Young British actor Rupert Michael Grint was born on 24 August, 1988, to Nigel and Jo Grint, a racing car memorabilia dealer and homemaker respectively. Rupert is the eldest of five children; two boys and three girls.

Harry Potter - Rupert's Acting Break

Rupert's acting break came in the year 2000 when he heard that a film of the Harry Potter books was going to be made. Rupert loved Harry Potter and had always wanted to be an actor. He had been attending an after-school drama class for two years, and had appeared in many school plays. He had played the title role in Rumpelstiltskin and Rooster in Annie. However he had done no professional acting.

Rupert felt he was similar to an important character in the Harry Potter books, Ronald Weasley. He said:

Well when I was reading the books, I always thought I could relate to Ron because we both got red hair, we both like sweets, both scared of spiders, and we both got lots of brothers and sisters.

When watching CBBC Newsround one day, he heard a plea from the Casting Director, looking for people to audition for the Harry Potter film. He sent in a CV and photo of himself, but received no reply. He then decided to send in a video of himself as he had heard that other children were doing this.

To promote himself for the role of Ron in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he dressed up as his female drama teacher and sang a rap song about how he would be good for the role of Ron. His mother taped it. 'It was a bit dodgy,' Rupert has said, 'but it worked.'. Rupert was called in for auditions, and he won the role of Ron.

When Rupert was told he had the part of Ron, he was with Emma Watson, who was told at the same time that she had won the part of Hermione. Ron and Hermione are the two best friends of the main character, Harry. Daniel Radcliffe was chosen to play Harry. All three young actors became good friends.

The role of Ron was very amusing in the Harry Potter film. Rupert had many funny lines to say. His facial expressions impressed audiences. Rupert has since said that he's keen on comedies - both watching them and acting in them - and that he manages to make people laugh at school.

His favourite scene to film in the first Harry Potter film was the Chess Scene - where Ron takes over and is the star. In the second film, he enjoyed spitting out fake slugs - he got to taste the lovely flavoured goo that went with them!

Rupert gathered many fans after Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released. He is regularly recognised on the streets. He says he has tried disguises when he goes out, but they rarely work.

Thunderpants

Unlike Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, Rupert went on to make another film after Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. He starred in Thunderpants, filmed between Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Thunderpants is a comedy about a boy with a flatulence problem. Rupert has his hair permed and wears glasses and false teeth for his role in Thunderpants. Rupert was not keen on the perm at all, and was glad when it came out. 'It took four hours.' he said of the perm.

Rupert played Alan A Allen, the best friend of Patrick Smash (Bruce Cook) who constantly farts. Fortunately Alan has no sense of smell. He loves inventing things, and designs something called the 'Thunderpants' to stop Patrick's farts.

Thunderpants was released in the UK and some cinemas in Australia, and may now be released in the USA.

Rupert's Life

When he's not acting in films, Rupert attends school in Hertfordshire. He is learning the guitar and loves to listen to rap music. In 2003 he was involved in filming the third instalment in the Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In 2004, Mike Newell, director of the fourth adaptation, Goblet of Fire, expressed his hopes that Rupert and his castmates would be able to appear in all seven films. Rupert himself has said he would love to be in all of them, although he's not so keen on having an on-screen romance with Emma Watson: 'Kill me before I kiss Hermione!'