At the beginning of the year, Rupert Grint He participated in the special that HBO Max launched for the 20th anniversary of the first film: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, in which, together with his co-stars, he recalled how important it was for him to play the nice red-haired Ron Weasley, alongside Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe. Since then, many things have happened in the life of the 33-year-old actor and, although it was difficult for him to get rid of the magician cape, the truth is that today Grint shines in the thriller of AppleTV+ Servant (which premieres its third season today), in which he plays the enigmatic Julian Pearce.
Servant tells the story of a young married couple (Dorothy and Sean Turner) who lose their newborn baby, situation for which the young mother loses her mind. On the therapist’s recommendation, they make him believe that his son is alive, replacing him with a doll. So they hire Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free), a strange nanny who plays the ‘child-rearing’ game, which also involves Dorothy’s brother Julian (Grint).
The English interpreter confesses that before auditioning for the series he was always an admirer of M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), who is currently in charge of directing Servant. “In fact, I had always been a fan of his,” he says. I didn’t have much information about the plot, I didn’t know very well what the story was about, but little by little I got involved with the initial script that was disturbing and with a director who was quite present. I think that has been crucial, it has been great to be part of this”, comments Rupert Grint via Zoom during a meeting with media from around the world, including La República.
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When asked how he has discovered himself as an actor throughout this new series, he replies, “I’m used to doing long-running characters. After Harry Potter, Servant is something that is familiar to me and I really enjoy it. It is a unique series, with a small group of people and the best thing is that nobody knows exactly where the story is going, we don’t know what the book says until a little before recording. Sometimes, it worries you, but it’s exciting, it’s a constant challenge to always be aware and aware”.
Perhaps because of that mystery he is talking about, it is that he does not dare to anticipate what could happen to Julian in this new season. “I don’t know what’s around the corner for my character and this love triangle that she’s in right now. The fragmentation of their relationship is going through a lot,” he says. “But Julian is an unpleasant person, quiet, money-oriented, a bit strange, snobbish, not very colorful and that makes him fun to play. And after doing it for three seasons, I already know him well. It’s interesting to find that the most vulnerable characters are also the most badass, half-lost, and heartbroken. I think now Julian is a little more of that guilt that he carries and he kind of feels like he’s responsible for the tragedy. It’s an interesting role,” adds Grint.
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In a recent interview you said that Julian was your dark side. What is the dark side of Rupert Grint?
We ask him and he replies with a laugh: “It’s not that I’m hiding something that big, but sometimes I wish I had something of the mystery of Julian. I think I have the potential to be more genuine.”
Away from the magic of Harry Potter and now involved in a plot in which the supernatural and terror prevail, Rupert confesses that he is not a big believer in these things. “I try not to think about it too much,” he says. However, he admits that during the filming of Servant he once heard clearly, within the static of a radio, that someone was asking him for help. “It was very strange.”
If you had a baby doll, how would you dress it?
It is a scary thought, but I would have to have a red wig, look exactly like me, ”replies the actor, who in 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, debuted as a father in real life.
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