May 27th is the last day you can vote, so get to voting, and enjoy watching “ickle” Rupert. Oh, awwww!

The character of Ron Weasley has endeared himself to many a reader/viewer; with his sharp wit, ocassionally filthy mouth, his loyalty to family and friends, and the innate desire to sacrifice himself to save the ones he loves the most. Countless fan-fics have lovingly been written with love, care, and passion. Drawings, paintings, and various other media have been applied to applied to blank canvas, to pay homage to our favorite ginger Weasley. And you’d be hard pressed to NOT find thousands of fan-made videos in every corner of the internet. No matter what variation of Ron that you’ve created inside of your head and world, Ron has made a home inside all of our hearts.

But let’s not forget the man that brought Ron Weasley to life on screen, the man himself, Rupert Grint. We all fell in love with the tiny, ginger-haired 11-year-old boy; with the sweet cherubic face and bright eyes. It would soon become very apparent that this unassuming kid from Hertfordshire, had some major acting chops. Even when the camera wasn’t directly on him, or he wasn’t verbally delivering a line, he was always somewhere in the frame, constantly in character and acting with just his face. Often times than not, Ron’s/Rupert’s lines from the book were either cut or watered down in the movies. Nonetheless, Rupert made do with what he was given and always OWNED Ron. And quoting fellow staffer, and Ron’s fairy godmother, AJ, “He made us give a damn about him!”. Indeed he did; and he did all of that with class, a boat-load of talent, and a sincere passion for his craft.

So, this edition is dedicated to Ron and Rupert, entitled, “In Celebration of Ron Weasley, In Celebration of Rupert Grint,”.

We love you Ron. We love you Rupert.

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To navigate your way around this edition, here are some links to help you!

Rosa’s “Farewell to Ron Weasley” fan video

Aracelli’s Ron/Rupert essay-Ron’s Biggest Wheezy runner-up(essay no. 2)

In Celebration of Ron-Galadriel, Staff Picks-Sam and Karo,

In Celebration of Rupert-Suzanne S., Francaise3/Marite, Staff Picks-Sam, Karo, and Michelle

Poll-Do you plan to visit Harry Potter Wizarding World?

Karo’s crossword puzzle-Ron Weasley puzzle, and answers here.

Michelle’s Spooferific Horoscopes

But it seems that words do not come to me, my inspiration went to the post office to await the long-awaited picture, everyone hovers around me saying things like, “you can do it” “concentration”, “in the future you can write a book, I’ll be your manager”.  I have news for them, it’s not easy!

The only thing I am sure is that I want to participate and will do my best effort …Why keep talking about me when we can talk about two wonderful men? I’ll start with Ron Weasley.   What do we know about him? He is the sixth child of a large family with little money, for that reason he always wears second hand, he eats too much, he’s afraid of spiders, is jealous, grumpy and has a serious problem of insecurity and inferiority.

On the other hand, Rupert Grint is the eldest of five children, suffers from arachnophobia, he never had economic problems, but neither had money in excess, at least before working on Harry Potter. At a very early age, he became famous and is now a recognized/famous young actor. At first glance, Ron and Rupert don’t have things in common outside of the appearance/body, they hate spiders, they were born in the 80s and both share the “R” as initial in their names.

Ron Weasley in all respects, is a guy that you’ll love if he comes  your way. Constantly, he is known for being a good friend, faithful, loyal and courageous, he always support Harry and Hermione, and his smile and joy never disappeared when they were the most needed.

We have seen Ronald grow,  surrounded by people who overcome him in different areas, but after the boy befriends the world’s most famous magician, Harry Potter. And as if that were not enough, Hermione Granger join this group, the most smart girl of the class. That would be enough to unbalance  anyone, but Ron didn’t shows major problems until later, when jealousy emerge or rather, the doubts. In my opinion Ron is angry because Harry is in the tournament. He wonders why Harry didn’t talk about it? He has doubts about the confidence of his friend. But, would we  not feel sad if we believe that our best friend does not trust us?

Rupert and Ron, Ron and Rupert two personalities in one body, which after all, are not so different.  Both are happy with the life they have, they enjoy it, are good friends, are loyal guys with values. I think if a person is declared fan of Rupert maybe that person is not suitable for this job. Even though they are so different, I’m sure that no other actor would have played better,the role of Ron. He is Ron, he won the role with his effort, he and only he deserves to succeed.  I cannot imagine Ron played by another person who is not Rupert Grint.

At the European Film Market, an Industrial Debate on independent distributors and their role in film financing (and marketing) took place, so here is what was mentioned and discussed that might be of interest for us, especially in regards to Cherrybomb.

