Rupert Grint says he’s long accepted that Ron Weasley will always be a defining part of his life, and he’s perfectly at peace with that. The actor spoke to the BBC about HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series and revealed that he reached out personally to the franchise’s new Ron, Alastair Stout.

Grint shared that he wrote Stout a letter before filming began, offering encouragement as the young actor steps into the role that changed his own life at age 11. “I wrote him a letter passing the baton, really,” he said. “It was just wishing him the best. I had an amazing time stepping into this world, and I hope he gets to feel that too.”

Seeing a new generation step into Hogwarts brought back vivid memories of his own casting alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. “When the new actors were announced, it took me straight back. I remember every second of that time,” he said. The idea of rebooting the series excites him: “It’s great that it’s a whole new thing… It’ll be its own version, and that’ll be fun.”

Grint also admitted that Ron is a character he doesn’t expect to leave behind completely. “I don’t think I’ll ever fully step out of his shadow, but that’s fine with me,” he said. The films continue to mean a great deal to fans around the world, and he still feels a sense of pride in being part of that legacy. “It has such deep meaning for so many people — even for new generations discovering it now. I love that.”

Since the film series ended in 2011, Grint has taken on varied roles, including the wartime drama Into the White and Apple TV+'s psychological thriller Servant, continuing to build a career that extends far beyond the walls of Hogwarts – even if Ron Weasley will always walk beside him.