Perhaps no character in the Harry Potter universe came as far as Ron Weasley. Harry was always heroic, and Hermione was brilliant from the get-go, but Ron began as the designated doofus — J.K. Rowling’s veritable red-headed stepchild. Of course, Ron’s journey becomes as essential as any in the battle against Voldemort, and Rupert Grint has successfully managed to show every side of Ron through the years, from slack-jawed goober to romantic hero.
After 10 years at Hogwarts, Grint talked to Empire about saying goodbye: “The sadness didn’t really hit me until the last day,” said the 22-year-old. “I find it hard to remember life before [Potter] really. [The end] still hasn’t really sunk in, I think. I don’t think it will for a while.”
As for the actual crumbling of the world around Ron and his friends, Grint confirmed the gloomy timbre of the final Potter film. “These sets, they did actually destroy them,” he said. “Seeing the Great Hall… The place had become quite a familiar one in our lives; we’d spent a lot of time there. And now it’s on fire. There are dead bodies, dead children everywhere. It’s really dark.”
Do you prefer the Ron Weasley we’re about to see July 15? Or do you have a soft sport for Sorcerer’s Stone Rupert Grint? Which film boasted your favorite Ron?
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The Ron that was truest to the book was in Order of the Phoenix. Which, incidentally, was the only film not written by Steve Kloves.
THIS!!! Kloves ruined the movies with his horrible screenwriting. J is totally correct in this remark
Rupert Grint seems like the best actor of the bunch, but Neville was the character that came the farthest in canon
He did not ruin the movies. Stop being dramatic.
Crazy Ron fans always confuse me. What exactly do they think he’s like when they read the books? I don’t understand it. In the books, Ron is always the one whose more frightened out of the trio when it comes to the tasks that they complete. Ron is always the one complaining about something. Ron is ALWAYS the one being immature. Yes, he’s hot tempered. Yes, he’s light-hearted and funny. Yes, he’s the easiest character in the entire series to like, especially if you don’t think about it too much. But I don’t see how people can say none of that was portrayed in the films. He starts out just as immature as he is in the books and then stays immature until movie 7…just like the books. Even JK Rowling, the author, has said this.
The Ron in the books is used as comic relief too. He loves his friends, but in terms of loyalty, Ron’s is not as cemented as Hermione’s. This is why he’s at conflict with either Harry or Hermione in almost every book.
That Ron is not loyal?! are you kidding me. There is a reason why his patronus is a dog. And that he is immature, aren’t we all? And yeah he is frighthed but he stays there, that’s loyal. Or have people forgetten that in the book he fallows the spiders even though he was completely terrified about them. Sometimes people don’t get the Ron character and barely see him over the surface. Harry and Hermione were immature some time or the other too because is what kids do, is normal. Yeah I admit that Ron was more immature but we all have friends like that. And besides without Ron the trio would be really laking because Harry in the books always felt more at ease with Ron, as the character in some way or the other said so himself. And that is what they don’t show in the movies. The relantionship between Harry and Ron was never shown as deep as in the books and that always bothered me. But they still showed a lot more scenes with Hermione and Harry as if they were the most close friends. Is not that I hate Harry and Hermione, god no!! but is the truth. Ron and Harry sometimes don’t even look as BFF in the movies, And that is fail, sorry.
I didn’t say Ron wasn’t brave. He’s definitely brave or he wouldn’t be in Gryffindor. I’m just saying the character has flaws just like all the others and those flaws are portrayed in the films.
And I agree, without Ron, everything is cold and too serious. He’s very much needed in the trio. He’s the heart of the trio.
And I think Ron and Harry’s friendship is portrayed very well in the films. There are a lot of little moments that aren’t there, like them not playing chess together all the time, but the joking around and brotherly bond is very much there. With Harry and Hermione, their friendship is more serious. Sometimes Hermione is even like a mother to him in ways. It’s two completely different relationships. The same goes for the Ron-Hermione relationship.
