As ardent Harry Potter fans, we can never forget the charm of the iconic trio of Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley. These people became a part of our lives for a generation, and many of us even looked up to them as they made their way through the magical and wizard world. But did you know that Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, and Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, wanted to quit the series permanently?

The highly anticipated Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special from HBO Max, which reunited the actors and directors from the eight-movie series, was released in 2022.

The only person absent from the reunion was J.K. Rowling, the writer of the books, who also served as a producer for the movies. Watson and Grint, however, talked about the behind-the-scenes activities during the reunion special.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint in Harry Potter

There is no denying that without the Little Women actress’ iconic ‘Hermione’ performance, it is impossible to imagine the Harry Potter movies.

Thus, it is hard to imagine if Watson and Grint had not portrayed their respective Harry Potter characters. Eight films brought the wizarding world from Rowling’s books to life on the big screen, and the series is now considered one of the best franchises ever.

Why Emma Watson Nearly Left Harry Potter Franchise In The Middle? 

During the HBO Max special, Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts, in which the majority of the cast reunited to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the film series, Emma Watson discussed her concerns about her part.

The 33-year-old actress confirmed that she nearly left the Harry Potter franchise after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire during ET Canada’s sneak peek of HBO Max’s Harry Potter reunion special.

Well, she was not the only one to discuss her reasons for wanting to leave the adored character.

Emma Watson

Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint all talked about the intense fame that came with the roles they played throughout their childhoods. The Perks of Being a Wallflower actress recalled going back and reading a diary entry from right around the time she was contemplating quitting. Moreover, she noted that she was lonely, as she told the Super Clyde actor:

“[Order of the Phoenix] was when things started getting spicy for all of us. I think I was scared. I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, ‘This is kind of forever now.’”

Rupert Grint Expressed The Same Sentiments

Rupert Grint, the actor who played Ron Weasley, also expressed similar views. It was obvious that Emma Watson was not the only one who had thought about giving up, because the Servant actor repeated several times that he too had wondered:

“What life would be like if I called it a day. Wow, my middle school self is not okay right now!!!”

The Enemy of Man actor admitted during the HBO Max special that he was having second thoughts about keeping up with his character. He told the Beauty and the Beast actress:

“I had moments like that kind of all the way through. I also had similar feelings to Emma kind of contemplating what life would be like if I called it a day, but we never really spoke about it. I guess we were just kind of going through it at our own pace. We were kind of in the moment at the time. It just didn’t really occur to us that we were all having similar feelings.”

Rupert Grint

It is important to prioritize our well-being and personal goals sometimes, even when everything appears to be going perfectly. We can all take inspiration from Watson and Grint’s bravery in advocating for themselves and making choices that emphasize their mental and emotional well-being.

Still, we appreciate them both for their outstanding work in bringing our favorite characters to life on the big screen.