Rupert Grint Interview
Half-Blood Prince Set
February 2008
Melissa Anelli / transcribed by Melissa Dotson
Listen to the whole interview here!
Q: So you actually get to play Quidditch in this movie.
RG: I know. Yeah.
Q: Can you talk about that?
RG: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool. Sure.
Q: Yes. Tell us about your costume.
RG: Yeah. This is only a little bit of it as well because-
TLC : Wait until there is a photo.
Q: We are all so eager.
RG laughs
TLC: We are not use to there being other elements.
RG: Oh, yeah.
Q: Okay. Go.
RG: Yeah. Well this is only part of the costume. Because I am a Keeper, I've got this massive leather body pad and I got this hat-sort of Keeper Hat-which is sort of all padded helmet. And, yeah. I have really been enjoying Quidditch shoots. It's been alright. It's a bit anti-climax because it is actually really painful and really uncomfortable. But-
Q: How so?
RG: Because you are just sitting on a broom and it's just quite (laughs) uncomfortable. We've all got harnesses and there is certain rigs where we sort of broom moves like that and it does hurt a bit. But it's good fun. I am enjoying it.
TLC : Has Dan-
Q: And we heard that Dan said now you understand why he's not crazy-
RG: I do, yeah. He's always sort of- Because I never- This is the first time I've got to play Quidditch and I've always sort of been quite keen to try it out. But he's always said that it's quite painful and, yeah, he's definitely right. It's not too comfortable.
TLC : So- I am sorry. What happens on the field? We are being told it's a little more comic than we are use to.
RG: Yeah, it is. This one is a little more sort of lighthearted than the last one. The last one was really quite dark, but this one's got a few more sort of lighter moments in it. Yeah. The Quidditch is quite fun because, for Ron, there's two sort of sides to it. There's a side when he thinks he's really good cause he thinks he's taking the potion and there's the other side where at the tryouts he's really not actually very good. So, I have to do a bit of both really. So, it's quite fun.
Q: And you also get some romance in this movie. Can you talk about that?
RG: Yeah. Sure. Yeah, Ron gets a girlfriend in this one. Jessie Cave, who plays Lavender, she's really cool. She's really funny. We've already filmed the kissing scene a few weeks ago, which is actually quite embarrassing. I wasn't really feeling too uncomfortable about it until the actual day came.
Q: Yeah.) because the actual scene we did it in a room-it was the Common Room-full of people cheering and I was standing on this plinth sort of stage. And it was actually quite- I felt quite self-conscious really because we had everyone sort of looking at us. We were both quite nervous about it.
Q: Is that your first on screen love scene or kissing scene?
RG: It was- No because I did a little one- I did another film called Driving Lessons and there was a little kiss in that. But that was alright because I was just on my own.
Q: Yeah.) But on this one, it was a lot different. Once we did the first few, we got into it. So, it was alright.
Q: How many takes did you have to do? (RG laughs) I think Daniel said for the last he had to do thirty.
RG: Thirty?
Q: Yeah.
Q: With Katie.
Q: Was that the truth or was that a tabloid report.
RG: I don't know.
TLC : He actually said it.
Q: He actually said it. Yeah.
Q: Okay.
RG: No. It was nothing like that. David was quite good because he knew we were quite uncomfortable about it and it was quite a nerve-racking scene. So, he kept it- I think we did about eight. So, it wasn't too bad.
Q: Did you pop a lot of gum or mints before?
RG: (laughs) Yeah, I did. Yeah. Quite a bit. Definitely.
TLC : It's a different relationship with Ron and Lavender than we are use to in the books. It's the only one we see that's really teenaged, hormonal, purely physical.
RG: Yeah.) Was that hard for you at all?
RG: No. I mean we've only done a few sort of aspects of it at the moment. But, yeah, it's quite funny though because he is pretty one sided really. Because after awhile- In the beginning, Ron never is really sort of very comfortable with the whole thing because I think it is sort of his first proper relationship. And she gets a little bit too-a little bit crazy and a bit possessive and that sort of scares him a little bit and that sort of becomes very sort of one sided. It was quite fun. Yeah. She's really funny as well.
Q: Now in the last film, Ron has some issues with Harry, I think, and was kind of dark. This one, tell me about sort of Ron's character's journey in this film and how it is different.
RG: Yeah. Ron in this one, I suppose, he is a bit more cocky in this one. Because he's on the Quidditch team, he's got a girlfriend, and sort of thinks he's quite special. So, that was quite a new thing to sort of do because before he was just sort of a little bit of a nerd really and just sort of not really fitting in. Yeah. Now he's quite fun to do all that sort of stuff. Yeah.