The thing about Movie-Ron is that his flaws were exaggerated and his his good qualities played down. One of my favorite Ron moments was when he stood up to Sirius Black on a broken leg telling him that he would have to kill him to get to Harry. What did Kloves do? Make Ron whimper and stutter like an idiot. Why? I have absolutely no idea. No wait I know Kloves fav character is Hermione so he gave her Ron’s defining moments and lines and left Ron with pretty much nothing. He gave Hermione the friendship with Harry that Ron had too.
If Ron really was the scaredy cat of the Trio he would have hid behind his pure blood status. Did he? No? His entire family is out in the open in the wizarding world. Had a sister in the Death eater run Hogwarts and a brother and his Father in the Voldemort run ministry. Did he still help Harry? Yes. Ron spent how long wandering around alone with snachers about trying to get back to get friends. Back to a friend who pretty much told he he wasn’t wanted. ‘cus lets not forget the idea of Ron leaving came from Harry not Ron, and Harry had to tell him 3 time to leave before he did. Us crazy Ron fans have a reason to be crazy about him. And all the reason in the world to hate Kloves for what he did to Ron in the movies.
totally agree with everything Pynki said =)
Totally agree. Kloves didn’t do Ron’s character justice.
casting director didnt do Hermione justice, Emma Watson was too pretty to be hermione
Unfortunately, actresses must be above average looking to play ugly.
Hermione is pretty in the books too. It’s said several times throughout the series.
Love Ron, but Neville was the character in the Harry Potter universe that came the most far.
Word. I completely agree. There are defintely a few scenes that show his growth not just as a wizard (which was huge) but also his growth as a compassionate human being. Ah Neville, the true unsung hero. I think that Ron is played as a putz through the entire movie series, he has some very noble and courageous moments that are kind of cut from the movies (fighting the death eaters in book 6). I think Ron is a very improved character but Neville is even more so.
exactly
Yeah I was about to say the same thing.
That is the first thing I thought when I saw the lead in to this post. Yes, Ron came a long way, but his loyalty and courage was always there, even if it was overshadowed by H&H in the earlier books/movies (remember, it was Ron who played a chess game of a lifetime in Sorcerors Stone). Neville, however, well, he really is the one right? The one who was an after thought at the outset, someone who was there, was poked fun at a little bit, and not really taken too seriously. He’s the one at the end who steps forward when you least expected it, but in looking back you can see those changes throghout the series.
I agree. Definitely Neville and also Dumbledore if you think about it.
Dumbledore is this seemingly un-flawed, wise, all knowledgeable character throughout the whole series. But then in the last two books, you come to realize just how flawed Dumbledore is. He had also seemed so un-touchable, so when he dies, it’s truly shocking.
Ron certainly grows, but I wholeheartedly agree it’s Neville who gets the prize: his character wasn’t just revealed to be very different, but grew from the kid that was always picked on into being someone who, if Voldemort had picked him, would’ve risen to the challenge as the boy who lived.
I’ve always felt that Ron was the largest and yet most relatable arc of any character in the series, both in the books and movies. Rupert did an extraordinary job in all of them, but his turn in DH1 was by far the most impressive. The scene where he is watching Hermione at the piano – swoon. That being said, I always cry when he sacrifices himself during the chess game during Sorcerer’s Stone (book and movie) – in that moment alone, he showed himself as a true Griffindor.
Excuse my terrible gaffe: I meant “Gryffindor”.
I think he did a fantastic job throughout the entire series but the one movie where his performance really stands out for me is in Azkaban. His paranoia about Hermione just appearing during their lessons was hilarious but he also captured irritable/sarcastic over the death of his rat due to Crookshanks.
Can I just say that on a totally different HP arc, am I the only one that thinks that the 2nd guy to play Dumbledore played him like a real jerk? Book Dumbledore was compassionate and kind and always had a twinkle in his eye, 2nd movie Dumbledor is harsh and cruel and always yelling at and commanding Harry. Maybe I’m just crazy? Who knows.
I hate his performance. It’s also annoying that he never read the books and seems somewhat ignorant about his own character.
