[ordinaryday]

Yeah that's what I got too.

[darcybennett]

I think you can just click on the free version and you then have to type in a "code" which they provide, and it should take you to the link for the video that you want to download... I think...

I'd put it up on YouTube but since it's someone else's "property" I don't feel really comfortable doing it.


___________

Empire Online's interview with Rupert and Julie Walters

by Helen O'hara It’s not often we put our money where our mouth is, cause it’s not very hygienic, but we’re prepared to do so now – Julie Walters is a shoo-in for a BAFTA nomination next year for her role in Driving Lessons, her new comedy-drama with Harry Potter alumnus Rupert Grint. She plays the eccentric elderly actress who brings Grint’s shy vicar’s son out of his shell, and it’s one of the best performances you’ll see all year. We caught up with both the film’s stars in London this week, to get the lowdown on their characters, the new Harry Potter film and what they’re planning next... So last time you two played together you were playing mother and son. Now you’re playing someone old enough to be his g granny, Julie, someone a lot older than you are. Julie Walters: Well that’s kind of you to say. I don’t know how much older than me she really is – I think the drink has taken its toll. And her tragedy, of course. Was it fun to play a completely different relationship that way? Rupert Grint: Yes, it was good. Julie Walters : It’s exciting to work with the same actor in a different way. It’s new. And it’s a completely different relationship, although there is a bit of maternal stuff in it. It’s not the same as Mrs Weasley, who’s very maternal. She’s the maternal instinct personified, in many ways. Evie is the opposite, but she’s able to let Ben realise a part of himself that he can’t possibly do at home. Did you have any models for your characters? Julie Walters : Well, the script is the main thing. It’s based on a relationship that the director, Jeremy Brock, had with Dame Peggy Ashcroft. I mean, this character is not Dame Peggy Ashcroft, I hasten to say; she’s based on an aunt of Jeremy’s. So it’s different. But it’s difficult to say that anything is based on any one person, because actors are always watching other people and bits go in. So there are probably bits of all sorts of people in the past, from teachers at school onwards, that have influenced that character. Rupert, I guess this is sort of your first adult role – was it scary? Rupert Grint: Yeah, it was a bit scary, because all I’m used to is Harry Potter and the same people and the same sort of routine. So I was quite nervous coming on, but it really helped having Julie there because obviously we’ve worked together before, and there were lots of friendly people on the set, which made it much easier. And Jeremy was great as well. Given that the story is semi-autobiographical, did you have a few good chats with him about your character? Rupert Grint : Yeah, yeah. We went out a few times and talked about it. Obviously he was really good because he wrote it as well. He knew exactly what he wanted, he was really cool. And as a first-time director, how was he? Julie Walters: He was fantastic. Rupert Grint: He was really cool. Julie Walters: You’d never know that he’d never directed anything before; he was really, really good. So how is Harry Potter 5 going? Rupert Grint: It’s going really well. We’ve been filming for about – we’re more than halfway through. David Yates is settling in really well, he’s really good. Julie Walters: Yes, it’s going very well. So what’s next? Julie Walters: Ruby in the Smoke – it’s a TV film. It’s about 90 minutes, and it’s an adaptation of a Philip Pullman novel. I play a very, very nasty lady with false teeth, very dramatic. Rupert Grint: I want to do something other than Potter, because there’s quite a bit gap between films, but I don’t know what yet.