Q: Now what does Emma's character think about you having a girlfriend in this movie?
RG: Yeah, well she doesn't- No, I think she's a little bit sort of jealous and you can sort of slightly see that in the film because there's just a few sort of scenes where it sort of suggests she does sort of like Ron. So, that leads up to the Seventh film where whatever happens. Yeah.
TLC : Is there still a feeling that Seven is coming, no matter what shape it takes, and is the feeling changing around here? You've been around here so long and the series is starting to get to the end now.
RG: Yeah, I suppose. I mean I love the Seventh book. I thought it was really good and I really liked the ending and stuff. So, yeah, I am really looking forward to doing it, but I don't really- I haven't really sort of- Not really a conscious thing for me. I am sort of doing this. It's the first time we've really sort of known where it is going to go, because before there's always been a book that hasn't been sort of out yet. So, yeah. So it's all quite cool.
Q: What do you think has been the most challenging thing you've had to do so far that you felt is?
RG: I don't know, really. The Quidditch is quite hard. I was quite surprised how sort of physical it is because we had to do quite a bit sort of training on a trampoline, which was actually quite scary because we got really high. They rigged us up to this sort of wire where we got to do flips and stuff and I really didn't feel very comfortable doing that.
Q: That sounds like fun.
RG: (laughs) It was quite fun. Yeah. But a little bit scary.
Q: Has it lived up to your expectations? Because you've been saying you've been looking forward to that. Filming the Quidditch scenes?
RG: Yeah. It has in a way, but it was, as I've said, a bit of an anti-climax because I was really sort of looking forward to it.
Q: (laughs) Yeah.
RG: Actually, it isn't really all that, but I think it is going to look really cool. Yeah.
Q: Now, I think it was David Barron or somebody was quoted saying, once J. K. Rowling made the revelation that Dumbledore was gay, that Michael Gambon off camera would do these kind of swishy things. Is that true? Or-
RG: (laughs) I haven't actually had a scene with Michael Gambon yet. But, yeah, I was quite shocked at that. That was quite funny. Yeah. But if you sort of think about it, it sort of made sense really in a way. Yeah. No, it's cool.
Q: When we would see you guys at the junkets or on the set visits we always asked about what you thought about the end, what would actually happen. What did happen when you all finally read the book? Did you all call each other or what was the reaction?
RG: I was quite surprised, really. Because there was so much hype about- I was definitely expecting one of us to sort of not make it. But, no I was really surprised because I thought one of us would go. But, no I was happy because it was really sort of a nice ending really. We all sort of live happily ever after so it's nice. Yeah, it was good.
Q: Are you prepared to let this go? Are you ready to let it go?
RG: I don't know. I mean it definitely feels like it is sort of coming to an end now and I think it's going to be quite sad because I think I will miss it because it's been sort of a quite long time now. It's been like nine years and I've really enjoyed it. I don't know. It's going to be weird, yeah.
Q: It's sort of- We've basically seen you all grow up
RG: Yeah. on screen.
RG: I know. Yeah. It's weird for us. It must be very odd for you.
RG: It is really weird. Yeah, especially when I am coming up to twenty this year. So, it's really weird to think about that. They have been playing the old films on TV recently and I've sort of caught a few sort of bits. It's really strange sort of looking at them because we were so different then.
TLC : Does Ron change in this film?
RG: He does in a way. I think he is a bit more confident in this one because he's got a girlfriend and stuff like that and he's finally on the Quidditch team. So, I think yeah that sort of changed a bit. So, yeah, that was quite fun to do.
Q: Dan said he teased you about having to do the kissing scene. Did he give you any kind of advice or tips or anything for it? Or did he just laugh at you?
RG: (laughs) Yeah. Basically, yeah he did. No, he really didn't give me any advice. No, it happened quite quickly really. It was over quite quickly, but it was quite embarrassing. I wasn't really looking forward to it. It was alright, yeah.
Q: Is Jessie a good kisser?
RG: (laughs) No. Yeah, it was good. It is quite a quick kiss and- No, it was good.
Q: When you were reading Book Seven, did you- Was there anything you were looking forward to filming while you were reading it?
RG: Yeah, I was really interested to see how they do the- Because in the end it sort of skips to nineteen years later. How are they going to do that? Like sort of make up or- I don't know.
Q : Are you going to grow up nineteen years?
RG: (laughs) Yeah. I hope so.
Q: Did you read the end of the book when you got the book in your hands? Did you flip immediately to the end?
RG: Yeah. I think. (All laugh) I couldn't handle it. I had to find out.
