The Wizarding World has been entertaining the public for decades, extending from the original novels to theme parks, stage plays, and (of course) big screen blockbusters. The eight-film Harry Potter movies made household names out of its young cast, although it turns out that some of Hogwarts’ best thought about leaving their role behind. In fact, both Rupert Grint and Emma Watson recently admitted they mulled over quitting their roles in the magical franchise.
The original trio of Harry Potter heroes got dream jobs when the child actors landed their roles in the film adaptations. But they became insanely famous as a result, while also growing up in front of the public eye. And it turns out that this type of attention made the actors nervous about their future in the Wizarding World. As Emma Watson recently explained,
I think I was scared. I don't know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, ‘This is kind of forever now.’
Well, can you blame her? While Emma Watson has continued starring in major projects like Beauty and the Beast and Little Women, her name will always be synonymous with one Hermione Granger. Luckily for fans she ended up not departing the role, playing the beloved Gryffindor in all eight Harry Potter movies.
Emma Watson’s come from her upcoming appearance on HBO Max’s highly anticipated event Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts (via Comic Book). Fans can’t wait to see the cast of the movies reunite at Hogwarts, and share their memories years after the movies ended with The Deathly Hallows- Part 2. This type of reflection includes the moments where being a Wizard was a bit overwhelming for the young stars.
It turns out that Emma Watson wasn’t the only Harry Potter star who thought about departing the role in the midst of the movies. Ron Wesley himself aka Rupert Grint echoed the concerns of his co-star. As the Servant actor put it,
I also had sort of similar feelings to Emma, contemplating what life would be like if I called it a day. We never really spoke about it. I guess we were just going through it at our own pace, we were kind of in the moment at the time. It just didn't really occur to us that we were all probably kind of having similar feelings.
Fame can sometimes be a double-edged sword. And it turns out that the scheduling and notoriety of the Harry Potter films sometimes was draining for the actors. That includes those at the top of the call sheet like Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.
There’s no telling what other revelations will come from Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts when it arrives on HBO Max for the new year. Luckily the wait is nearly over, and we’ll be returning to those Hallowed Halls alongside nearly the full cast. Of course, there will be some exceptions including actors that have passed away like the great Alan Rickman.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts hits HBO Max on January 1st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