Nowadays, buyers are interesting in the appeal to the future audience, and how many people might consider watching the film. Currently, there are stories of vampires coming up everywhere, about ten years ago it was the time of family-fantasy films (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Lemony Snicket, Golden Compass, Narnia, …). Stories about the cruel reality of teenage life are somewhat rare at the moment. Unless of course a bunch of people start campaigning and collecting signatures to prove that there is an interested audience…

Also, there are far less distributors for independent films than a few years ago. This entails that less films are being sold, and only the best films are being released in theaters.

Many films already have a distributor prior to the start of production. Since these distributors often take part in funding the film, they have a bigger interest in eventually releasing the film to regain their money, hence distribution is more likely for these films. Harry Potter, for example, is being funded AND (in most countries) distributed by Warner Bros.
On the other hand, those distributors like to have a say during the production, and stop the directors from taking films into territory that might not appeal to the audience they have in mind. The story of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow and Disney’s initial reaction is well known.

This also means that directors and actors cannot always do what they want if they have a financing distributor. If they do, the films might be incredibly great, but not see the light of theatres if no distributor finds it marketable enough. These films have to rely on distributors believing in the film as it is – or in the future audience.
Cherrybomb did not have any distributors among the funding companies.

Additionally, foreign distributors prefer buying films that already have other distributors, in particular, US films. For one, the costs for promotion are incredibly high (especially in the US), and (since word goes around), can be less for European distributors if a film has already been released in the states, and second, they have a reference if a film might be successful. As an example: A few films of Jim Carrey’s were flops in the US and never made it across the Atlantic, because nobody wanted to buy them. In contrast to that, they even had problems finding international distributors for Dr. Parnassus before they were able to show the box office numbers from the UK (and with a cast of Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law, one would think it would be easy…).

So hopefully, with the UK release in the near future, some other distributors might gain confidence in Cherrybomb as well…

Also, the costs for promotion are immense. Posters, interviews, premieres, trailers, TV spots, online promotion,… all needs to be paid. Particularly promotion in the US is very expensive, as to buy up a film that has other distributors and, by the time it will be released,  has already had media coverage from other releases, is popular. Also, Twitter has become a very interesting tool to reach the audience and keep them up to date.

Nowadays, online marketing can take up up to 20% of marketing costs. So, you might have an idea of what we’ve been working on… And Cherrybomb does have a Twitter, and Facebook, AND Myspace…

The financial crisis has also left its mark on the film industry, in addition to other difficulties:
The US market is “in tatters” when it comes to independent film, and many European productions do not make it to the US because the art divisions of distributors are cut down due to financial issues.

The European market has been less affected, e.g. France and Germany (along with the UK, the biggest markets in film business after the US): In France, about 50% of all distributions are local (= French), and “only” 50% are imported. Germany has about 26-27% of local distributions. Those market have been able to be at least somewhat steady as well .

In comparison, Japan’s local productions are pretty close to non-existent, and almost all films are imported.
While the UK is much less patriotical than France or Germany, they are struggling less than the US. However, the UK has the difficulty of having the same language, and audiences are more interested in US films unless they have a typical British appeal (set in London, British accent, well-known British actors, British humor…)

Russian distributors are hesitant to buy independent films because they have a huge piracy problem, which of course, reduces the number of sold tickets.

Difficulties for deals in China include that there is a restricted number of international films that can be sold, and that particularly films with drug usage, violence and political themes are hard to sell.

So, what’s the outlook for Cherrybomb? UK: check. Germany: check. US: fingers crossed/looking good. China: possibly difficult due to the amount of drugs and swearing and violence. The others?
Let’s just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

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*Karo was very lucky to have seen Wild Target at the EFM! For more info, check out her review on our Press Archives, get tons of info about Wild Target on the Filmography pages, and lots of spoiler-y goodies in the forums!

We will come back to why it all comes down to choice in some time. But before anything else, I would love to discuss his personality traits that appeals and influences me the most. Though I am absolutely certain that we cannot limit this wonderful character to just a few paragraphs, but for the sake of this short essay, I would summize his best character traits that inspire me the best as briefly as possible. Ron in majority people’s opinion is fiercely Loyal, Brave, Caring, extremely Funny, very Insecure, sometimes Lazy, but extremely Over-protective of the people he loves and cares about.

He is someone who you could rely on undoubtedly and would come through every time; who would sacrifice himself for his family, friends or the greater good  – whichever is needed at that time in a heartbeat and without second thought.  He has always been a generous boy who would share whatever little he had, even his family and home, with Harry who had such a bad life before Hogwarts. We all know how openly he let Harry into his life and all the joy and happiness that Ron provided to Harry in all troubled times. It is his light-hearted and free-spirited nature that kept Harry from drowning in moroseness and the enormity of his responsibilties. If not for Ron, Harry would never have been able to enjoy the small happy maybe some times annoying things that a normal teenager would have like love, laughter, jealousy, companionship etc.

