Actor Rupert Grint has reached out to the new young Harry Potter actor who will play Ron Weasley in the new television show.
Back in 2023, HBO and Warner Bros. announced that the Harry Potter books were being adapted into a TV series that would span a decade. In late May this year, the series announced that it had officially cast its Harry, Ron and Hermione.
Young newcomer Dominic McLaughlin is set to play Harry, with Arabella Stanton portraying Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout taking on the role of Ron Weasley. They were the successful applicants from a pool of over 30,000 after an open casting call last year. The series is set to premiere sometime in 2027.
Now, Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the films from 2001-2011, has revealed that he reached out to Stout ahead of his appearance in the show.
As per the BBC, Grint explained: “I wrote him a letter before they started, passing the baton as it were. It was really just wishing him all the best with it. I had so much fun stepping into this world, and I hope he has the same experience…
“It’s quite strange to have the cycle happening again. I’m really intrigued what it’s going to be like. I think it’s great that it’s a whole new thing. It’s going to be its own thing, and I think that will be fun.”
He continued: “I’ll never, never step out of Ron Weasley’s shadow. I’m fine with that. I think it’s great. I love meeting people who really felt this was part of their childhood…It has a quite deep meaning to a lot of people of my generation, and even more to generations who are finding it now. It’s great. It gives me a lot of pride. It was such a huge thing. I don’t think I’ll ever quite step out of his shadow, but I’m fine with that.”
It comes after Daniel Radcliffe also revealed that he too wrote a letter to incoming Harry Potter star McLaughlin.
The actor recently revealed on Good Morning America that he reached out to McLauglin to offer his support. Speaking on the upcoming adaptation, Radcliffe shared: “I wouldn’t say that anyone who is going to play Harry has to [reach out to me], but I know a few people working on the production. I wrote to Dominic and sent him a letter and he sent me a very sweet note back.”
He continued: “I don’t want to be a spectre in the life of these children but I just wanted to write to him to say, ‘I hope you have the best time, and an even better time than I did — I had a great time, but I hope you have an even better time.’”
“And I do, I just see these pictures of him and the other kids and I just want to hug them. They just seem so young. I just look at them and say, ‘Oh it’s crazy I was doing that at that age.’ But it’s also incredibly sweet and I hope they’re having a great time.”
The young actors join John Lithgow in the Harry Potter cast, who will be taking on the role of Albus Dumbledore, while Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape. Janet McTeer has been cast as Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost will play Rubeus Hagrid.
Recently, Warwick Davis was confirmed to return to the franchise, reprising the role of Professor Filius Flitwick that he played in the films. His former co-star, Jason Isaacs, also spoke up for Essiedu as Snape, condemning “racists” who objected to the actor’s casting.