Adalynn, you are NOT crazy! He was not Dumbledore at all. You should listen to the MuggleCasters. They’ve been complaining about Gambon for years. I don’t blame Gambon (though he admitted he never read the books) nearly as much as Kloves. He’s also the one, as many have said above, who reduced Ron to comic relief. Thankfully, both characters expanded a bit in HBP and Ron (and Rupert!!) lit it up in DH1.
Ehh, I disagree. I actually prefer Michael Gambon (the 2nd Dumbledore). He was definitely not harsh or cruel in Half-Blood Prince. He was fantastic.
I agree. Gambon is certainly a great actor, but he has been playing Dumbledore WRONG and I don’t understand why no one told him exactly what you said, that Dumbledore is compassionate and kind and always had a twinkle in his eye. That’s a perfect description of Dumbledore. Even when he was being a badass, he did it kindly and with that twinkle. I’m certainly sad that Richard Harris passed on because it’s always sad when someone dies, but I’m doubly sad because it meant we never got to see him play Dumbledore any more, and I really liked his Dumbledore. And I didn’t realize Gambon didn’t bother to read the books. That’s really irritating. They’re fun books; it’s not a difficult assignment to at least skim them when you’re preparing to take on the role of a hugely beloved literary character.
I totally agree with you. When he comes up to Harry after his name popped out of the Goblet of Fire was so very wrong. You never felt his worry and concern over Harry that was in the books. Michael Gabon was a horrible replacement for Richard Harris.
So did you not feel his worry or concern over Harry at the conclusion of Order of the Phoenix? Or throughout all of Half Blood Prince? Because I sure did.
I think Richard Harris played him too grandfather-y. I’m with Dave, I prefer Gambon. There’s a great scene in Prisoner of Azkaban, when Harry and Hermione return to the hospital wing after their time-traveling, and they say to Dumbledore, “We did it,” and Dumbledore replies, “Did what? Good night.” It’s so perfect, and there is definitely that twinkle in his eye. I just think Gambon has been a lot more fun in the role. And like Dave said, he was fantastic in Half Blood Prince.
OOh. Yeah totally agree. Gambon always has a bit of fun with it, making Dumbledore almost mischievous at times.
I gotta say that Gambon has grown on me as Dumbledore but I didn’t cry nearly as hard when he died in the film as I did when I read the book. He does play him in a way that isn’t truly what Dumbledore is. The movie I still can’t stand him the most in is Goblet of Fire. When Harry’s name is chosen and he is waiting in the room with the other champions and Dumbledore comes in and like shakes him and is so furious still pisses me off today! Dumbledore was NEVER like that to Harry ever. It seems the last couple movies he has tried to be more like the Dumbledore of the books which is better but still not the real Dumbledore as I imagined him.
I always took that scene that he wasn’t mad at Harry, more upset and confused at the situation. He knew something was wrong.
I don’t think they did his death justice in HBP (the movie). It was so abrupt. It was far more poignant and sad in the book.
I think he had his ups and downs. GOF, for me, was the low point in Gambon’s interpretation of Dumbledore. He was too harsh and not as engaging.
On a slightly more petty note, it did irk me that Gambon seemed to phase out Dumbledore’s glasses.
I love Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. I’ve never seen him as cruel or yelling–I think he plays Dumbledore as a wise and compassionate man but with a bit of an edge–there’s always something you don’t know about with him, and its intriguing.
Nope. I completely disagree. Richard Harris was too fragile to play Dumbledore. If you think about it, Dumbledore was a jerk. He constantly kept important information from Harry throughout the entire series and basically treated Harry like a pawn in this little game. He made a lot of huge mistakes and even though his reasons were understandable, I would never say that Dumbledore is compassionate or kind. He wasn’t mean, but after reading book 7 and learning that Dumbledore basically lied to Harry the whole time he knew him…I just can’t view him as some gentle, grandfatherly type.
Michael Gambon does a wonderful job playing him. The only movie that I didn’t like his performance in was GOF.
Movie!Ron >>> Book!Ron. The movies (more specifically Rupert Grint) actually did a much better job showing Ron’s growth, imo.
Have you read the books? I think you should read again and take note of Ron and watch how he grows. Trust me the book growth is much more pronounced.
