He’s known to millions as Harry Potter’s best buddy Ron Weasley, but next Friday, Rupert Grint’s fans will see him in a much different light.
The 25-year-old Brit has gone from boy-wizard to Bowery-dwelling drug addict for his new role as guitarist Cheetah Chrome in the movie “CBGB,” which tells the tale of the world-famous rock club. Chrome’s band, the Dead Boys, were one of the New York punk scene’s most notorious bands and lived a lifestyle filled with sex, drugs, groupies and a whole lot more. As Grint tells the Post, it was a history he found intimidating.
“It hit me quite hard when I realized the kind of life Cheetah had lived,” says the red-headed actor. “I spent some time with him on set. It’s amazing to think it wasn’t that long ago [when] he was just insane! Doing things like blowing his nose in lunchmeat and throwing it out into the crowd. But now, he’s quite a normal bloke. He’s a dad and he’s settled down.”
Grint also explained that the role is helping him shed his goody-goody image. “I didn’t set out to shock anyone. But I’m enjoying the challenge of moving away from what people know me for.”