Actor Rupert Grint has come along way since he made his big screen debut in the first Harry Potter movie almost five years ago. 

Back then, aged just 11, he was a cherubic red-haired screen novice. Now Rupert is all grown up and looking every inch the teenager, wearing designer jeans and trainers, and with those distinctive locks fashionably tousled. 

No wonder the young star has suddenly found himself a pin-up for teen girls. 

But ask him if he’s currently dating and his face turns the colour of that famous mop of hair. 

“No, not at the moment no,” he splutters with embarrassment. “I don’t really know, really. I’m not really good with that sort of area. I have sort of a ’mare of it. And I’m, er, learning to drive at the moment, so that’s taking up too much time,” he adds with a laugh. “I don’t really want to get involved at the moment.”  

The thought of little Rupert Grint actually learning to drive comes as something of a shock to the system. After all, this is the boy who captured the hearts of the nation as child wizard Ron Weasley, best friend of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) in Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone.

Rupert, who lives in Hertfordshire, had never acted professionally before landing the role, but what he lacked in experience he more than made up for in ambition. He won the role after sending casting directors a show reel of himself singing a rap song about why he would be ideal for the part.

Not surprisingly, the ambitious youngster has proved to be a big hit as Ron Weasley and so far he’s the only one of his young co-stars who has starred in a movie away from the Potter series. He’s about to start shooting a new film alongside Julie Walters and three years ago he appeared in the family movie Thunderpants.

“I think I needed to go away and do that other role because I was completely ‘Pottered’ out by the first film,” he explains. “I think it probably is good to go away and do something very different, but I wasn’t too happy with the perm they gave me for Thunderpants,” he adds with a laugh.

Neither is he too pleased with the outfit he has to sport for the latest Harry Potter instalment, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. The fourth film, which once again sees Ron, Hermione and Harry battling the forces of evil at Hogwarts school, features a scene where the young trio have to get glammed up for a Yule Ball. And Rupert admits he wasn’t entirely happy with his look.

“It was really nasty,” he says with a grimace. “It’s all frilly and pink. It’s one of the reasons why Ron is so miserable at the ball. But he doesn’t have to dance, which was quite good for me. Some of the other actors had to do these choreographed dances, which I happily got to skip.”

Though he has faced the odd moment of awkwardness, it’s clear the good Harry Potter experiences far outweigh the bad.

“There’ve been loads of really good bits,” he beams. “Getting the part for the first film was amazing and the travelling you get to do, places I’d never go if it wasn’t for doing this. I’m quite grateful for all that part of it, it’s been a great five years. I’ve missed quite a lot of school as well, which I really regret,” he adds with a laugh.

The talented young star says his confidence as an actor has also grown in the five years since making his debut.

“Compared to when I did the first film and it was a whole new experience - I’d never done anything like it before and it was all a bit scary – I think we’ve all probably learned quite a lot since then, and it’s quite strange having a new director each time, you don’t really know what to expect, but we always have a good time.”

And despite devoting a big chunk of his childhood to the films, Rupert says he has never stopped being a fan of the Harry Potter books, by JK Rowling.

“I’ve always been a really big fan of the books, ever since before all this started – and I still really enjoy reading them,” he says.

And as for the future Harry Potter instalments, his pretty co-star Emma has hinted that she’d like Ron and her character Hermione to get it together. Rupert, however, has other ideas.

“I just want Ron to play Quidditch,” he says, referring to the mythical broomstick sport. “I think it’s Ron’s turn and I’m really looking forward to that.”

Looks like his many young female fans will just have to wait.

[icWales, 8 Nov, 2005 || Original article found here]