But to me, Ron is all of the above, plus some things that are not regularly considered when it is in regards to him and his actions throughout the series. According to me, Ron Weasley is very Clever, Smart and Intelligent( because he thinks outside the box and think of the number of times that helped Harry throughout the series) in a way that both Harry and Hermione can never be. This is exactly why he is such an excellent player at chess. It was never openly discussed, but I am sure Ron would have become a brilliant Auror(somebody without whose help Harry would not have managed to revolutionize the Auror Department) and an indispensable part of his brother George’s Wheezes business because he has a natural ability to plan (maybe not obsessively like Hermione) and strategize, and these are very important qualities for someone fighting evil forces or runing a crazily successful business. It is proof enough that you don’t have to excel at Academics to do well in whatever you choose to do  professionally. This is one of the major reasons that Ron is such an influence in my life. I never was an intelligent girl when it came to education. In, fact I was always an average student.  Though I don’t consider myself smart and a natural strategist, I am still very planned and organized in the way I carry out my day to day activities(again not in a obsessive way), both personally and professionally.I learned from Ron that I don’t have to be a Genius, or get top marks to do well in whatever I chose to do. I have always looked outside the box to look for solutions for any problems I faced at any given time. And this is definitely the inspiration that I draw from Ron’s wonderful character.

Insecurity has been a major part of my childhood and adolescent life, much like Ron. Though I never have come from a large family like Ron’s, I still was lost in the various achievements of my elder brother and younger sister, and the numerous cousins I have. Nobody ever gave a glance, or had a kind word, to what I achieved when I was younger(sadly even my own parents). In fact, they still don’t, but now I simply don’t care. This is where I draw the most important inspiration from Ron. We all know how he always felt as an under-achiever and over-shadowed, when compared to all his siblings and friends. He always thought he had to live up to everybody’s expectations and prove his mettle. And whatever he did, although spectacularly well in some cases, he always felt was not great at something that he did entirely on his own (take the chess scene in Philosopher’s Stone – there never was a mention of it elsewhere other than when he won the house points. Even Harry, for whom Ron sacrificed himself on that knight never thought or mentioned that Ron was very good anywhere seeing that the book was in Harry’s perspective).

Yet, Ron had come such a long way from the tall, thin, and gangly kid that Harry had met on his first day into a new magical world. Ron had managed to conquer all his demons and insecurities  on his own. Ron had to make the transition from a fumbling, insecure teenager, to a fully confident, grown man; who could keep his emotions in check and do whatever was required of him, whenever and where ever without thinking of the consequences and the dangers involved. The Chamber of Secrets scene in Deathly Hallows is a prime example to how much Ron evolved as a person. He did not need Harry or Hermione’s directions to do the needy in such desperate times (and for not being a Parselmouth, I think he did extremely well and Hermione was definitely Awed at his coolness in achieving such an enormous success even in such pressurizing times). And this is also where Hermione finally realized that Ron is well worth every single thought and affection she had for him and it cemented her love and respect for him that only grew hereafter.

I definitely did not face such dire situations like Ron to make me overcome my insecurities, but I learned to accept that we cannot simply please everyone. I always strived to do my best in what I could, and let my achievements speak for me. But that did not stop me from caring for the people I love most or standing by them whenever needed; even though they thought less of me. This is where Ron’s Character helped me the most and I cannot be thankful or grateful enough for a fictional character to make me overcome all my shortcomings in someway. And that is why I will always always love and admire RON WEASLEY!

And finally, as I mentioned earlier – CHOICE! Ron always had a choice to do the right thing, even though it may end in disastrous consequences; or to simply take the easy way out of any situation by cowering away like a coward. Time and again, throughout the entire series, we read about Dumbledore warning his students about how important the choice between right and wrong are. Making the right choices may not give a smooth path to a better life, unlike making the wrong choices, but it is worth every pain endured to get the final successful result. Ron’s Choices throughout the series, are examples of how he chose to stay on the right side; not because he was to be glorified for it, but simply because it was the right thing to do. Every single time he CHOSE to be with Harry in all the dangerous adventures and missions, even though he was never asked of it and not caring for the end consequences. We have all read about some harsh and reckless decisions Harry takes(Department of Mysteries in OoTP) but never once does Ron questions Harry’s intentions. He is simply there for his best mate whenever and wherever.That is what a true friend does. Ron chose every single time to be there for Harry, fight alongside him, face all the dangers with him, getting injured and scarred, but never once complaining. It is this CHOICE that Ron made to be by Harry’s side no matter what (even estrangement from his brother Percy), that kept Harry sane in all those maddening times. Whoever thinks that Ron’s the lucky one to be befriended by the Great Harry Potter are ignorant fools, in my opinion. It is actually the other way around because Harry is truly the lucky one to have found a friend and confidant in Ron. Harry needed Ron very much to  keep him in balance, and to not forget that he was, after all, a normal teenager(even though marked with a terrible fate of destroying evil). Ron’s light-heartedness , sense of humor, and his inate ability to care for and comfort. These things are what kept Harry on his goal to destroy Voldemort without losing his mind or drooping into deep depressions(and we all know how moody Harry can get).

