Rupert Grint on ‘Harry Potter,’ that kiss and the end of an era

The look on Rupert Grint's face is priceless.

Sitting for an interview only a few steps away from the set of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Leavesden Studios near London, Grint practically blushes when he's asked the inevitable question: How tricky was it to pull off the long-awaited kiss between Ron Weasley (Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) _ the evolution of whose relationship has been one of the most fervent fascinations of Harry Potter fans ever since J.K. Rowling first introduced the characters 15 years ago _ especially since he and Watson have been friends since childhood, and in the course of a decade of Harry Potter films have come to feel like brother and sister?
"I was really worried about that, because it just felt like it was wrong," Grint admits, shrugging uncomfortably. "But once we were on set, (director) David Yates was really good about it. He gave us a long chat before we did it, and it was fine. It was kind of a fuss over nothing. We just did it, and there weren't that many takes. It was over pretty quick, too. It was ... nice."
OK, but did Grint at least review the shot on the monitor?
"Emma has," the actor replies. "I haven't. I think I'll just wait until it comes out."
Scheduled to open worldwide on Nov. 19, Part I of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" sets the stage for the ultimate showdown between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Much of the first part is devoted to following Harry, Ron and Hermione as they race the clock to destroy the seven horcruxes _ mystical talismans containing fragments of Voldemort's essence _ that Voldemort needs to gather in order to reign supreme. To do so, they have to keep a few steps ahead of Voldemort's merciless Death Eaters, not to mention avoiding He Who Must Not Be Named himself.
The fact that the film is being released in two halves is new, Grint says, but in a way it makes sense. The two parts are quite different in tone and structure _ which was less apparent to the actors, since they shot both films at the same time, with the scenes done out of order to reflect the needs of production. The fact that most of Part I takes place outdoors changed the feel of those scenes, however.

"It's quite confusing, because they're all intertwined," Grint says. "Part I has a very different feel from any other Harry Potter film, because we're out of Hogwarts, because nowhere is safe. That's the feeling.
"The locations were all relatively close to the studio," he continues, "but they were random places, like in the forest and in some fields and in tents. It was quite fun, because you kind of felt like you were on the run. And me and Dan are looking pretty rough, because we have stubble and long hair."
Grint was 12 when he first started shooting "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), and will be a month shy of 23 when "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II" arrives in theaters on July 15. He has grown from a redheaded urchin into a burly, broad-shouldered youth, and Leavesden Studios, an hour-plus outside of London, has been his home away from home for more than a decade.
But change is very much in the wind for Grint, who already has been more active on the film front than his co-stars Radcliffe and Watson: Between Harry Potter episodes, he has starred in "Driving Lessons" (2006), with Laura Linney and Julie Walters, and also has played supporting roles in "Thunderpants" (2002), "Cherrybomb" (2009) and the current "Wild Target."
It feels very different, however, going from doing other films as side projects to saying farewell to Ron for good.
"I'm looking forward to moving away from this and to seeing what's out there," Grint says, "because it has been like half my life. I've loved every minute of it, but I'm ready to move on now. But I'm definitely going to miss it, because of all the people I've come to love over the years, and it's been great fun."
He'll even admit to a certain nervousness about leaving the cocoon for good.
"Yes, because it's kind of stepping out into the real world," Grint says. "This is kind of a safe place, so it's going to be strange, but I got a feel for it because I did two other independent films. That was completely a different world, so it was nice to have that experience, and I think I'm ready."
The combined budgets of "Cherrybomb" and "Wild Target" probably fell short of the dollars spent in a few days on a Harry Potter film _ a reality to which, Grint concedes, it took him a little while to adjust.
"It was really culture shock," he says. "Everything was different, just the kind of pace they worked at. I was doing 10 scenes a day on `Cherrybomb,' and it was so quick. We finished that in four weeks, which is like the average big scene for a Harry Potter film. But it was really fun. I kind of enjoyed it. `Cherrybomb' and `Wild Target,' they were both quite quick, six weeks or four weeks, but it was a good experience."
Most likely Grint will never again play Ron, but he's at peace with the idea of leaving his signature role behind _ in part, he says, because he'll be taking Ron with him.
"I think we've merged into one person," Grint says. "It's weird, I suppose. I'd like to think that I'm a little braver, but in this one he does step up and become more of a hero."