This is an opinion.
- Harry Potter star Rupert Grint made a name for himself playing Ron Weasley in the hit movie franchise.
- He made a $70 million-dollar fortune, but his acting career sputtered out like a faulty broom.
- Don’t feel sorry for Grint. He took his Hollywood millions and became a wizard in the U.K. housing market.
At the tender age of 12, Rupert Grint was plucked from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight as Harry Potter’s BFF Ron Weasley.
As we all know, the franchise was an enormous hit for everyone involved. Not only did it make household names out of the three main actors, but it made them rich beyond their wildest dreams.
By the time the last installment in the series hit theaters, Grint was a 23-year-old with over $70 million in the bank.
But, while being secure for life is something that most of us can only dream of, actors usually aren’t satisfied with the amount of dough they’ve got. Instead, it’s usual for stars to use platforms like Harry Potter as a springboard, moving on to bigger and better things.
Sadly for Grint, his career hit a wall harder than a muggle trying to get onto platform 9 and 3/4.
Since kissing goodbye to the Weasley family nine years ago, Grint has starred in just six unpopular movies. Three of which were only voice roles, so no one could see his famous ginger mop. His television career has fared slightly better but isn’t prolific by any means. Currently, Grint stars in Servant on Apple TV+.
So, what happened to the once bright-eyed son of Gryffindor? As an actor, is he about as malleable as a concrete block? Is he un-castable or just uninterested in Hollywood life?
Harry Potter Didn’t Last Forever
While Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe were busy riding the wave of their success after Harry Potter, Rupert Grint was doing something else altogether.
In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2014, the star explained his avante-garde approach to downtime.
My first ambition was to become an ice-cream man. I’ll drive around the local village and if I see some kids looking like they’re in need of ice creams, I’ll pull over and dish them out for free.
The locals weren’t that impressed with a faded child star creepily stalking their neighborhoods. In a hot minute, that dream was deader than Neville Longbottom in that alternate timeline. Instead, Grint decided to open Rigsy’s Guest House in Hereford, England.
Like many actors with too much money and not enough work, Grint had no idea what he was doing, and the hotel tanked four years later. Was anyone really surprised?
While Rupert decided to hop back into the entertainment world, he chose strange indie projects that were background noise in the industry. Watson was fast becoming a sought-after leading lady, while Radcliffe was doing alright for himself.
Grint, on the other hand, was coming up short with box office bombs and an appearance in an Ed Sheeran video. He went from one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars to a 20-something flailing around wondering what do with himself.
Luckily, what he lacks in acting prowess and likeability, Grint makes up for in being filthy rich. He had an ace in the hole.
Those That Can’t Do, Buy Real Estate
You know what they say – those that can’t do, go into real estate. Or, wizards that can’t act, leave Harry Potter and pour millions into a burgeoning property empire.
So, with little money coming in from acting jobs, Grint started to invest his money in the U.K. housing market.
A source told the Daily Mail that Grint is bringing in a “tidy sum” thanks to some savvy real estate purchases.
At present, Grint owns three houses in Hitch and Luton and multiple others across England, totaling over $30 million. With no hope of a career revival in sight, Grint has plenty of time to play the housing market and rake in the cash.
Money makes money. He might not have much in the way of talent, but he certainly has plenty of funds – and real estate. Really, what’s the difference?
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.