What more could Harry ask for in a friend? I have said this before and will say it again – “I would kill for a friend like Ron…”.

I also had a choice to take the easy way out. Drugs, partying ,etc. But Ron’s inspiration and his choice to always do the right thing made me realize that life is hard- Yes! People see you as nothing-Yes! But you still have a choice to prove that you are someone worthy, if not to others, then to yourself.  This is what kept me far far away from all the terrible things that could have happened to me. Who do I have to thank that for – Ron Weasley!  It might seem silly that I draw so much from a fictional character, but believe me when I say I do.  The above stated points are just a few IMPORTANT ones that shaped my life; and there are several more areas and thoughts processes that Ron influenced, or still influence, my life. Since I promised to not make this a big essay, I will have to limit myself to all of the above said. Ron Weasley is a Hero – simple, but sweet, in every way imaginable.

Before I conclude, I would like to just mention a little something as to how I view Ron.
Harry Potter is like the Sun. He is so bright, powerful and he did a lot to save the world from possible destruction. So it is really hard not to give him the importance, or to not notice him. Everyone probably looks up to him for light(direction) and tries to bask in his light(glory). But it is very hard to look at the Sun for a very long time. You eventually have to avert your eyes because the brightness becomes unbearable.

But Ron Weasley is like the Moon. It may not be as bright, but the moon has its own unique kind of beauty and power. You can stare at it for hours without the fear of getting your eyes damaged. In fac,t there may be no suffering at all when watching the moon, because a moonlit night gives a sense of comfort, calmness, warmth, serenity, and peace like no other.

But people forget the moon as soon as the Sun rises; and the moon is always eternally overshadowed, but it still does not fail us any day. It still always provides us with that warmth and peace and a sense of calmness in many troubled times.

For me, Ron is the Moon who balances and calms all the irritations and frustrations of everyday life!

In the late 1980s, Eddie had a dream, he wanted to go to the Olympics as a ski jumper. Unlike most of his competitors he had no formal training, no money, and no backing. All he simply had was a dream. This is the kind of story we as human beings thrive on because Eddie went out and accomplished what most of us only dare to dream. I’ve often said that I think Rupert can relate to Eddie in a lot of ways. He too had a dream. He wanted to be an actor and he wanted to be Ron Weasley. Like Eddie, Rupert took a shot, even willing to embarrass himself (a rap video dressed up as his drama teacher?!) to get the part. He got his chance, as did Eddie. The only difference? Eddie’s dream didn’t turn out as well as Rupert’s. We all know Rupert’s story – fame, popularity, a movie career. Eddie got shut out of the ’92 Winter Olympics by the British Olympic Committee who was afraid he was making a mockery out of them.

Eddie was born as Michael Edwards in Cheltenham, England. Eddie was actually an excellent downhill skier and narrowly missed out on being on the Great Britain Olympic team in 1984! He decided to improve his chances to make it to the 1988 Olympic Games by moving to Lake Placid, New York, USA to train but his funds began depleting and Eddie found it easier to switch to ski jumping which would also make it easier to enter the Olympics. Eddie began his training under Chuck Berghorn.

Unfortunately, Eddie had some shortcomings when it came to this switch. His weight came in at 181lbs which is more than 20lbs over what one of his competitors weighed. Eddie was also short-sighted and it required him to wear glasses all of the time. Because of this, his glasses would fog up while skiing. And lastly his financial situation as previously mentioned. Eddie was self-funded. Interestingly, to this day America and Canada teams still have trouble getting financial support, some 20 years later!

Later, Eddie ended up training in Finland after he was finally picked for the Olympics. As noted, Eddie suffered with financial woes and his trainer in Finland invited him to stay at the mental hospital where he worked. He also slept in car parks, corridors, and cowsheds. Eddie even admits to eating scraps of food he scavenged from the trash!

Because of no sponsorship, Eddie claims to have been 7,000 pounds in debt and was a one-man show: Coach, doctor, driver and baggage man. But he admits that because of becoming “Eddie the Eagle” he was able to pay off the debt in one day!

Eddie ended up looking like an “idiot” for so many reasons. Many of which I’ve already mentioned (like the fogging up glasses); but when he first came to Canada, for the whole world to see at the airport, his bag ripped open and all his belongings flew everywhere. To make matters worse, he ended up walking right into a glass wall!

But finally, he got to make his debut at the Olympics. Sadly, it didn’t end as well as he hoped of course. He came in last in the jump, but he did hold the record for British Ski jumping at the time. He was also the world number nine in amateur speed skiing (106.8mph) and the stunt jumping world record holder (10 cars/6 buses).  From there, the British Ski Federation and the  International Olympic Committee made sure that Eddie would never be able to compete again because, as I said, believing that he was making a mockery of the olympics and the ski jumping sport. The rule, which requires Olympic hopefuls to compete in international events and place in the top 30 percent or the top 50 competitors, whichever is the lesser, was dubbed the “Eddie the Eagle” rule. Eddie tried but failed to get into the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Olympics (despite having a five year 5 year sponsorship with Eagle Airlines, which was a small business charter company).