MUCH more. The movies skipped over so much of the Ron storyline.
I didn’t like Book!Ron, so maybe that explains everything.
What part of Ron’s story did it skip? I think the movies left out more of Hermione’s storyline than any of the trio. The whole S.P.E.W. thing and how she stands up to powerful figures like Scimgeour were really important character traits.
I started reading this series when only three books were out and I really thought Ron would turn into a Death Eater out of jealous. The whole scene in the first book where he is looking in the mirror and sees himself as better than all of his brothers just really stuck with me. He seemed like the sort of guy who would really be sucked in by promises of power and glory.
As a kid from a large family, I didn’t see it that way. I guess I can relate to Ron (I’m 7th out of 9) because of my own situation. He always wanted to be recognized as strong in his own way. Doesn’t make you a bad person to want to one up your sibs just so you can get some attention. I love my brothers and sister but sometimes when I was a kid I just wished they would go away. I think every kid with siblings has that desire to be better than their sibs and it can be magnified when you are part of a large family, does that make you a future death eater? No.
Totally. My older sister and I are full grown, mature adults…but I still find myself comparing my situation (job, education, abilities, etc.) to hers and feeling inadequate when I don’t think I measure up. It doesn’t mean I’ll take any means necessary to get ahead. It’s just a self-esteem thing. Ron was always in someone else’s shadow, and he learned to bear the burden of that. I can see why you might wonder a little based on the Mirror of Erised scene, but it’s not like he envisioned himself killing his brothers or lording his success over them. Just slightly exceeding them in accomplishments.
I hear what you are saying. I’m the 4th of 7 children in my family. And even though I love all my siblings there are times you just wish you were an only child, and I’m sure they have felt the same too. I think that’s why Harry and Ron became friends. They each saw something the other had that they wanted in their lives too.
The best thing about Ron Weasley is that he didn’t have to fight this battle, but he made the choice to. Harry obviously had no choice, and Hermione, as a Muggleborn, either had to fight or hide. Ron was a pure-blood and could have stayed out of it. Instead, when things got rough, even when he was a kid on a chess board, so young, he stayed friends with Harry, which wasn’t always easy given Ron’s inherent insecurities. Yes, he had some moments when he wasn’t as steadfast (GoF, and when he left in DH), but it was never out of fear – it was always out of jealousy. You can’t really blame a kid in his position for that. But he overcame it. He grew up. And he and Hermione ended up together, which is another testament to his loyalty and character, because he didn’t want the Lavender Browns of the world (though she proved her bravery, too) – he wanted a girl who challenged him. And he challenges her in a different way. I sort of think of them like Booth/Brennan on Bones.
I agree that it was Neville who came the farthest – I mean, God, that poor kid was given nothing to start with – but Ron, I think, might be the most realistic character. He went from a goofy, gooby, foot-in-his-mouth kid to a brave, caring young man. And that’s all because he had a strong sense of right and wrong (thanks, Molly and Arthur), and even when he fell off that path a little bit, he always realized it, and got back on.
I think Rupert Grint has done a great job with what he’s been given by Kloves (which hasn’t been as much as the character or the actor deserved). The best movie for Ron, as many people have said, was OOTP because of the new screenwriter. But the awkwardness, the learning how to be confident, the chemistry with Hermione…he’s done a really fine job, I think. And the kid is kind of hilarious.
Awww. I’m kind of embarrassed to say that I was really quite moved reading some of what you said about the character of Ron, and of course everything you said is true of him. I wonder if maybe I need to get a life, when I’m so touched that somebody really GETS a fictional person that I myself am very attached to….whatever, it’s Harry Potter. The usual get-a-life rules don’t apply!
I was also moved, and found myself getting a little choked-up.
Yes, for me out of the three main characters Ron is the one with the biggest journey in terms of been a better man. I love Ron in the fifth movie probably because is the best accurate portray of Ron in the books.