******

Film Focus' Interview with Rupert and Julie Walters

We've been sitting down barely a second with Rupert Grint, who turned 18 just a week prior, when Julie Walters joins us, beams a smile at her co-star and friend and gives us the evil eye, asking him if we've been treating him alright. Reassured that we've only just arrived, we're let off the hook, for now, and enjoy a chat with two of Britain's finest actors. FF: How's everything going today? Rupert Grint: Yeah, it's cool. Julie Walters: It's alright, isn't it? Knackered, but then... that's 'cos I'm old! FF: Good to be reunited? RG: Yeah. FF: You seem to be spending all of your time together these days... JW: Yes, we're getting engaged! Didn't you know?! FF: Onto Driving Lessons, then; did you know you were both involved when you signed up? JW: I knew Rupert was. RG: I'd heard rumours they wanted her and that quite appealed. It's quite scary going onto a new set. I'm used to the same crew and the same people over six years on the Harry Potter films. This is the first thing I've done outside of it, really, and it was good have a friendly face on set. FF: Were you the protective mum on set? JW: Yes; so don't you go messing with him! You do feel a bit like that. It's strange but you do feel that Rupert and the others - the twins and little Ginny and everything - they do feel a bit like your children. A little bit! FF: Was it a hindrance switching from Mrs. Weasley to Dame Edie on this film? JW: Not really; Mrs. Weasley's quite small. And the script was different, so you wouldn't go there. FF: Rupert, having grown up on Potter, this film seems like quite a brave choice because it's not at all on that scale. Was that part of the attraction? RG: Definitely, yeah. It was just so different to the Harry Potter films. It's much lower budget, it's a much smaller crew and there's no blue-screen, special effects or creatures or anything like that! That was definitely one of the reasons I wanted to do it and it was just nice to be someone who's sort-of a bit different. Being Ron - as much as I love it - for six years does get a bit repetitive. It was nice just to be someone else. FF: There must be more opportunity to explore the character, as well... RG: Yeah, it's a much bigger part, I suppose. That makes it a bit more scary because there's more responsibility, I guess, but it was just a good experience and I'd love to do more stuff like this. FF: Did you get to know each other better than you would do on the Harry Potter films? Is there more bonding? JW: There is, because it's an intimate film. It's mainly the two of them, and then Rupert and his family. We spend more time together and the parts are more emotionally explored than they are in Potter. FF: You seem to have a whale of a time playing Dame Edie. JW: It was great fun. Edible, really. I love the swearing! It's very liberating; the whole thing. It was a liberating part, really, because she is so liberated and liberal! FF: Do you know people like Edie? JW: Apart from myself? *laughs* Bits of her in people, yeah, but not a whole. She's not based on anyone in particular. You don't think, "Oh I'm going to use that from so-and-so," or, "I'm going to use that from someone else," you just read it and say, "She thinks like this." It's a feeling rather than anything scientifically laid out. It's hard to say where she comes from in that sense. FF: Is it fun to play an actor? JW: It's fabulous playing an actor. It's lovely playing an actor. Because you're not going through her actors' hell so it's quite nice to play it and look at it and have a laugh at it, you know. FF: Have you ever been struck by stage fright? JW: Everybody has. I don't know an actor - especially of my age - who hasn't been through a, "Oh ****, I'm going to forget my lines!" It's very common. FF: No forgetting your lines here, though? JW: No, but film is different. It's not standing on a stage with an audience where you can't stop. That's where Edie's fear comes from. You do get it sometimes on film when you're delivering big speeches, but generally speaking it's never as terrifying as it would be on stage. FF: Which is your favourite media? JW: Stage, really. Stage is the most exciting. Film is lovely, because it's like a family. FF: Rupert; have you learned a lot from this wonderful actress here? JW: *laughs* Oh, don't ask him that! RG: I think so, yeah! JW: You'll know for sure later, won't you! Rupert's great. That's obvious. He's fantastic and he's really good in it. I think it's great he's done it. RG: Again, that was one of the reasons I wanted to do the film as well, because obviously I'd worked with Julie before and that just makes it much better. FF: Has she tempted you to try some stage work? RG: I don't know really. I know Dan [Radcliffe] is off to something quite major there, but I don't know. I've not really had much experience with stage, aside from a couple of school plays, but maybe later. FF: You seem to be keen, at least, to keep acting beyond the end of the Potter films... RG: Yeah, I suppose. I definitely want to follow the Harry Potter films through and do the last two. I want to continue doing them because I really do enjoy them. Now I've finished school I've got nothing really else to do so I'm hoping I'll be able to continue acting! FF: Silly but sensible question now; Julie, why aren't you a Dame yet? JW: *laughs* What, like in a panto?! How