Former "Harry Potter" Star, Rupert Grint, Says Playing the Same Role for 10 Years Was "Suffocating"

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At only 11 years old, Rupert Grint was thrust into celebrity superstardom after his break-out role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series. For 10 years, he hit the silver screen as Harry's best friend, and now he opened up to Bustle about the similarities he shares with Ron and the impact the Harry Potter franchise has had on his life.

According to Bustle, both Rupert and Ron share "a sense of inferiority that many children in large family experiences," and Rupert, who is one of five siblings, agrees. "I was feeling the difficulty of being seen, being overshadowed," he explained. "In the movies, we merged into one. By the end of it, I was playing myself. The lines were blurred." Years after the series filmed its last video, Rupert says he's still grateful for the experience. "I answer to it if someone calls me Ron. It's my second name," he laughed.

After playing such a beloved role for so many years, Rupert was a bit skeptical to continue acting after the final film was released in 2011. "Potter was so full on — [filming] all year, then we'd promote the rest of the time," he explained. "It was quite suffocating. I wanted a break to reflect on everything... It was an out-of-body experience for a while, but I think we finished at the right time. If we continued, it could've gone downhill." Fortunately for the UK actor, he kept going. Rupert experimented with theater and indie films shortly after Harry Potter. He even went on to star in M. Night Shyamalan's grief thriller Servant for four seasons.

Rupert teamed up with his castmates for HBO Max's Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts television special last year. According to Bustle, Rupert didn't feel like "enough time had passed to merit" a reunion, but he still participated. "It was happening, I didn't really have a say," he explained. "[Being in Harry Potter] was a really unique experience only us core group really know, so it's nice to see them," he continued. "It was a good opportunity to reflect on everything and just say how crazy it was. It's always nice to look back."

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