It’s obvious that Eddie is so much more than what some people might think. All the struggles he endured, all the heart he mustered, and yes he came in last, but he was no ‘lovable loser’ but a guy with a dream that didn’t turn into Olympic Gold but did turn into a fascinating story. I am eager to see Rupert playing this. The drama of sleeping in cowsheds and eating out of trash cans. Training hard and having so many shortcomings. And yes the comedy of your bag ripping and your glasses fogging up. And the eventual disappointment of not making it anywhere but last. And of course, the fact that he’ll be the star of the movie. He won’t be starring along side, but the star of it all!

However, there is one other thing that 2009 brought to us Rupert fans that while may not be new, certainly took on a new form and meaning. I am of course, talking about Danpert. Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe’s friendship, AKA Danpert, is something that has been around since they started working together for the Harry Potter series. Throughout the years, we have seen them work and goof off, on and off, the set together. Their friendship is something that everyone can enjoy and find adorable. The pair has always been known as the gigglers of the bunch, but also some of the hardest workers. It has always been easy to see that Rupert and Dan enjoying working and playing together. Yet, by the time Goblet of Fire debuted and definitely after, it seemed that the dynamic duo took a break from their friendship. Some even questioned if they were still friends or just dearly acquainted co-workers. The lack of Harry/Ron friendship time in and after the third Harry Potter movies led to an even stiffer and colder looking Rupert/Dan friendship. For a while, it seemed that the magic and laughter in Danpert was lost; and that growing up and becoming increasingly different would keep them from being able to maintain the strong friendship that they started with.

A love-potioned Ron freaking out Harry in the Half-Blood Prince

However, in 2009, something opened up and changed. Half Blood Prince is the prime and juiciest example that the Danpert love and relationship is, in fact, still alive and kicking. Sure, the movie is about Harry finding out the truth about the half blood prince. It is about the audience finding out what Draco Malfoy was up to. It is about Harry coming to terms with his feelings for Ginny. It’s also about Ron turning up the heat by dating Lavender and making Hermione realize that she in fact fancies him. Conversely, what many fans of the movies/books and critics alike really remember and enjoy about the movie was the Ron/Harry friendship. Rupert and Dan stole the show and turned Half Blood Prince into a brilliantly special and hilarious display of the friendship that exists between Harry and Ron and at the core, Dan and Rupert. Some aspects of their scenes were so obviously Rupert and Dan’s friendship shining through. The two wrestling over the potions book, as well as the love potion scene, are two primary examples that Rupert and Dan’s chemistry was not only back, but also better and stronger than ever. After watching Half Blood Prince, fans could easily see that the magic was still between the two and that they might have been closer than anyone expected.

Rupert and Dan, having a photo op with co-star, Helena Bonham-Carter

The chemistry between them was visible long before HBP premiered. As promotion for the sixth installment went along, more and more Danpert appeared. Then again, it was not just Half Blood Prince promotion that brought out an older, stronger, and sexier Danpert. The two men were also shooting for Deathly Hallows and the behind the scenes photos and interviews brought us amazing Danpert. It seemed that many, if not all, of the behind the scenes shots for the Deathly Hallows movies that involved Rupert and Dan, were of them laughing and talking together. Going through the pictures, it is simple to see that Rupert and Dan are enjoying each other’s company; and that they really are taking into account that this is the last time the two would portray the Dream Team. I am sure they wanted to savor the moment and really enjoy the time they had left together. Yes, it seemed the guys did enjoy each other. The two always had wide grins on their faces and laughter in their eyes. Although they were older, the two still had the twinkle in their eyes when they talked just as they did in the early days.

Reading Festival 2009: Rupert and Dan with The Gallows lead singer, Frank Carter

The amazing Danpert of 2009 was not just limited to their time together on the HP set. The two also spent quite a lot of time together off set. In October of 2009, Rupert and Dan attended a Halloween party together where of course we all remember Rupert in the lovely costume from Clockwork Orange! They also attended the Reading Festival in August and seemed to really enjoy their time there together. Rupert and Dan going out together and enjoying each other’s company really helped undercut the ideas that the two didn’t want to see each other outside of Harry Potter.

