Rupert Grint Has Harry Potter Mania

Rupert Grint Has Harry Potter Mania
Interview by Marie Morreale

When Rupert Grint heard about the casting call for the Harry Potter movie, he knew he had to audition.

"Being a really big fan of the books, I had to audition, because it was just like the goal of my life," Rupert told Scholastic News Zone. The 12-year-old, who just turned 13, filled out an application and sent in his picture.

When he didn't hear anything for a whole month, he got nervous and went on a Harry Potter Web site. There he saw that other applicants were making videotapes and doing readings from the book. Rupert decided he'd better get busy.

"First, I dressed up as my drama teacher," Rupert said. "Then I did a rap to show how I wanted to be in Harry Potter. And then I made up this script thing of Ron."

Must have worked! Find out more in this interview with Rupert by Scholastic's Entertainment Editor, Marie Morreale.

Marie: Was Ron the character that you pictured yourself playing?
Rupert: Well, I have ginger hair, so that was kind of it.

Marie: Describe how you're like Ron and how you're not like Ron.
Rupert: Well, I've got a really big family. I've got three sisters, and two brothers. I've got red hair, I like sleep, and that's what we have in common, kind of.

Marie: How would you describe Ron?
Rupert: Well, he has a lot of jokes, and you kind of feel sorry for him because he's always getting hand-me-downs, always the old stuff. He's just not a really, really fun character. He's not particularly brave, but he still tags along with Harry. And he's very loyal, and he's really proud of Harry, and he's really proud to be Harry's friend.

Marie: Tell me about your school schedule during filming?
Rupert: It was like minimum three hours and maximum five [a day].

Marie: Which do you prefer, being tutored or being in regular school?
Rupert: Well, it was kind of like, one to one. You learn a bit more, but I don't think it's as effective as being in a classroom, with your friends and everything.

Marie: When you first went back to school, what were your classmates like?
Rupert: They were really excited. They were asking me all these questions and everything, They just can't wait till it comes out. They're really excited.

Marie: Do you find it hard to balance school and acting?
Rupert: Some of it is hard, and some of it's quite easy. I would say, the quick change of...kind of like I've been in two worlds, because I've been in the movie thing and now I just went back to normal life.

Marie: What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
Rupert: I like playing football. I like swimming. I like most sports, including quidditch.

Marie: What's your favorite subject?
Rupert: I like science. I like biology and physics. Chemistry definitely, when you get to mix potions together, that's pretty cool. I kind of like math, but I'm not too good at all the numbers. I know my tables, but the rest is quite hard.

Marie: What did you like about biology?
Rupert: I like animals. I just got this longhaired little ginger kitten. We're trying to find a name for it. We've had it for quite a long time now, and it still doesn't have a name.

Marie: When you first started thinking about what you wanted to be, was actor there?
Rupert: I always wanted to be an inventor, and then a vet, and then an ice-cream-van man.

Marie: What scenes were the most fun?
Rupert: Well, I loved the Train scene, and I also liked the Devil's Snare because that was really fun. They had all these vines curling around your body, and I got to do a really cool stunt in that. They hauled me up on a really high place, and then just dropped me in the Devil's Snare wearing a harness and a safety rope.

Marie: Were you scared?
Rupert: My heart stopped when I was going down, but it was really fun. I was pretty high, about 100 feet.

Marie: What was the hardest scene?
Rupert: The Chess scene, that was pretty hard, but it was really fun. The room was filled with smoke and everything, and you had to be really sort of dramatic and scary. I got to ride a horse, a great big horse.

Marie: Had you ever ridden before?
Rupert: Only as a really small child.

Marie: Do you have a favorite book?
Rupert: Harry Potter, definitely. It's just a brilliant book, I couldn't put it down. And it felt like, when you were reading the book, you stepped into the book and you knew the character really well. It's just really well written.

Marie: Do you like to read in general?
Rupert: Yeah, I do like to read, I read quite a lot.

Marie: How many books do you read a month?
Rupert: About five. I just finished Anne Frank.

Marie: Do you have a special time or place to read?
Rupert: I like to read at night. I like to read at school as well.

Marie: Do you have a favorite author?
Rupert: J.K. Rowling.

Marie: How do you think reading affects an actor?
Rupert: It's pretty important I would say. It helps to read because you've got to learn all the lines and everything.

Marie: Do you remember the first book you ever read?
Rupert: Um, I think it was something like, Each Peach Pear Plum.

Marie: Tell me something about yourself? Do you play tricks on your brothers and sisters?
Rupert: Yeah, I do sometimes. I do a lot, actually. One time, it was this talent show, and unfortunately I dressed up as Mystic Meg. She's this fortune-teller. The dress, the crystal ball, wig, everything. And then, everyone started laughing at me.

Marie: Do you and Daniel and Emma all live in the same area?
Rupert: Not really. We live quite far apart actually. But we still keep in touch.

Marie: Describe Emma.
Rupert: She is so much like her character. She is really intelligent, she's sometimes quite bossy, but she's really great. We had a lot of fun.

Marie: Describe Daniel.
Rupert: He's really cool, he's got a great sense of humor. He's really fun, and he's just brilliant.

Marie: Are your brothers and sisters younger or older?
Rupert: All younger.

Marie: Do you ever babysit?
Rupert: Yeah, the youngest one's 3. We play games. The oldest one helps me. We play the Harry Potter board games, and we make up games.