Were you afraid at all that Ron was going to die? And would you've cared?
RG: I would have been quite fun, I suppose. It would have been quite cool scene at the end and it was the last book. So, I would sort of be missing out on anything. It would've been quite fun. I think the ending, which happened, was the right way to go, yeah.
Q: So, are you ready to do the Harry Potter Reunion Special in ten years?
(All laugh)
RG: Oh my God. No. I don't know. Yeah, maybe in the future but probably not for a while.
TLC : Ron will also have to deal with a death of a brother in Seven, too. So, that's going to be quite intense for you.
RG: Yeah, it is. That's going to be quite tricky, yeah. That was quite sad actually sort of reading that. I am looking forward to Seven. It's going t be really cool.
Q: If you had your own bottle of (i)Felix Felicis(/i), when would you want to use it? I mean, what would be the most opportune time?
RG: I don't know, really. It would be quite useful, yeah. During interviews would be quite good. (All laugh) It would be a lot better, yeah.
TLC : What about the scene where you take a love potion from Romilda? Can you tell us about that?
RG: Yeah, that was quite cool. A fun scene to do because Ron eats one of these chocolates sort of poisoned with this sort of love poison and Ron goes into this sort of strange sort of drunk like state. And that was a quite fun scene to do. That was one of the first scenes we did. So, it was cool.
TLC : The pictures look funny. You have this dazed look on your face.
RG: Oh, yeah.
TLC : It was great.
RG: Cool.
Q: Then of course, he gets poisoned (
RG: Oh, yeah.) and he gets sick and everything. How did that scene go?
RG: Yeah, that was quite- I had to have a little sort of fit and they put this egg whites in my mouth so it would look like I was foaming at the mouth, (All laugh) which wasn't really that nice. Yeah, it was a quite different thing to do.
Q: When we spoke at the junket last time, everyone said that you had the best trailer. (
RG: Oh, really?) Is that still the case?
RG: Definitely. I've got really good one.
Q: A ping-pong table?
RG: A ping-pong table, a table football table. Yeah. It's just really cool. Everyone sort of goes to try and beat me at table tennis.
Q: Do you game at all? Are you a gamer?
RG: Yeah. I've got a (http://www.nintendo.com/wii)Wii. (
Q: A Wii?) I play that quite a bit. (
Q: Those are good.) Yeah. No, it's good.
Q: Are you a Guitar Hero fan?
RG: Yeah. I've played that, yeah. I haven't actually got one here, but I do like it.
Q: Are you good at it?
RG: I am not bad. Yeah. I am quite- I am not bad, yeah. It depends on what song it is.
Q: What's your game of choice?
RG: My game of choice? At the moment I am playing (http://www.easports.com/tigerwoods07/)Tiger Woods on the Wii (All laugh) because I am a bit of a golf fan. So, it's really good, yeah. I am enjoying that.
TLC: Have you taken the ice cream truck out?
RG: Yeah. I was going to bring it up quite recently, but it's sort of broken down.
It needs a new engine and it needs a load of new parts. I am sort of going to do it up. Give it a new paint job. So, it's going to look really cool.
Q: Are you going to do it all yourself or are you going to get help?
RG: No. I don't know anything about-
Q: Do you have a name for it?
RG: It's Mister Whippie.
All laugh
TLC: It'd be hilarious if you surprised the heck out of the neighborhood children.
MA and RG laugh
RG: No, it's fun. Yeah, I am definitely going to bring it up.
Q: What color are you painting it?
RG: I don't know because at the moment it looks really cool. At the moment it's got- I don't know if you know the Tweenies? It's like a children's show here. And it is full of those and it pink and white. I might change that a bit.
Q: Do you have other projects coming up after this film?
RG: Yeah. Nothing really definite at the moment, but I am definitely- Because last year I didn't do anything, so I'd like to do something after this, but we'll have see.
TLC : Any dream roles after Harry Potter?
RG: I am not sure. There's nothing really in particular really. I don't know. I am quite cool to be someone who is maybe a little bit mean. That'd be quite cool. Sort of evil. That'd be different I suppose. Yeah.
Q: If you found a perfect role, how far would you go to get it? Would you shave your head? Would you gain weight? Would you dye your hair?
RG: Yeah. I would definitely dye my hair. (All laugh) Yeah, cause that'd be quite cool. I guess I'd probably do anything. Because I did a film called Thunderpants quite a long time ago and I had to have a perm for that. So, that was quite an extreme thing. So, yeah.
Q: They actually permed your hair?
RG: (laughs) Yeah, they actually permed my hair. So, yeah. I can do anything.
