The actor opens up about "Servant," his new baby, and a charmingly bizarre quarantine hobby.
Rupert Grint on Being a Dad: ‘I Wasn’t Prepared for This New Kind of Love’
I just want Rupert Grint to be happy.
As a star of the Harry Potter movies, Grint—alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson—gave us his childhood. Since I got to enjoy Harry Potter and have an uninterrupted childhood out of the spotlight, sometimes I wonder, a little guiltily, Are those guys, like, okay?
Of course, we know about Radcliffe. Despite having had an entire global franchise resting on his shoulders, he went on to become a respected actor and a shockingly nice and likable public figure. Watson, the only girl in the trio, could never escape the harsh scrutiny of the press but in spite of tremendous pressure and sexism, she became an A-list star and outspoken feminist leader.
But while Radcliffe’s and Watson’s personal lives have always been tabloid fodder, Grint has managed to stay surprisingly private. Grint was always the wildcard in the group—the ginger, the funny one, the kid who seemed perpetually surprised to find himself starring in a billion-dollar blockbuster. He has reflected positively on his time doing Harry Potter but also once described it as “a bit of a drag.” Radcliffe has elegantly spoken out about his sobriety; Watson has had to comment, absurdly, on the fact that having breasts does not make you less of a feminist. Meanwhile, the most personal fact I’ve ever read about Grint is that his childhood ambition was to become an ice cream man.
So I called him. And guess what? He’s doing absolutely fucking fantastic.
Currently you can see Grint in the hit series Servant, a thriller by M. Night Shyamalan in its second season on AppleTV+ for which he’s received stellar reviews. He plays a hot uncle, an American, guzzling wine in a luxurious brownstone with a kind of sweaty swagger.
And he’s deeply in love with his longtime partner, actor Georgia Groome. (Like him, Groome was a child star and the lead in a beloved book-to-film project—she starred in the British teen girl comedy classic Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging.) They have a new baby girl, Wednesday, who has overwhelmed them with joy.
I’m not alone in wishing happiness for the man who gave the world so many good gif(t)s. Such is the thirst for Rupert Grint content that when he posted on Instagram for the first time this fall, he became the fastest page, ever, to hit one million followers. He is now a Guiness Book of World Records holder, taking the title from Sir David Attenborough, who took it from Jennifer Aniston. Yes, Ron Weasley has formally defeated Rachel Green.
https://twitter.com/alwayschalamet/status/1349545110262996995So we invited him to answer our Inappropriate Questions, Glamour’s column that asks all the cheeky, slightly off-kilter stuff best saved for a second (or better yet, third) date. Come along as we learn about Grint’s bizarre quarantine hobbies, personal ice cream truck, and the celebrity he thinks is the “shining jewel in the ginger crown.”
AdvertisementGlamour: You follow fewer than 100 accounts on Instagram. I’m going to read you some of the names: Lindsay Lohan, Elmo, a sculptor named Wilfred, Guy Fieri, an egg sandwich restaurant in Philadelphia, and an account called MilfDad. Do you consider yourself a MILF dad?
Rupert Grint: MILF dad! I don’t even know what a MILF dad would be. I know MILF dad is a dad...and MILFDad is a clothing brand. But do I identify as a MILF dad? A DILF? Not really, no. I feel very comfortable being a dad. I am still kind of coming to terms with what being a dad is, but I’m loving it. I’m absolutely loving it.
Can you describe it? What does it feel like?
It’s so much fun. I feel like I’ve changed as a person for sure. It kind of happened overnight, lifestyle-wise. I stopped smoking straight away. I’ve started sleeping so much better—I used to be a horrific insomniac, now I’m sleeping. It’s interesting, experiencing it all during a pandemic. I think it’s made the whole experience even more intense and insular. It’s just been us, working it out in a house. I feel a lot more—I don't know, weirdly relaxed. It’s been a very calming process for me. Obviously there are days when she is FULL on. But there’s something really nice about the routine. It’s got me in a good place, I think.
You’re starring in a TV show that’s about an incredibly creepy and upsetting situation with a baby, and you have a newborn. How did you deal with that?