could I answer that! I don't know! It's unanswerable! FF: You seem to be trying it on for size in this film! JW: No, no! I'm not bothered about that sort of thing; I didn't come into the business to get awards or titles. I just love acting. But... I'm too young! For heaven's sake! /FF: By virtue of the fact you're always playing older characters we're always wondering why we're not addressing letters to Dame Julie! JW: I've been playing older characters since I was in my twenties, that's true! They appeal to me greatly, older characters, and Victoria Wood is responsible for that! That's where it started; I loved playing old women so she wrote loads of old-woman parts for me. I find them much more interesting. My grandmother lived with us for a short time while I was a child and I think that's probably why. The incontinence, the madness, they were all there! And old people tend to be slightly more eccentric, too. They can behave the way they want; it seems that when you get to a certain age you almost give yourself permission to misbehave and say what you think. People allow it; especially with very old people. It's like when Spike Milligan got a lifetime achievement award off Prince Charles. Charles gave this terribly gushing speech saying how marvellous Spike Milligan was, and when he came up to collect it he said, "Snivelling bastard!" There's no way anyone's going to take offence to him saying that. FF: Is there more in store with Victoria? JW: No, not at the moment. She's busy directing Acorn Antiques up north at the moment. It was really good fun doing that when it was in London so I hope there's more on the horizon. FF: I have to ask about a certain film that's coming up very soon for both of you - Order of the Phoenix. Julie, have you done your part on that now? JW: It's all finished. It was only about ten days. FF: We're desperate to know if the boggart scene with Mrs. Weasley made it to the shooting schedule! JW: I can't say! They won't let us! FF: Was it good to be back anyway having skipped film four? JW: I know, I wasn't there. The Weasley boys sent me a postcard, do you remember? RG: Yeah! *laughs* JW: It said, "We miss you; Dad can't control us!" *laughs* FF: Ron steps up to the plate a bit in this film... RG: Yeah, it's going really well actually. We've nearly finished; we've only got a few months left. We've got a new director this time and it's been really fun. He's wicked and really different to the other ones we've had as well. I definitely want to do the next two, but nothing's official yet; I really want to find out what happens in the seventh book. FF: What have you got coming up in addition to Potter, Julie? JW: Coming out I've got a Philip Pullman adaptation of The Ruby and The Smoke with Billie Piper. It's a BBC ninety-minute film for Christmas. And then in the early part of next year there's Becoming Jane which is a film about Jane Austen and I play her mother. It's really very interesting and she was an extraordinary woman; to actually be able to survive as a novelist in those days - unmarried - was just unheard of. We found out a lot about her mother. She was a bit of a writer, too, and they had loads of children; eight kids. They were obviously very keen for her to marry, interestingly, and not to bloody be writing. It's about that and how she manages to make a success of herself. It's a bit like Pride & Prejudice in a sense; you can see where the novels came from. FF: From what I know of her there seems to be a lot of herself in all of her books. JW: Oh yeah, absolutely. FF: Who's Jane Austen? JW: Anne Hathaway. I know! She's actually amazing in this film. People think it's an odd choice but she's actually brilliant. I haven't seen Devil Wears Prada yet, but I've heard it's wonderful. She's a really, really good actress and I hope she does very well. FF: So you've shot those? What's coming up production-wise? JW: Well I've got a novel coming out in October. I've got to do a book tour! It's called Maggie's Tree and it's about a couple of actresses who go to New York to visit another actress who happens to be working there. One of them is in the throes of a breakdown and within a few hours of their arriving in New York she disappears. She's lost touch with reality, really. She's eventually picked up by a man in a bar in the middle of the night and it's about what happens between them; he takes her back to his apartment and it's about what goes on and what his agenda is. It's character-led so it's about what happens with the other people looking for her too. I've been writing for a very long time and I wrote something years ago that was supposed to go into paperback but my daughter was ill and I didn't want to do the publicity. So they asked if I'd consider writing something else instead and the suggested doing a novel so I said I'd give it a go. It's a bit daunting in that I find it very exposing in strange ways. I didn't think it was at all while I was writing it but it's very intimate. FF: A lot of writers say they put themselves in their work without noticing. JW: It's like acting in that way. Creating them was just like acting and making up their lives and I loved it; it was like being God! It's revealing and exposing in some way and I'm not sure why. And I don't know how a lot of it came about, either. The characters do have a life of their own and I can't believe they're not out there; it's weird.

