have that kind of understanding. It definitely helps. It's not like being in One Direction, but there's always something, every day, even with my hat on. It's never calmed down."

J.K. Rowling has made several comments that have angered and upset the trans community in the past, but it was a sentiment she expressed in 2020 that truly incensed people around the world. Even die-hard "Harry Potter" fans began to argue that people should no longer support the franchise in any shape or form. "The Wizarding World isn't the moral sanctuary it once was," wrote fan Kathleen Walsh for Marie Claire. "And because we are all adults now, we have to acknowledge that."

Many people involved in the "Harry Potter" films spoke out against Rowling's trans-exclusionary stance — Rupert Grint among them. "I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers," he said in a statement to The Sunday Times in 2020 (via USA Today). "Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment." Speaking to The Times again in 2022, Grint shed more light on his relationship with the "Harry Potter" author these days, comparing her to an "auntie." "I don't necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she's still my auntie," he said. "It's a tricky one." Disagreeing with family members — even ones acquired later in life — is something everyone can relate to. And Grint is right, it is very "tricky."