It probably is the worst show to be a part of when you’ve just become a dad. [Laughs.] We were filming it while Georgia was pregnant. The whole story of the show is this tragic loss of a child, and you’re surrounded by this baby stuff, and obviously the doll is horrific. So yeah, it wasn’t the most relaxed place to be. But it’s given me a new insight into the psychology of losing a child and what that means and how powerful that love is. It’s something I wasn’t prepared for. It’s a whole new kind of love, which is kind of terrifying.
So. Jumping right off of that, you’re an incredibly famous ginger.
Yeah?
Do you feel pressure on behalf of your kind to be a ginger sex symbol?
No! [Laughs.] I’ve never really thought about it. But you’re right, there aren’t a lot of us. I feel like when Harry Potter first started, there weren’t many. Maybe like—God, I can’t even name them. Damien Lewis from Homeland! He’s the shining jewel in the ginger…crown. But no, I’ve always enjoyed it. I’ve always enjoyed anything that makes you stand out.
I’m a huge fan of your partner, Georgia Groome. You two keep your relationship pretty private. Can you share a hint about what’s made your relationship work well long-term?
It’s a very natural thing—we’re just best friends. We’re kind of the same person; we think the same way. That’s always made it work—that’s why it’s lasted. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but it works and it’s great.
Wow, even during quarantine, and quarantine with a baby?
Yeah, it’s been tough. It’s a time when you want as much support as you can get from your family and your friends; it’s a very isolating thing, this lockdown, so we really have kind of been on our own. But there’s positives with that. It’s been great to work everything out for ourselves, without so many opinions. We’ve really bonded with Wednesday. It’s been intense, but great.
AdvertisementHave you taken up any weird quarantine hobbies?
I’ve started miniature pottery—it’s like a tiny potter’s wheel, but you just use your fingertips and spin clay. I’ve made tiny vases. I got obsessed. It’s the most therapeutic thing, but they’re completely useless.
Why…why?
Pottery has always been something I’ve liked the look of—spinning on a wheel. On a miniature scale, it’s even better. It’s very delicate, very precise movements of the finger. I recommend it.
The main fun fact I remember reading about you growing up was that you bought an ice cream truck. Do you still have it?
That really traveled, that one. The truck is doing well! It hasn’t seen the light of day in a long time, I must admit. The last time I used it was the last day of shooting Potter—I took it to set and served ice creams for the crew. I haven’t been out in it since, it’s just been stored away. That was a time in my life where I was…I guess my childhood had been somewhat—I don’t know how to say it—kind of taken over, I guess, with Potter. I guess I was trying to find my inner child more, so I did more extravagant things. Now I’ve left the mad things. I’m just a dad.
Knowing what you know now, would you ever let Wednesday take on a role like the one you took in Harry Potter?
When I did it, my family didn’t really know what that meant, the kind of sacrifices you do make and the consequences it has on your life. No one really knew the scale at which the films would reach. You do sacrifice a lot. Your anonymity is something you really do take for granted, and I wouldn’t want her to give that up lightly. But I think I would, yeah—I had a great experience, and I have no regrets. I would want her to do what she wants, but I think I’d be a real stage mum.
Maybe it’s the hair, or the ice cream truck, but people seem to think of you as a little bit weird and really love and connect to that. Do you think of yourself as quirky or weird?
I’ve always enjoyed being different. I'm one of those people who gets obsessed with things—I’ve gone through a load of weird hobbies. At the moment it is this pottery, but before that I was carving crayons.
What is the most inappropriate thing a fan has ever said to you?
There’s a whole genre of Harry Potter innuendo and puns. I remember at the premieres there was a sign that was like….“Take me”? I don’t remember. Something about “your Chamber of Secrets.”
Like, “You can slither-in to MY chamber of secrets.” Or “I’d get sleazy for Ron Weasley.”
The fans are amazing. I’ve always loved interacting with the Harry Potter fans. They’re a very specific type of person, I think. They’re quite intense. They’re pretty wild.
Once you and your family are vaccinated and it’s safe to stop social distancing in the U.K., what do you think you’ll do first?
I’d love to take Wednesday out. She hasn’t really seen anything yet. Now she’s at an age where she can see things and react to them. I’d love to take her…anywhere. Anywhere that’s not the inside of this house. Maybe the beach. She’s never seen the sea. I’d take her to the pub as well. Can’t wait to go back to pubs.
Jenny Singer is a staff-writer for Glamour. You can follow her on Twitter.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Jenny Singer
