Many of us grew up with Rupert Grint.
After all, he starred as Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone at the tender age of 11.
The 33-year-old acclaimed actor, who lives in Hertfordshire, boasts a number of impressive film credits and is the father of a 20-month-old daughter on Wednesday.
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He recently returned to our screens as part of Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, a nostalgic throwback to one of film’s biggest franchises.
The nearly two-hour special saw Grint reunited with Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson as the trio reflect on their life-defining roles.
There was one notable absence, however, as creator JK Rowling wasn’t involved after receiving widespread criticism for comments about the trans community.
In fact, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson all distanced themselves from their tweets, with the latter saying, “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for, what you are .”
Grint himself added: “I compare JK Rowling to an aunt. I don’t necessarily agree with everything my aunt says, but she’s still my aunt.”
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In a recent in-depth Q&A with The Times, Grint revealed that it was “very hard” to break away from Ron – a role he played for a decade between 2001 and 2011 – as the pair fused into the same person and practically grew up together .
And while they appear to be good friends on screen, he admits he doesn’t see his talented co-stars as often as fans might think.
“It definitely shaped who I am,” he said.
“I’ve mentally closed the door even though I’m constantly confronted with it – there’s the play, the theme park and it’s always on TV. I don’t see Dan and Emma as much as one would expect, so the reunion was very nostalgic.”
Rupert Grint 2019 (left) and 2000 (right)
(Image: Getty)
Grint made headlines in our county in October when he got his plans to convert a barn into three eco-homes approved, despite some local objections.
He grew up in Watton-at-Stone and bought the Kimpton Grange on Luton Road near Hitchin in 2009 for £5.4million.
The planning proposal involved the conversion of an existing barn to create three triple dwellings, including the creation of a new entrance and footpath link to Kimpton.
Six new houses were originally planned, but the plans were cut in half
(Image: Clear Architects/North Hertfordshire Council)
Kimpton Grange is a former vicarage in the village of Kimpton and this stunning property is set in 22 acres and has six bedrooms, two swimming pools and a private cinema.
In 2020, the actor tried to sell the country house for £6million but couldn’t find a buyer.
You might also think that a man of Grint’s fortune – with an estimated net worth currently around £36million – would enjoy flashy cars.
And that may be the case, although he first learned to drive in a somewhat atypical vehicle.
“My first car was an ice cream truck,” he told the Times.
“I learned to ride on it. But it’s very difficult to park anywhere because it’s so territorial: if you park on someone’s property, it can get pretty ugly.
“It’s also the most impractical car because there’s only one seat. Everything is freezer.”
In 2020, the star broke an Instagram record when he became the fastest to reach a million followers in just four hours and one minute.
But other than that, he lives a relatively private life with partner Georgia Groome, one could argue.
Grint stars in the third season of Servant, due out January 21 on Apple TV+.
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