There’s barely any actor in the entertainment industry who would sell their soul to Lord Voldemort to get an endorsement from an acclaimed filmmaker like Martin Scorsese. But when it came to the Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, he apparently received the director’s alleged praise out of nowhere, back in 2010.
Fresh out of the Harry Potter fame, The Sun had once reported how Rupert Grint had earned Martin Scorsese’s apparent praise and comparison with Leonardo DiCaprio. It was also stated that Scorsese had supposedly expressed his desire to cast Grint as a gangster in his films. However, later on, the outlet’s report turned contradictory, when Scorsese denied watching any of the Harry Potter films.
Martin Scorsese Allegedly Compared Rupert Grint to Young Leonardo DiCaprio
Despite almost disappearing from the industry after wrapping up the Harry Potter franchise, Rupert Grint had once earned the attention of acclaimed director Martin Scorsese. Back in 2010, while shooting the final film in the series, Grint had allegedly received an endorsement from Scorsese who had apparently told The Sun about his interest in working with the star.
Although the report was later taken down by the outlet, it was shared by The Guardian, wherein it was noted how Martin Scorsese had showered his praise on Rupert Grint, and even hoped to find a role for the star, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films. More than anything, what stunned fans the most was Scorsese’s comparison of Grint to young Leonardo DiCaprio.
I thought he was great in the Harry Potter movies – in a lot of scenes, the boy stole the show. He will always have respect for the movies that gave him such a huge break, but at his age, it’s important he doesn’t become typecast. He has to do something really out of his comfort zone in the next few years – play a gangster, play a dirty cop, play a kid with learning difficulties.
I would be very interested in working with him. I would have no issues in casting him as a gangster. He is a very talented young man. When he was in Romeo and Juliet, nobody saw him becoming a badass in movies like The Departed. But he has become one of the greatest actors of all time. The very same could be true for Rupert.
However, despite such kind words allegedly directed towards Rupert Grint, Martin Scorsese’s apparent praise for the Harry Potter star later disappeared in a puff of smoke after the filmmaker said he hadn’t seen any of the films from the franchise.
Martin Scorsese’s Contradictory Statement – He Has Never Watched Harry Potter
After The Sun’s reports about Martin Scorsese’s alleged comments were spread like wildfire, the filmmaker’s publicists contacted The Guardian and denied having any such conversation. The filmmaker had even issued a statement to be published, notifying that he had never watched any of the Harry Potter films to even discuss Grint or his performance.
Contradicting the comments shared by The Sun, Martin Scorsese clarified the confusion in his statement by saying that it was impossible for him to make such predictions since he wasn’t familiar with Rupert Grint or his films. So it seems that since Scorsese had never watched Grint’s works, he could have never even compared the actor to the Hollywood legend Leonardo DiCaprio.
With respect to the Harry Potter films, regrettably, I’ve never seen them and therefore I’m not able to discuss them or the performances in them in any way.
Despite allegedly raising people’s hopes by favorably comparing Rupert Grint to Leonardo DiCaprio, who frequently collaborated with him in The Departed and Shutter Island, Martin Scorsese later shattered the dreams.
Harry Potter films are available on Max.
