In the post-Harry Potter era, only a select few actors have succeeded in building respectable careers in the entertainment industry. For instance, Daniel Radcliffe found the transition to be almost seamless, but what about his fellow actors? Well, since meeting M. Night Shyamalan in 2019, Rupert Grint also has had an interesting post-Harry Potter career and has reached a new high.
Despite being overshadowed by the fame of his co-stars- Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, Grint’s portrayal of Ron Weasley made an impression on Shyamalan. The director appreciates the actor’s talent for bringing humor, vulnerability, and authenticity to his role, which has mesmerized audiences all over the world.
M. Night Shyamalan Has a High Regard For Rupert Grint
Despite being a former child actor, Rupert Grint has never acted like one. This has been claimed by M. Night Shyamalan, who directed Knock at the Cabin earlier this year. He told Bustle:
“I’ve said this to him: He shouldn’t exist. A child actor part of an almost religious IP.”
The actor, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series as a tween and later a teenager was aware of how unusual his experience might be. Grint, who is now 35, said in the interview:
“I’ve always felt there was this expectation for us to go off the rails, follow the child star stereotype. That’s always been something to fight against.”
Shyamalan, who is also the executive producer of Grint’s Servant on AppleTV+, also said:
“He [Rupert Grint] is kind to everybody. He’s always on time. He’s super professional. It comes effortlessly to him. He’s just an unusual human being in every way. He’s truly become a wonderful actor.”
Nevertheless, Grint initially had no idea what to do after the Harry Potter film series finished the final installments. In a different interview with GQ UK, he said:
“I could not see an obvious next step, so I just did anything in front of me. I just wanted to get the passion back.”
M. Night Shyamalan Praised Rupert Grint’s Servant Audition
M. Night Shyamalan and Rupert Grint spoke with Interview Magazine about the Harry Potter actor’s Servant audition tape.
At the audition stage, Grint admitted that he was largely oblivious to the situation; all he knew was that it involved “a conversation between two guys who gave out a doll”:
“I didn’t understand exactly what I was reading, but just from the dialogue, and the way and the rhythm in which he spoke, I felt very in tune and it felt very easy, more so than anything I’ve ever read.”
Shyamalan expressed his excitement about how “spot-on” Grint’s audition was, but he also admitted that he was a little nervous. The Sixth Sense director was amazed at how the Thunderpants actor embraced the role:
“He can’t be this spot-on. He can’t.”
Shyamalan was somewhat taken aback when Grint admitted he thought himself to be bad at audition tapes. Now, he was even more complimentary of the actor:
“You are shocking me. We refer to you in the writers’ room as our secret weapon.”
Grint’s involvement in Harry Potter was what M. Night Shyamalan credited for both his acting ability and presence:
“Your flexibility, your agility to do comedy, drama, and physicality in every way. I have to attribute it to the amount of practice you had as a child […] It didn’t even occur to me that you were growing up sparring with some of the great actors of our time.”
The English actor, 35, has largely shied away from the spotlight since his Harry Potter days of fame, but he has still proven his undeniable talent by playing a number of memorable roles, Servant being one of them.
The entire Harry Potter film series is available on Max, and Servant can be streamed on Apple TV Plus.
Source- Bustle; GQ UK; Interview Magazine
