Rupert Grint wrote a letter to new Ron Weasley actor Alastair Stout

Rupert Grint recently told the BBC that he wrote new Ron Weasley actor Alastair Stout a letter before the child actor began production on HBO’s Harry Potter television series. Grint played Ron in the eight-film “Harry Potter” franchise from 2001 to 2011. In the reboot of HBO’s series, Stout will play the role of Ron, opposite fellow newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry and Arabella Stanton as Hermione.

“I wrote him a letter before they started, passing the baton, so to speak,” Grint said. “I actually just wished 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 kind of strange to see the cycle happening again. I’m really intrigued what it will be like.”

Grint acknowledged that there is “a little family resemblance” between himself and Stout, adding, “I love that it’s something completely new. It’s going to be its own thing, and I think that’ll be fun.”

Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the film franchise, similarly reached out to the actor who took over his iconic role. Radcliffe said on “Good Morning America” ​​earlier this month that he wrote a letter to McLaughlin and got a “really sweet note back.”

“I don’t want to be a ghost in these kids’ lives, 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,’” Radcliffe explained. “And I do, I just see these pictures of him and the other kids and I just want to hug them. They just look so young. I just look at them and say, ‘Oh, it’s crazy that I did that at that age.’ But it is also very sweet and I hope they have a great time.”

Grint told the BBC that even with a new Harry Potter adaptation on the way, he will still “never step out of Ron Weasley’s shadow.”

“That’s fine with me. I love it,” he said. “I love meeting people who really felt like this was part of their childhood… It has a pretty deep meaning for a lot of people in my generation, and even more so for generations who are discovering it now. It’s amazing. It gives me a lot of pride. It was such a big thing. I don’t think I’ll ever completely step out of its shadow, but that’s fine with me.”

Additionally, Grint has always been a proponent of new actors taking over the franchise. Speak with GQ Magazine UK in July 2023, before HBO announced the reboot of the Harry Potter series, Grint encouraged someone else to play Ron Weasley, adding, “I would love to see ‘Harry Potter’ adapted into a TV show. I think it would really work. I’m sure the films will be remade anyway.”

The Harry Potter series will debut on HBO and HBO Max in 2027.