On the Apple TV+ supernatural horror series Servant, Rupert Grint portrays Julian, a recovering addict and Atheist. The character is wracked by guilt over the death of his infant nephew as he tries in vain to rationalize how the child has seemingly been resurrected.
Despite the heavy material, Grint insists the Philadelphia set remains lighthearted. "It's such a fun show and fun to be in Julian's mind," he says. "I see him as a vulnerable character always trying to be ahead of everyone. But as the show has evolved, it's become apparent that it's all an act."
He adds that season three — wrapping March 25 with what he cryptically calls "a big moment" — has been especially fulfilling. To wit: Julian has struggled with his newfound sobriety, developed his relationship with his nephew's mystical au pair (Nell Tiger Free) and attempted to do a forensic test on his own sister (Lauren Ambrose). "It's a fascinating dynamic because this grieving family has been doing these defense-mechanisms to stop themselves from facing the truth," he says.
All this trauma inside a suburban home may seem like a world away from the magic of Hogwarts, but the native Brit says playing Ron Weasley in the mega-successful Harry Potter film franchise from 2001 to 2011 served as ideal training. "Being in someone else's skin for a long time is what I grew up doing," he says. "I enjoy taking the journey. You're there for so long that the character becomes an extension of you."
Grint is currently in Philly filming Servant's fourth and final season. And though he's become an ardent Sesame Street and Peppa Pig watcher during his off-time thanks to his toddler-aged daughter, he says that off-center television will always hold a place in his heart. Now, for Emmys.com, he picks his top seven TV shows. Your British education starts now!
I'm Alan Partridge (BBC, 1997–2002)
Alan Partridge is a hilarious and incredibly detailed and tragic character who's been starring in various series since the 90s [as well as radio shows, television specials and even a feature film — all portrayed by British actor Steve Coogan]. We've seen him throughout different stages of his career: He used to be a BBC sports commentator and then he got his own chat show. But something always goes horribly wrong because he's so cringe. In this series, he's an underground radio DJ. I don't know what the equivalent is in America because he's a specific kind of Englishman.Succession (HBO, 2018–)
It's just a family struggling to communicate and do the right thing. But I love the writing and these fascinating characters. I love Roman. I love Greg and Tom. The show also does comedy in this quite twisted and disturbing way, which is very human because comedy can come from the darkest of worlds. And I love stories about dysfunctional families, which harkens back to Servant in a way.Fake or Fortune? (BBC, 2011–)
I love it! So it's this reality show where people try to get a piece of classic artwork authenticated. But this is forensic-level stuff, and I love the detective work. These experts take the paintings apart and X-ray them and sometimes there's a painting underneath the painting. They even find out if the chemicals in the paint would have been used in the 16th century. There's so much tension waiting to find out if these paintings are real or not so it's amazing to watch.Tales of the Unexpected (ITV, 1979–88)
This was a series loosely based on Roald Dahl's short stories for adults, and he did a few of the introductions. My parents got me into it when I was a kid, and then I found a box set of all the episodes. They're so disturbing and some of them have stayed with me. I remember one where this husband and wife hate each other. Then the husband dies and he puts it in his will that his brain must be put in a box. He's dead, but the weirdness between them continues.Brass Eye (Channel 4, 1997–2001)
I hope this pick isn't too obscure. It's a comedy series created by Chris Morris that satirized news shows like 60 Minutes or Dateline. The show catalogued crime scams and politics but it was all fictitious, hilarious and absurd. I remember it was quite controversial because a lot of the jokes were politically incorrect. But it was done so well! Like, the characters were outrageous at the time. I think it was revolutionary.The OA (Netflix, 2016–19)
My girlfriend and I got into this late into the first season. I think we binged it in a day. It was just this escape into this very strange world. I liked that it was this complicated kind of folklore, which wasn't what I expected when we started watching it. I'm into this weird balance between the real world and the supernatural. I find that interesting. And I love Jason Isaac's acting in it. I love him in everything.The X-Files (Fox, 1993–2002; 2016–18)
My mom and dad were obsessed with it! This sounds strange but they were really into UFOs and aliens, so this was a big part of my childhood. It was well-made, and I loved the chemistry and the dynamic between Mulder and Scully. I hadn't seen it in so long and then an episode recently came on TV and I just got straight back into it.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
