Rupert Grint with Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince there is plenty of Quidditch for Ron...

Yeah, I’ve never done Quidditch in the films before, so this is my first Quidditch experience. Dan (Daniel Radcliffe) says it’s really painful and I know where he’s coming from because it’s quite uncomfortable, with the harness and stuff, and you’re getting slung about. There are two stages. One is the try-outs where Ron is not very good and keeps getting hit in the face. Another stage is where Ron takes the potion and thinks he is really, really good. It’s quite tricky but I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m always on a wire because the broom is quite high up, about 18 feet.

You are in great shape but are you naturally athletic?

Not really. The only sport I do is a bit of golf, really. Apart from that, I’m lazy so I’ve had to do a bit of training.

Was getting into the flow of things for Half-Blood Prince almost like coming back to school?

Each film is a little bit different, but it is a lot like coming back to school. It’s the same people you’ve worked with and we’re never away that long anyway. It’s easy to get back into the routine.

Rupert at the New York premiere of The Half-Blood Prince

Do you keep in touch with the rest of the cast between films?

I usually try to, but we’re always quite busy, to be honest. I see the twins (James and Oliver Phelps who play Fred and George Weasley) quite a bit, because I play golf with them. I usually win. I’m not bad and I have a handicap of 12.

There is a lot of kissing in this movie...

Yeah, and Ron gets a girlfriend in this one. When we did the kissing sequence, it wasn’t easy because I’m standing on a plinth and the whole room is watching. It was quite embarrassing and I was actually dreading it. It was weird and the girl (Jessie Cave) who plays my girlfriend (Lavender Brown) is really cool. It was fine after the first 10 takes. (Laughs.)

Did you get the last book sent to you?

I didn’t get it any earlier than anyone else. I got it the day it came out and was quite keen to see what happened, especially since there was so much hype about it. I was quite happy with the ending.

Since the films have been such a huge part of your life it must seem strange that it’s all going to come to an end soon?

Sure. It’s quite sad because it’s been a massive part of my life. It’s hard to get my head around something that will have taken up 10 years of my life when it’s finished.

How do you feel when, for instance, you catch the early films on TV?

I haven’t watched the films all the way through for ages but I’ve seen bits and pieces on Sky. It feels like a different person, to be honest; it feels like it all happened ages ago. It brings back a lot of good memories because it was all a good life and it brings back all those exciting times to me. I had barely done a school play before I started so it was very scary in those early films. I never thought of it as a serious thing. It was all just fun for me back then.

Have you ever got used to all the attention that comes with the success of the films?

I’ve gradually got used to it over the years. It’s more apparent when the films come out. It’s strange when people come up to you. People are always really nice, though. It’s never really gangs of people; it’s usually one or two who come over. I don’t mind that at all. Once, I was in Thank God It’s Friday and a guy with a camera happened to be there. That was the only time I had any paparazzi, as such.

Do you ever get called Ron?

People always call me Ron, especially the younger kids. My little cousins actually think I’m magic!

What’s the one thing you’ve most enjoyed?

The chance to travel, especially that trip we made to Japan. It was a really different, a really cool experience.

Aren’t there loads of Harry Potter fans in Japan?

Yeah. I get a lot of gifts from Japan, especially pyjamas, but they’re very cool. We had to learn a few words in Japanese but I can’t remember them. I’m not very good at languages. It was embarrassing when we went to Paris because Emma (Watson) is very good at French and I was stumbling over my few words.

Does being a movie star help overcome shyness?

I’ve always been a bit shy, but I do feel more confident now, yeah.

After the eighth film is done, do you want to carry on acting?

I’d like to because I really enjoy it. When this is over I’ll see what happens. I enjoyed working on small movies like Driving Lessons, so maybe more stuff like that would be nice.

When you are not on camera, how do you guys unwind?

Table tennis is a big thing; me and Dan are getting very good at it. I have a table in my dressing room and we play every day. It’s quite even because Dan has improved a lot. He has a really good serve. We’re at a professional level now. (Laughs.)

What about Emma?

She’s at a different level to us so there’s no point in playing with her. She just embarrasses us.

Was there ever any chance that you wouldn’t come back for this sixth film?

For me, there was no doubt. So long as they wanted me, I was coming back to do it. I really enjoy doing this and it’s really cool.

What do/don’t you like about Rupert as Ron? Tell t2@abpmail.com