Harry Potter star says playing Ron was 'suffocating' and 'competitive' at times

The public sentiment surrounding the Wizarding World franchise has certainly changed in recent years and yet, the franchise’s popularity remains somewhat unwavering. Your feelings may no longer be what they once were, but many of us spent our childhoods hoping that one day we’d be able to go to Hogwarts.

Soon, fans will have that option - virtually at least. Upcoming release Hogwarts Legacy allows players to finally live out their wizarding dream of attending Hogwarts. Unfortunately though, J. K. Rowling’s transphobic comments have tainted the franchise for many. In fact, plenty of people plan on boycotting Hogwarts Legacy to show their support for trans rights. One person who knows all about what it’s like to attend Hogwarts is Ron Weasley actor Rupert Grint, although he claims the experience wasn’t always as magical as it perhaps seemed.

Take a look at the latest cinematic trailer for Hogwarts Legacy below.

In an interview with Bustle, Grunt explained that the experience could oftentimes be “suffocating” and “competitive.” He said, “Potter was so full on - [filming] all year, then we’d promote the rest of the time. It was quite suffocating. I wanted a break, to reflect on everything ... It was an out-of-body experience for a while, but I think we finished at the right time. If we continued, it could’ve gone downhill.” Previously, Emma Watson spoke out about how she almost departed from the franchise after she also found herself feeling overwhelmed.

Grint went on to add that there was a “competitive element” as the media would compare the actor to his Harry Potter co-stars. He later added, “[Being in Harry Potter] was a really unique experience only us core group really know, so it’s nice to see them. It was a good opportunity to reflect on everything [for the HBO reunion] and just say how crazy it was. It’s always nice to look back.”

There are actually no Wizarding World films officially in production right now. Fantastic Beasts should’ve received a further two instalments. The only issue is the third film, The Secrets of Dumbledore, performed so badly that it looks like the series may have been canned for good.