In a new interview with Metro, Rupert Grint talks about his upcoming film CBGB as well as being a torch bearer for the London 2012 Olympics. Some snippets from the interview may be read below, read the full interview over at Metro.
How did you end up being an Olympic torch-bearer? It was through Lloyds. They nominated me. I’ve always loved the Olympics and it’s exciting it’s in London. It was a complete surprise but a great honour. I’ve kept the torch. I might put it on display. I’ll find a use for it. I’m not the most athletic person so it’s probably the only time I’m going to run this year. I’ve got tickets for the swimming and some athletics – I can’t remember what the events are.
What do you get up to in your forthcoming film CBGB? It’s about the New York club CBGB and the punk scene of the time. I play a guitarist called Cheetah Chrome who was in a band called The Dead Boys. I had to be a rock star. It was refreshing. He’s a snotty-nosed punk rebelling against everything and quite morose – he’s the complete opposite of Ron. I’m still finding it strange breaking out of the whole Harry Potter thing because it was such a huge part of my life.
What was playing a real person like for CBGB? Cheetah Chrome was actually on set. It’s the first time I’ve played a real person and there’s a pressure to get it right. I also have to play the guitar, which I can’t do – I was faking it. I learned the chords and rough shapes but you won’t see my hands too much in the film. It’s amazing he’s still alive, given the amount of drugs he did. He’s got a young son who was a big Harry Potter fan, so it was nice to meet him. Cheetah had some advice about my performance and I had to get his voice right – he had quite a distinctive drug-affected mumbling voice and I had to do an American accent. We’re both ginger so look similar. Hopefully people will buy it.
You’ve also recently worked with Shia LaBeouf – what was that like? That was the film before CBGB – The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman. That’s quite a strange one. Shia LaBeouf plays a character who travels around the world. It’s quite a drug-fuelled journey and he meets various crazy characters along the way. I play a character he meets in a youth hostel. I can’t give away what he does but it was quite a transition for me.
Did they [the more experienced Harry Potter actors] give you any specific advice? I had a problem with laughing during serious scenes. For some reason, I found Dumbledore’s death absolutely hilarious. Alan taught me if you completely relax your face, it’s difficult to laugh so that was good tip.
The 38th Annual Saturn Awards were held last night and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II walked away with the Best Fantasy Film award! The film and it’s actors were nominated, but didn’t win, in the following categories: Best Supporting Actor (Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman,) Best Supporting Actress (Emma Watson,) Best Direction (David Yates,) Best Production Design (Stuart Craig,) Best Editing (Mark Day,) Best Costume (Jany Temine,) Best Make-Up: (Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight) and Best Special Effects (Tim Burke, Gret Butler, John Richardson, David Vickery,)
Tom Felton’s film Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of the top winners, it took away: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Supporting Actor (Andy Serkis,) and Best Special Effects.
ABC Family is having another Harry Potter weekend starting tonight at 8pm. They will be airing Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince along with other family favorites such as Mulan, Matilda, Nanny McPhee, Aladdin and Monsters Inc.! Harry Potter will be airing at the following times:
Thursday
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 8pm
Friday
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 4:30pm
Harry Melling, known for playing Dudley Dursley in the Potter films, has been cast in the new play I am a Camera. He will be portraying the title character Christopher Isherwood, an English-American novelist. I am a Camera is based on Isherwood’s memoirs Goodbbye to Berlin which documents his experiences during pre-Nazi Germany and the people he met. A synopsis of the play may be read below.
Based on Christopher Isherwood’s memoirs ‘Goodbye to Berlin’, and the inspiration for the musical ‘Cabaret’, I am a Camera is part glamorous whirlwind of Berlin Bohemia, part harrowing depiction of the Nazi’s rise to power.
I am a Camera’s title is a quote taken from Isherwood’s first page – “I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking”. The play’s Broadway premiere in 1951 was a triumph for Julie Harris as the insouciant Sally Bowles, winning her the first of her four Tony Awards for Best Leading Actress in a play. A subsequent 1955 film adaptation was also called ‘I Am a Camera’. With a screenplay by John Collier and music by Malcolm Arnold, it starred Julie Harris, Laurence Harvey and Shelley Winters. The play and film in turn went on to inspire the musical ‘Cabaret’ in 1966 by John Kander and Fred Ebb and the1972 film ‘Cabaret’ with Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey and Michael York.
The play will run for three weeks at The Vault at Southwark Playhouse, from Wednesday September 5 – Saturday September 22. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit the Southwark Playhouse website.
Yesterday Matthew Lewis recieved an honoarary Master of Arts degree from Leeds Metropolitan University. Several photos and videos from the ceremony have made their way online. Visit the Matthew-Lewis.com Gallery to see all the photos and watch one of the videos below. Head on over to our partner site, Lewis Lovers, for full coverage!
Matthew had the following to say of the honor: Big thanks to Leeds Metropolitan University for today. Everybody was charming. Congrats to all graduates who actually deserve their degrees!
As we posted previously, Rupert Grint was one of the carriers of the Olympic Torch, which has been traveling to London with the help of 8,000 people over the course of its journey. Some photos of Rupert may be seen over at Rupert-Grint.us! Rupert was chosen to be a torchbearer as a result of all his charity work, according to Around the Rings:
He was nominated through the Lloyds TSB campaign for inspiring others through his extensive work with children’s charities across the UK. Rupert is actively involved with charities Starlight and the Make-A-Wish Foundation which grant once-in-a-lifetime and magical wishes to seriously and terminally ill children. He also spends much of his free time working with the Teenage Cancer Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
The BBC has posted a video interview with Rupert that you can watch here (no embed available.) The Telegraph has also posted a video with the Potter star where he talks about how it felt being able to participate and how he doesn’t run all that often (unless he’s being chased)