Ron’s multi-dimensional character has been a joy to watch grow in the movies. (the part in DH where he says “Yeah, I’m still here” in the tent scene is chilling! Rupert reminds me a little of Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones and maybe he will get to play him in a bio-pic someday! I’ve read the books and LOVE them! As far as Neville goes, I agree that his character has grown tremendously and I can’t wait to see him in the final movie. Lastly, I hope Alan Rickman shines as Snape in the final movie and that he gets an Oscar nom!
i hope Alan Rickman and Ralph Fiennes get nominations. I can hope.
I have been thinking about Rupert playing Brian Jones for YEARS! It’s good to hear someone else agrees! Martin Sorsese said he thought Rupert could be the next Leo and he directed a documentary on the Rolling Stones called shine the light. I would love to see the two tackle a bio pick. It is the kind of role that could really show off his talent!
I love Ron Weasley since I read the first book in 1999. And the way Rupert Grint played him in the last ten years was outstanding, specially considering that in movies 2,3,4 and 6 he had to work with what he was given since Steve Kloves loving Hermione and Emma Watson TOO much made Ron the comic relief of the movies, and nothing of the depth and loyalty Ron was really getting the books.
OMG I thought I was the only one who thoght that Ron’s characters was portrayed completely wrong in the movies. I love Rupert Grint becasue he always did so much with the little things they gave him in the previous movies. At least in Deathly Hallows he had a lot more to do but for me was not enough after averything I got denied from Ron’s character. And sometimes people don’t seem to get his character and for me he is always the most human being af them all becasue is like looking at yourself. I could never relate to Harry because af the whole hero thing and to Hermione beacause honestly she annoyed me a lot but Ron I always understood and I always have a soft spot for him.
Totally agree. And you are not the only one believe me. I prefer Ron from the books 100% is more human, loyal and funny.
Ron has always been my favourite in the Potter series, much to Rupert Grint’s credit (as I only last year began reading the books, which are brilliant by the way). He’s the underdog, and has always accepted standing in the shadow of Harry. I’m just so thrilled he ends up with Hermoine, and not Harry (as the first few movies might have somewhat suggested). Nothing against Harry.
Oh I hate that, to put H/Hr in a romantic way totally absurd. Rupert Grint is the only reason which I still watching the movies, he is the best and as everyone has said he is doing an excellent job as Ron.
The movies never suggested anything more than friendship between Harry and Hermione. I don’t know why some people are always saying that the movies tried to paint them in a romantic light, as if Harry-Hermione-Ron was some sort of love triangle in the movies.
Actually they sometimes seem that way and you can ask anyone who hasn’t read the books and most of them tell you that they thought that it was Harry and Hermione. If you look at it they barely even did anything for the Ginny and Harry story so is easy to see that it was Harry and Hermione as they portrayed them in the movies. I don’t blame the people who think this because it actually looks that way in ocassions. And you sometimes don’t see that type of things between Ron and Hermione and that is why they had to do damage control in deathly hallows and include scenes between Ron and Hermione showing their affection. At least that’s how I see it.
I haven’t read the books, I’ve only seen the movies. And I never for a second got the feeling that Harry and Hermione might be romantically interested in each other. Go back as far as Chamber of Secrets. When Hermione is cured after being petrified, she runs toward Harry and Ron, gives Harry a hug, and then hesitates before embracing Ron and I think they just shake hands instead. There’s no tension between Harry and Hermione because they are just friends and nothing more. But it’s different with Ron because there’s something more there. In Goblet of Fire, Hermione gets mad when Ron doesn’t ask her to the yule ball before someone else did. She doesn’t care that Harry didn’t ask her. And the whole time, Ron is jealous of the guy Hermione went with, while Harry doesn’t care at all. Order of the Phoenix: Hermione is happy for Harry when he starts dating Cho. Contrast that with Half Blood Prince, when she is heartbroken when Ron starts dating Lavendar.
I don’t get it either. I don’t see anything remotely romantic going on between Hermione and Harry in the films. They’re like brother and sister. People just interpret it that way, because Dan and Emma have such great on-screen chemistry. But I love all the little moments between Ron and Hermione throughout the series.
I just love Rupert Grint, the most gifted actor of the trio
ron weasley is the best character an Rupert Grint a very talented and gifted actor.