Rupert Grint talks excessive “Potter” wealth and the pressures of Broadway
It’s Only a Play, Rupert Grint’s Broadway debut, has been on stage for over a month now, and Rupert has been making the interview rounds. He recently spoke with the Mirror about a wide range of topics, from growing up with the fame and fortune of the Harry Potter series, to the pressures of being a newcomer to Broadway.
Rupert calls the amount of money he earned from Potter “kind of ridiculous” and admits he earned enough to never have to work again. It’s estimated that both he and Emma Watson earned about £25 million each for the eight Harry Potter films, but Rupert says he doesn’t know the exact amount.
It was kind of ridiculous what we got. And I must admit I don’t actually know how much I earned – the exact number. I’ve always known it was kinda ‘there’, and I’ve got quite an active involvement in stuff like that now, but I don’t really know the exact figures. And I’ve never really wanted to.
Because of his celebrity status while growing up, Rupert struggled to determine which of his relationships were genuine and which people were only interested in his money.
It was a tricky thing. You’d always worry whether it was a genuine thing – and I think that goes with any kind of relationship, even friendships. It took me a while to figure out whether someone was genuine or they had ulterior motives.
Since Potter, Rupert has of course taken on a variety of film roles, including Postman Pat, CBGB, and Charlie Countryman. His stage debut was last year in Mojo on London’s West End.
Rupert can now be seen on Broadway in It’s Only a Play, starring alongside such big names as Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, and Megan Mullally. He admits he feels the weight of expectation from being on such a big stage.
I do feel under pressure. I feel like I’ve got quite a bit to prove. I am out of my comfort zone here and am the least experienced out of everyone on stage.
During the first few days in rehearsals I was really intimidated because it’s quite a group of people. But there are no big egos. Being on stage is a real team thing, and everyone has been great, really cool. I just feel really lucky to be a part of it.
When asked how he relaxes, Rupert says he enjoys drawing and would even like to go into animation in the future. He also has some newly developed pre-show rituals.
I blow bubbles. You know – those little pots of bubbles you got as a kid. Blowing bubbles is just the most relaxing thing before a show. My character also wears a lot of make-up, so putting my eyeliner – or guyliner – on has become a bit of a ritual too. I’m getting quite good at it.
Click here to read the full interview.
What do you think of Rupert’s comments? Have you seen It’s Only a Play, or are you planning to see it?
