Rupert Grint Says Filming ‘Harry Potter’ Was “Suffocating” & Questioned Continuing To Act After Saga Ended

Rupert Grint became a global star after starring in the film adaptations of the Harry Potter book series. The actor was only 11 years old when he was cast in the movies and was 22 years old by the time the film series ended.

Taking on the role of Ron Weasley was not easy and Grint recently said in an interview that he found filming “suffocating.”

“Potter was so full on — [filming] all year, then we’d promote the rest of the time. It was quite suffocating,” he told Bustle.

Grint also said that by the end of the Harry Potter saga he “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.”

The actor reflected on the similarities his fictional character had with him personally, including being part of a numerous family. At the time of his casting, Grint said that he “was feeling the difficulty of being seen, being overshadowed. In the movies, we merged into one. By the end of it, I was playing myself. The lines were blurred.”

Grint is grateful for the opportunities Harry Potter brought his way and knows that fans still remember him as Ron.

“I answer to it, if someone calls me Ron,” he said. “It’s my second name.”

Grint will next be seen in the apocalyptic psychological horror Knock at the Cabin. The actor reunites with Servant director M. Night Shyamalan. Based on the novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, Grint also co-stars wth Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui and Abby Quinn.