[Corrsfanre]

Thanks for the interview Darcy And I'll try to do hat you said

[darcybennett]

Rupert gave a very small interview to Total Film over the course of this week.

Snapshot... Rupert Grint Mirror, signal, manoeuvre, sex. Potter's ginger mate revs up in Driving Lessons... Passed your driving test yet, then? No, I failed two weeks ago. Oh, bad luck. What happened? I didn't check my blind spot when I was doing my three-point turn, so he failed me on that. I was gutted. So, who did all the driving in the film? I had a double - someone dressed in my clothes with a ginger wig. I did get to drive on this private lane in Scotland. I was scared I was going to knock down Julie Walters. And you're having sex in this film, is that right? That was scary! I was looking forward to it. Really? Were you nervous? Well, it was first screen kiss and the whole crew was watching. But the girl I did it with (Michelle Duncan) was really good - it helped that she was a bit older. Enjoy yourself? We did do quite a few takes! You dirty bugger. Is that why you chose this film? Well, I've been doing the Potter films for a while and you film every day for a year. That's why I liked the sound of doing something short with no special effects. On Potter it can take a week to do one scene. On this, we did a new one every day. Will you carry on as Ron until the bitter end? I'd like to definitely. I've no idea what'll happen to Ron. It'd be good to die, I guess. But no one really dies in Harry Potter. You can always come back as a ghost or something. Final question, if you and Dan Radcliffe had a fight, who'd win? I think me. Dan does work out a bit, but I'm bigger so maybe that'd give me the edge. We arm-wrestled once and I beat him...

[ordinaryday]

I'd think Rupert could take Dan too.

Love that picture he looks great!

[baileycat]

Cute interview.

Oh yeah Rupert could beat Dan. Although Dan is quick so as long as he's not cornered, Dan could escape pretty easily. Either that or he'd convince Rupert not to hit him with his wit and charm.

[darcybennett]

Yes, Dan's a wily charmer.

Showbiz conducted a really wonderful and lengthy interview with Rupert recently. Unfortunately the link to the article does not work, but you can read it in full, HERE.

Don't Tell the Kids: Ron Weasley From the Harry Potter Films is Growing Up - and Fast Sep 12, 06:39 PM By MAUREEN PATON My street-cred with teenage girls will go sky-high now that the copper-haired Rupert Grint has landed, as if by magic, in the back of my cab. Instantly recognisable all over the world as Harry Potter's best friend Ron Weasley, the Hertfordshire-based Rupert is on a flying visit to London with his dad Nigel and wants to revisit one of the panoramic locations where his latest film was shot. So off we head to Primrose Hill where our driver, David from Barking, even lets Rupert sit in the front of his parked cab as a consolation prize for having just failed his first driving test (for not looking behind him while performing a three-point turn, don't tell Professor Dumbledore). Rupert whose father sells Formula One memorabilia can't wait to get behind the wheel, not only as a homage to the flying Ford Anglia in the Harry Potter films but also to what he calls 'my first grown-up film quite scary and more of a responsibility'. For Rupert, who has just turned 18, is about to surprise and even shock his fans with the road movie Driving Lessons, a comedy written and directed by Jeremy Brock, the screenwriter of Mrs Brown. Not only is its language decidedly adult (surpassing Ron Weasley's favourite expression, 'Bloody brilliant', so much so that Rupert bashfully admits, 'My nan didn't really approve of it when I took her to a screening'), but Rupe also gets his first bedroom scene. So, already he has managed to upstage Harry Potter himself, the actor Daniel Radcliffe (whose own first grown-up role will involve appearing naked on a horse in a stage revival next April of the play Equus). But don't panic and immediately lock up your Rupert-mad daughters: all we see in Driving Lessons is a lingering pre-coital kiss, followed by Rupert's bare shoulders and chest above the sheets afterwards. Bless! Still, going to bed with the girl who recently played Princess Diana on TV (Michelle Duncan in Whatever Love Means) does add a certain kudos to a chap's CV. 'It's pretty tastefully done,' says a relieved-sounding Rupert, 'although that snog was quite scary. But Michelle was really good; and it helped that she was a lot older [21].' Driving Lessons is as much a rite of passage for Rupert as for his character Ben, a sensitive teenage poet who hits the road with a flamboyantly misbehaving Julie Walters. All the on-screen drinking and cussing made for a pretty lively reunion with Julie, who also, of course, plays Ron Weasley's mum in the Potter movies. 'Mrs Weasley would have a fit at all the swearing and I wasn't expecting it, either,' he admits. 'I was a bit shocked. But Julie was a real giggler like me. I got told off really badly for "corpsing" by the director of the first Harry Potter film, but I've sort of got over it now.' He has grown up in other ways too, for Rupert, who left school after taking his GCSEs two years ago, has started shaving every other day and has even taken up golf the ultimate showbiz sport. His debut in the first Harry Potter film was smartly followed up with the role of a geeky genius in the family comedy Thunderpants when he was 12 ('they permed my hair for that, which was a bit embarrassing'), but he's not allowed to touch his considerable earnings until he's 21. 'I've stayed in touch with all my mates, and the only thing that has changed is getting recognised. Sometimes it's hard to maintain a normal life when you're filming for most of the year and when you get pursued up the street by screaming fans. It's a bit weird, and hard to get used to. But they are always very nice about the films, so it's not really a problem,' says Rupert, who doesn't have a girlfriend at the moment. He is currently finishing filming on the fifth Harry Potter, The Order of the Phoenix, and will then start work on the penultimate instalment, The Half-Blood Prince. Even though Rupert finds co-star Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) 'quite intimidating, but cool', he says, 'the films have been so much fun to do'. The franchise has taken him all over the world, as well as to the royal box at the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations. 'She was sitting right behind us!' he marvels with the wide-eyed look of awe that has become his trademark. As Ron would say, bloody brilliant. Driving Lessons is on general release

