Emma Watson Knew Exactly What She’d Do With Her Harry Potter Salary After The First Movie, But It Was Rupert Grint’s Muggle-Oriented Take That Was Most Adorable

Emma Watson Knew Exactly What She'd Do With Her Harry Potter Salary After The First Movie, But It Was Rupert Grint's Muggle-Oriented Take That Was Most Adorable

As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I can’t help but admire the charm and innocence of the cast during their early days. The 2000 press conference where they discussed their earnings was a heartwarming glimpse into their young minds grappling with sudden fame and fortune.


Over a span of 10 years while working on eight movies collectively, the actors from the Harry Potter series accumulated substantial wealth. By the end of it all, they had amassed millions. It was hard for them to grasp such financial stability when they were initially cast as children. When asked what they would do with their earnings, Emma Watson, reminiscent of Hermione, had a clear plan. However, Rupert Grint’s charming response as Ron stood out the most.

Back in the year 2000, I was among the fortunate young cast of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” where we faced a whirlwind of questions about our upcoming movie journey. A recently discovered Instagram clip from that time has been shared, featuring myself, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. During the press conference, we were asked an intriguing question: if given our acting earnings for the film, what would we do with it? At just 10 years old, Emma showed a level of practicality beyond her years by saying…

I’m afraid I’m going to stick it in a bank until I’m 21.

This is a pretty smart response for such a young girl, who understood the major responsibility such a paycheck was at her age. Grint however had a much sillier take on the question, saying that his newfound wizard status made “Muggle” money confusing. The 12 year old said:

Well speaking as a wizard, we are going to get paid Muggle money and I don’t really understand it.

In the universe of Harry Potter, Muggles refer to ordinary non-magical individuals. Grint, in his witty fashion, was adept at answering questions even when he didn’t have the exact answer. When he finally received a substantial income, Grint humorously chose to invest it in an ice cream truck, fulfilling a dream that many children share. I’m certain he also set some aside after grasping the concept of “Muggle” currency, but stories about exciting, splurge purchases are always intriguing.

The main point here is: What was the actual earnings of the Harry Potter cast across the eight films? Initially, Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed the lead character, earned between $145,000 and $1 million for the first movie. Over time, his paycheck increased significantly, reaching a whopping $20 million per film by the final two installments. Similarly, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint also received substantial sums, earning approximately $15 million per film by the end of the series. However, it’s worth noting that this doesn’t include residuals – they continue to receive income from the many TV broadcasts and online streams of the Harry Potter films.

If Watson’s claim that they all kept their money in the bank is true, they would have had enough wealth to retire comfortably. However, instead of retiring, they chose to continue pursuing acting careers. Emma Watson has starred in films like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Little Women”, while Rupert Grint appeared in the AppleTV+ series “Servant” and was part of the cast for “Knock at the Cabin”. Daniel Radcliffe, on the other hand, has become a prominent stage actor and starred in films like “Swiss Army Man” and “The Lost City”. Despite starting as mere Muggles, they have certainly made a name for themselves in the entertainment industry.

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2024-08-14 20:38