Q: So did you have to grow it out longer for them to perm it?
RG: It was quite long anyway and they just permed it, which was a proper sort of permanent perm. So, that was- Yeah. For a while that was quite- I wore a cap everywhere. It was quite embarrassing.
Q: Are you able to go out in London?
RG: Yeah. I mean, I am getting recognized a bit more now since the last film, but yeah it's still fine. It never happens too much. It's alright. It's good. Yeah.
Q: What kind of things do you usually like to go out and do?
RG: I see quite a few bands.
Q: Like who?
RG: I went to the V Festival last year. That was quite cool. It's like all these different bands. The Killers playing there. It was really cool. But, yeah, I play golf. Yeah. I don't know. Just that sort of stuff.
Q: Do you have any crazy stalker fan stories like when you are approached on the street? Has anyone done something or said something inappropriate?
RG: (laughs) Yeah. No, no, no. No sort of stalker or anything sort of strange like that. Just- Nothing really too strange. We get sent some quite unique things. So, we are still getting pajamas all the time. It seems to be-
Q: Pajamas?
RG: Pajamas, yeah. SpongeBob SquarePants pajamas is a favorite thing.
TLC : That was from a long time ago.
Q: Do you actually wear those pajamas?
RG: I know.
TLC : It was on the BBC message boards in like 2001.
RG: Yeah, yeah.
TLC: Something about SpongeBob. And you are still getting-
RG: Yeah. I know. It's amazing.
Q: I still watch SpongeBob.
RG: Yeah. So do I.
Q: So, is there anything you'd like to get in the mail that you want to tell us about?
RG: I would like- Hmm.
Q: That was a joke because if you say it you are going to get it?
Q: A Porsche?
RG: Oh. (laughs) Yeah, exactly.
Q: A Porsche? A Rolex?
RG: Yeah, exactly. Gold.
Q: A tall 5' 7" blonde.
TLC : If there is one thing you could change about Ron, what would you do to him?
RG: I am not sure, really. I don't know. I've always liked Ron. He was always sort of my favorite character in the book. I don't know. I suppose- I don't know. Nothing probably. I've always got on.
TLC : He's perfect. I love him.
RG: Yeah.
Q: Do you get a lot of fan mail and you do you make a point of reading it or responding?
RG: I get quite a bit, yeah. A lot from Japan. It seems to be the main place where it comes from. And I do read a lot of it, yeah, because it's really nice. People sort of writing it and sending gifts. It's really cool. Yeah.
Q: Do you have a newsletter thing you send out to the fans? Do you reply?
RG: No. I try to, but, yeah, it's been quite busy. So, I haven't for a while or I definitely would.
TLC : Is there an element in this film that when Harry and Ginny start to get together does Ron have a reaction to that?
RG: Yeah, definitely. Ron is really sort of protective of Ginny in this one. There's a few scenes where- Because she also goes out with Dean Thomas as well. She gets really flirty with him and so, Ron doesn't really like that. He sort of disapproves a little bit. But, yeah that was a quite fun thing to do, yeah.
Q: It is easier for you to relate to your character now that they are getting older and dating? And, you know, you are obviously twenty. So, is it easier for you?
RG: Yeah, I suppose it is because I've always been a few years ahead of Ron, I guess, and that sort of helps you. You know what sort of goes on. Especially with the whole sister protective thing because I've got little sisters as well and you can sort of take it from that really a little bit. Yeah, that's good.
Q: If a Pensieve did actually exist, who's do you think you most like to dive in to? I was just wondering.
RG: Pensieve? That's the- Yeah. I don't know, really. God. Let's think. The Pensieve is the thing, sorry, where you go back in time? The memories. Yeah, yeah. God, I don't know.
Q: Anybody. Bands? Actors? Friends?
RG: God. I am really bad at these. (All laugh)
TLC : People who send you SpongeBob pajamas?
RG: (laughs) Yeah. That'd be interesting. Yeah. Definitely, yeah.
Q: How about a girl you want to date?
RG: (laughs) That-
Q: You would know all about them.
RG: (laughs) Oh, God. I can't think of anything. Sorry. I am rubbish.
Q: Okay. Any more questions? Great.
Q: Thank you very much.
RG: Cheers.
Q: Thank you.
Q: You have to really watch Rupert's Quidditch in this film. It is very funny. It was a massive kind of trapeze swing thing.
RG: I haven't been on that one.
Q: You haven't been on that one yet?
RG: No.) There's a great scene where you fall off your broom and he's kind of trying to climb back on.
RG: It's cool.