Dan tugging on Rupert's fake beard, during a break on The Deathly Hallows set

In 2009, the Danpert was hotter and stronger than ever, but even more importantly, 2009 was the year that Daniel Radcliffe himself opened up and started to be seen as Rupert’s number one fan boy. It appeared that he brought up Rupert in every interview even if the question had nothing to do with Rupert. Dan always had the nicest and sweetest things to say about Rupert, including calling Rupert a “lust symbol” and “very impressive.” He always praised his acting and said he had a bright future ahead of him. Not only did he praise Rupert, but he also tried to boost his confidence. After Rupert’s confession in the Daily Mail interview about him not being sure if he was a good enough actor to make a long lasting career.  Dan came back and said that Rupert basically has no reason to be insecure; and that he is, in fact, a fantastic actor and would surely have a long and lasting career. In Dan’s interview with Alexa Chung for MTV, he was asked a question about if Dan was a good driver. The very  first words out of his mouth were about how Rupert is a great driver and has amazing cars. I doubt that Alexa had any intention to find out if Rupert was a good driver; and yet Dan couldn’t help but bring him up. In Dan’s BD live interview in December, he had so much to say about Rupert. Some of his thoughts on Rupert include that he and Rupert had great fun filming the fight over the book scene in HBP. He said that any excuse to hit each other on screen was welcomed. Dan also called Rupert a “physical comedy genius” and that all his talent is natural. One of the sweetest things that Dan also mentioned in this interview is that he likes to make Rupert laugh because it’s so easy to make him laugh. Dan can’t resist getting a joke in before the take of the scene because when they’re both in that type of mood; everything becomes funny and that’s his favorite moments. Of course, one of the best things Dan had to say about Rupert was when he, Rupert, and Emma were being interviewed about the theme park for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Rupert brought up that he would probably stay away from the Forbidden Forest and the spiders. Dan confidently said that he would hold his hand if he got scared because he knows how afraid of spiders Rupert is. Dan really went above and beyond the call of friendship in 2009. and the bloke could not stop complimenting and loving Rupert. It was beautiful.

However, it was not just Dan who had good things to say about Rupert. Rupert too had nothing but love for Dan. A great example was on the Rove show when Rove asked Rupert about Dan’s magic tricks. Rove poked fun at Dan and tried to get Rupert to go along with it.  But of course, Rupert being sweet and a good friend, stood behind Dan and said that he did not see anything wrong with Dan’s hobbies. He has also expressed how Dan is person he can easily get along with because they have similar senses of humors and how Dan is always full of energy and works very hard.

The love and commitment Rupert and Dan seemed to have was infectious to  and also helped bridge the gap that seemed to develop between the two fan bases over the years. There was so much Danpert love in 2009, that I wanted to know what some other people saw. I asked some fellow members of ICM what they thought of the Danpert of 2009.

“I can honestly say that Dan impressed the hell out of me and really made me take interest in him again. Every word out of his mouth seemed to be about Rupert and it was always caring and honest. He is certainly the poster child of a Rupert fan boy!” – Isaac

“Half Blood Prince really went to the guys this time. Rupert and Dan’s personalities came through and you can tell they have a strong friendship.” – Janine

“I’ve always seen Rupert and Dan as brothers. Rupert is the older and calmer one. He understands Dan and lets him know that he can be as unique as he wants and it’s okay. For Dan, he is certainly someone who looks up to Rupert. He supports him, believes in him, and picks him up when he feels doubtful. It’s a beautiful friendship and really shined through in 2009.” –Donna.

“2009 is all the proof in the world. There is no need to doubt it any longer. Rupert and Dan have and will always be friends and will share an unbreakable and loving bond. It doesn’t matter where life takes them. They will always have each other’s backs. They’re mates for life!” – Alysha

I could not agree more! There are so many different instances of where Danpert shown through a little more and brighter in 2009. It was a surprisingly loving and honest year for them. It was also a treat for us fans! For so long, there was wonder if they would ever be as close as they were when they were young blokes. However, they proved that growing up and going in different directions does not mean that the love or feeling left. No, as young men I believe that their bond is stronger and more secure now.

Therefore, I think that the men have put the rumor to rest. Rupert and Dan are, in fact, friends who have a lasting and loving relationship. No matter what the future holds for Danpert, I think it is clear that nothing will ever take away from all the experiences they have shared together; as well as all the feelings and confidence they have built in each other. Yes, 2009 was The Year of The Grint but it was also The Year of The Danpert!

The prizes: A Ron/Harry Potter T-shirt(of your choice) from Hot Topic and and an autographed picture signed by Rupert, exclusively for ICM!

How to Enter(first portion of contest): In a few paragraphs, explain how and why you’re the biggest Ron Weasley fan; and why you deserve to win this contest.

The deadline is February 7th. If you have any questions, or you’d like to email your entry, send it to us at grintasticonline@googlemail.com.

Rules(yeah, you knew they were coming):

-no one or two sentence entries please(ie:  “Ron rawks! I like his ginger hair.”)

-no abusive, racist, or sexually-related material will be considered

-You must be willing and able to complete the second portion of the contest as well(see below).

