Rupert Grint is stepping out from under the shadow of the Harry Potter franchise, making his theatrical debut as a criminal in Jez Butterworth’s play Mojo .
“I’d seen the Potter films with my daughter and always thought Rupert was truthful as Ron Weasley,” director Ian Rickson said of Grint. “There’s something ordinary and centered about him, and in this world of Mojo you want that grittiness.”
According to The Daily Mail , Mojo will run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London beginning October 26. Grint’s character is an amphetamine enthusiast whose minor role in the mature drama brings comedic relief through his sly actions.
“A whole lot of people who might not see Mojo will come and see it,” Rickson said of his concern about the audience Grint’s appearance will draw. The director said that the play, which contains very mature content, is not suitable to Grint’s under-18 fan base. Rickson said that producers of Equus , Daniel Radcliff’s nude stage debut, had similar concerns.
The massive departure from beloved character Ron Weasley does not intimidate Grint, who said earlier this year that he was excited to embark on new projects.
“After playing the same character for 11 years, it's nice to do something completely different." Grint said, then promoting the film The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman . "The character was someone who's completely the opposite of Ron."
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