[ordinaryday]

Aw. Love that interview!

I didn't know he found Alan intimidating.

[Corrsfanre]

Thanks for the interview and it's true "he has managed to upstage Harry Potter himself, the actor Daniel Radcliffe"

Here a small interview about Rupert's favorite band, the last part is particularly cute

http://www.rupertgrint.net/images/We...g-thetimes.jpg

[Sandrinha]

*edited*


Sandi- After thoughtful and careful consideration of the consequences this story has fueled, the media sources that have run this story have only enabled and helped in dragging Rupert's name through the mud and are possibly damaging his reputation, Jenn & I feel it necessary to take down the story you posted. We really don't want this board to be associated with the kind of malicious publicity the newspapers and magazines have profited from this at Rupert's expense.

What happened is a really horrible thing and Rupert is justifiably upset by what occured at his party but nothing compared to what the victim must be feeling. We feel it's our obligation to help and try to respect and protect the privacy of the victim and of course, consequently, Rupert and his family and if taking down the story here aids in that, then we feel it's the right thing to do. I'm sorry. I hope you can understand our position. Darcy

[irune]

I'm not sure if this really fits in this thread I mean... it's nothing about its career or anything...

[darcybennett]

It's really awful this had to happen and I feel so sorry for the girl this happened to but it really doesn't have anything to do with Rupert and his career. He is horrified and really upset by the incident, justly and understandably so and it's disgusting the tabloids who've reported the story are using Rupert's "status" and name as a celebrity to spread the story which is awful not only for Rupert but for the victim herself.

We're just intruding on their personal lives and that's something I'm really not comfortable with.

I would really appreciate it if you could take down the story and link, Sandi.

[irune]

Thank you, Darcy. I don't feel comfortable with this either They're using Rupert and I don't think it's fair for him. It's not his fault...

[Corrsfanre]

That's awful news, no wonder the guys at RG.net are so upset...

[darcybennett]

I agree, Irune. Well said.

I commend RG.N for the way they've handled it by refusing to post it on the site. The association the tabloids have made of this incident toward Rupert, just adds fuel to the story and makes him appear more heavily involved than he actually is... it just leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. I really hope that this dies down and doesn't hurt Rupert and his family any more than they must be feeling right now.

STV.tv interviewed Rupert while he was in Edinburgh at the end of August for Driving Lessons' screening at EIFF.

Rupert's Interview with STV