-If you feel that just a few paragraphs simply cannot capture the essence of your madness(err…fandom) for all things Ron, you may write a short essay. However, you might want to keep reading…

Second portion of contest: If your submission is chosen, you have the option of either writing an essay or making a fan video that are Ron/Rupert related. Not only will you win a T-shirt and a picture signed by Rupert, your creation will also be featured in the next edition of Grintastic!

Deadline for essay or fan video is February 21st.

How cool is that!? So, if you think you’re the biggest Ron fan, we’re ready to help you show the world! Come on you big Weasley lover, you know you want to!

Here’s to Rupert kicking some ass in 2010!!!!!

Best of 2009

Tao’s picks

Jo’s picks

Ivana’s picks

Michelle’s picks

Karo’s picks

AJ’s picks

Sam’s picks

Anna’s picks

Junna’s picks

Hassan’s picks

I deem myself pretty lucky. I grew up with great parents and fantastic friends. I did well in school and tried my best to stay out of trouble. However, trouble always seemed to find me. I moved around a lot because my parent’s job kept us on the road, so I went to many different schools. I didn’t mind it at all, I loved it in fact. Except for one thing. While some of the kids were nice to the “new girl”, I mostly got the piss taken out of me and for all the reasons people could have chosen. It was for my hair. I was teased, bullied, and beaten up just because I am a ginger.

People say words can’t hurt. That is a lie. Words do hurt. Being called a “vampire”, “fire crotch”, “zombie”, “the un-dead”, “freak” or “ugly” repeatedly hurts a lot. Being asked if I should even be allowed out during the day, or if my freckles really are everywhere was too much for me to take, especially at such a young age. What was worse is that I got beat on. Girls liked to corner me, pull on my hair and hit me. Boys liked to spit on me and asked perverted questions about my hair and my freckles. I know not all gingers have it rough, but I guess in this case, I was one of the unlucky ones. It did such major damage to my self-esteem. I hated myself. I never wanted to go to school. I gave into what people said about me. I thought I was a freak and a monster. I thought I was hideous and I never wanted to look into the mirror. I could not tell my family. They have always taught me to be strong. Being Irish is hard enough and my family is used to hearing bad things, but adding on being a ginger, and it’s worse. I am an only child and neither of my parents have red hair, so, that was another reason for my hatred of myself. I wondered why I had to be ginger. I wondered why I couldn’t have blonde or brunette hair like them. It was terrible.

So, by the time I was about twelve I was pretty depressed with no way out. Sure, I could dye my hair but I couldn’t change my skin color or remove my freckles. I felt trapped in a body that I knew would be rejected for as long as I lived. Then it happened. I was watching the telly one afternoon and I saw it. It was a preview of some sort to “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. I had never read the books, but of course, I heard of them. I just never had any interest in them. However, I watched the preview and saw the most amazing thing. One of the main heroes, Ron Weasley, was ginger. In fact, his entire family was ginger. Instantly I was intrigued. Gingers are never really seen as heroes. The girls are either highly sexual or dangerous; and the blokes are usually nerds or too afraid and timid to save the day. However, Ron Weasley was a hero. He was strong, brave, funny, and completely attractive. Therefore, I was suddenly interested. I saw the movie when it hit theaters just to see him in action and I was in love. It had nothing to do with the plot, the special effects, or even the acting. I fell in love with Rupert Grint.

I loved seeing him be humorous, brave, confident, a bit sarcastic, and other things that I have never seen from such a young ginger on screen. In fact, I had never seen it at all. That’s why the previews to the movie drew me in. There was a whole bloody family of gingers kicking arse, and that was a wake-up call for me. For the first time, I saw a ginger hero. I saw one in the flesh. We don’t get too many of our own in such a major role, so there was no way I could stop. Therefore, automatically Rupert drew me in because of his hair and I instantly became a fan of his. After the first one, I knew I had to watch them all as soon as they came out, and I’m glad I did. The movies are great, Rupert is wicked as Ron, and represents us gingers perfectly in his role.

I felt an instant connection to Rupert when I’d watch him on screen, and I still do. I watched his interviews, read things he had to say, and did as much as I could to get to know him. There is this confidence about him that I really love and I can tell that he’s proud of what he is. It was strange to me. There I was, scared to go to school where I could be attacked; but Rupert Grint was out in the public eye. Millions of people could see him and make judgments, but it didn’t seem to bother him. In fact, sometimes he likes to draw attention to the fact that he’s a ginger. That takes a lot of courage!

As I watched Rupert more and more, I found a few things in myself. I was so happy and proud that he was a ginger. I felt so lucky that Rupert was one of our kind; and in being proud of him, I found pride in myself. It’s not easy. We live in a world of South Park episodes, terrible Halloween and Christmas cards, websites, and jokes made just for gingers. I don’t, and will never understand it. It’s just a hair color and pale skin; but apparently, it makes you something evil and it makes people want to make fun of you.

