The global pandemic has drastically changed the way we're all living day to day. There's a lot that we can't do right now that used to be so normal we didn't even think about it. And when we can go out in the world, we're all wearing masks. While most are more than happy to take this minor step, I doubt anybody is particularly happy about having to wear a mask outside all the time. However, there is one group that might actually be enjoying the new requirement, celebrities who no longer are getting recognized everywhere they go. Harry Potter's Rupert Grint admits that he's enjoying his newfound anonymity.
Rupert Grint isn't exactly a superstar like a Tom Cruise or a Robert Downey Jr., but he did have a key role in one of the most popular modern film franchises, based on equally popular literature series, so he's somebody that people are going to be recognizing on the streets for probably the rest of his life. Grint recently spoke with The Times in the U.K. and he said that, while he doesn't mind being recognized and is happy to take a picture with fans whenever possible, he seems to be quite happy that lockdown is giving him a break. According to Grint...
I'm eternally grateful to the Potter fans and never refuse a selfie, but I do sometimes miss my anonymity. At least lockdown allowed me to wear a mask. I did think of having one done with Dan's face on it.
A Daniel Radcliffe mask is certainly an interesting idea. On the one hand, Rupert Grint doesn't exactly resemble the Harry Potter star, and that would be pretty obvious to anybody, even in the mask. This would probably make people laugh and get them to focus on the mask rather than him. At the same time, the mask might draw enough attention that people would eventually look at him a little closer, which could end up resulting in people recognizing him after all.
If Rupert Grint really never refuses a selfie with Harry Potter fans than the man has earned a bit of a rest. While a few diehard fans might end up walking right past him without ever realizing it, and might therefore lose their chance at a picture, they'll never know it. And sometimes even famous actors just need to go grocery shopping in peace.
Rupert Grint probably isn't the only celebrity who's enjoying the anonymity that a face covering allows. What works for him likely works just as well for any famous person. Perhaps, if the west starts to adopt the occasional use of masks the way eastern cultures have, famous people can continue to wear masks if they ever want to go out and avoid the public eye.
