Rupert Grint On “Harry Potter” Co-Stars (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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It’s almost surreal to think that more than two decades have passed since Rupert Grint first graced the big screen as the lovable, freckled Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series.
From an awkward yet fiercely loyal best friend to one of Hogwarts’ most courageous heroes, his journey alongside the bespectacled boy who lived was packed with magic, danger, and seven years of unforgettable chaos.
Rupert Grint’s Life Beyond Hogwarts
Since bidding farewell to the wizarding world in 2011, Grint, now 36, has carved out an impressive career beyond the walls of Hogwarts.
He’s shared the screen with Ron Perlman in the offbeat crime-comedy ‘Moonwalkers,’ delivered a chilling performance in the 2023 thriller ‘Knock at the Cabin,’ and even made an appearance in Guillermo del Toro’s eerie ‘Cabinet of Curiosities.’
However, one of his most notable roles post-Potter has been playing Julian Pearce in Servant, a psychological thriller on Apple TV+ produced by none other than M. Night Shyamalan.
Emma Watson’s ‘Self-Partnering’ and Tom Felton’s Take
While promoting Servant ahead of its 2019 debut, Grint found himself fielding questions about an unexpected topic and it concerned Emma Watson’s rumored love life.
At the time, Watson had been making headlines for coining the term ‘self-partnering’ in an interview with British Vogue, challenging the typical narratives around being single.
“I was like: ‘This is totally spiel.’ It took me a long time, but I’m very happy [being single]. I call it being self-partnered,” she explained.
However, later, her words resonated with many, including fellow Harry Potter alum Tom Felton, who later embraced the concept and admitted he too was ‘happily self-partnered’.
Did Sparks Fly Between Emma Watson and Tom Felton?
Grint, though, was asked a far more direct question: could he ever see Watson and Felton as a couple? His response? A knowing nod.
“There was always something, a little bit of a spark,” he admitted. “I don’t want to start anything.” When pressed about whether any other romances blossomed behind the scenes of Harry Potter, he said, “No, not really. It’s like any kind of playground romances.”
He then admitted he “didn’t have any sparks” with anyone behind the scenes.
Emma Warson and Tom Felton: A Bond That Transcends Romance
Over the years, Watson and Felton have remained close, fueling speculation with their undeniable chemistry. Watson herself has described their connection as one of the ‘purest loves’ she has ever known.
“You know that person in your life who makes you feel seen?” she wrote in the forward for the actor’s memoir, ‘Beyond the Wand: the Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.’ “That person who is somehow a witness to all that unfolds? That person who knows — really knows — what is happening to you and what you’re going through, without anything having to be said? For me, that person is Tom Felton.”
Felton, on the other hand, has openly acknowledged a ‘secret love’ for Watson, though he stops short of calling it romantic.
“I remember using the familiar old line: ‘I love her like a sister’,” he penned. “But there was more to it than that. I don’t think I was ever in love with Emma, but I loved and admired her as a person in a way that I could never explain to anybody else.”
Missing Their Moment?
Watson and Felton’s dynamic was once again put under the spotlight in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, where the actress insisted that their relationship had never crossed into romantic territory, despite what fans might hope. “We just love each other,” she said simply.
Felton, however, has left a little more room for interpretation. Reflecting on their bond, he admitted that their feelings for each other seemed to surface at different times.