Over the years, I fell deeper and deeper in love with him and now it’s more than a feeling. I know I have a deep connection to him and I haven’t even met him. He is more than an actor or a celebrity to me. He is a hero. He is a role model and an example of what real gingers are like. I see so much of his personality in me and in my mates; it’s very easy to look up to him for strength and courage. In his interview on Rove in 2009, Rupert was asked if he thought he was a role model for ginger people. He said, “Yeah, I think I represent the ginger people.” He’s certainly correct! He has no idea what he does for the ginger community. He’s gaining so much attention and is used a lot now for famous ginger people. Every time I see an article using Rupert as one of the famous gingers, I just feel my heart melt a bit. He is so our Ginger Hero. He’s the ideal example that gingers are not freaks and we’re not the living dead. We are real people. We have lives and feelings just like everyone else. We can be successful, popular, and kind. We can be attractive, funny, and outgoing but more importantly, gingers can be shy, quiet, and display manners. Not every ginger is either a nerd or a bad arse. Rupert Grint breaks so many stereotypes for ginger people and more importantly, ginger males. One of my male cousins is a ginger, and he always uses Rupert as his example of what ginger men should be like. He looks up to him as a male role model and he respects him so much. Rupert has no idea that behind him is a ginger army of supporters.

Rupert is marvelous. The way he carries himself is inspiring. So many of my ginger friends and family members brag about having Rupert as our hero. He really is a star and a beacon of light for us. Rupert’s fan base is also inspiring. I think it is wonderful that all his fans just love him, his hair and porcelain skin. It’s great that so many people from so many different backgrounds all agree that he is beautiful. It’s touching and makes us ginger people feel even stronger. It can be hard feeling attractive when you have such pale skin, freckles, and really piercing eyes; but the fact that all his fans find those qualities so appealing about him gives me and the ginger community hope.

Over the years, my love and respect for him has grown to a level that I can’t even describe. I saw “Cherrybomb” in Dublin and it is one of my favorite movies of all time! Because of not only the plot, the location, and the acting, but Rupert was once again in control. He was smart, sexy, confident, and a ladies’ man as Malachy. He was all of these things while still being a ginger. I love that he didn’t dye his hair for the role. I love that he is always a ginger. Some celebrities are quick to dye their hair or want to cover it up, but I do not think Rupert is, or will be like that. It really lifts my spirits and gives me strength even on the worst of days. So many times I think, “Well, Rupert does it. I have no reason not to.”

However, it’s not always so easy. It’s really terrible feeling like you’ll never be loved or accepted. It can be lonely and terrifying as well. It’s so important that all gingers find something in themselves to love and hold on to. It’s also important, I think, to have a role model. Rupert Grint, and even Bonnie Wright, are great examples. Their Ron and Ginny Weasley characters are the epitome of strength and love. Watching them and watching Rupert, on and off the screen, has helped me love life and myself again. It’s a blessing really. When someone asks who my hero is, I proudly say Rupert Grint.

Now, I could not care less what people have to say about me. I am stronger and much prouder of myself. I love myself and what I look like. It’s easy for me to be proud of my skin, freckles, eyes, and my hair. Ten years ago, I would never have the stomach to say, “I’m ginger and I’m proud of it!”. But now, it’s like second nature for me, and it’s something I do often. I hate what has happened to me, but in a way, I’m thankful for it. My experiences have helped me to keep an open mind; because I know what it is like to be hated against for stupid things. I know what it’s like to be ridiculed for something out of one’s control. I feel a greater connection to people and I always try my hardest to be fair and kind. I could never do to others what has been done to me. If I hadn’t gone through it, I don’t think I could say that as confidently as I can now.

Rupert Grint is the main reason why I’m not afraid to go out and live and why I’ve been able to find some humor about bring ginger. Rupert is such a beautiful man. He has a light and a spirit behind him that is immeasurable. He is so kind, smart, brave and absolutely gorgeous. Rupert is my hero and I love him so much. The days that I feel down thinking about my past, and the days where I hear about something awful being said or done to a ginger, I think about Rupert. It lifts my head a bit higher and I’m able to get through it. I know he gets through it, and I know I can too. He takes everything that happens to him, good and bad, and is able to learn from it and keep that amazing smile on his face. It’s not easy for him at times. I know that, but he does not let it stop him. His confidence and courage bleeds out of him, and touches me and other gingers, who need him as our guidance. It’s such a powerful feeling and makes me so emotional and full of hope.

There are so many examples I could give about Rupert saying or doing something amazing in regards to him being ginger, but I picked this one because it’s recent and because it brought me automatically to tears. It’s a prime example of Rupert being one wonderful ginger! On the “Half Blood Prince” DVD, Tom Felton asked the question about what the stars would change most about the world. There were many great answers like war and poverty, but Rupert’s of course, really touched my heart and hit home. He simply replied with, “Everyone to be ginger would be good. A ginger world, that would be cool.” It melted my heart. I cried. It was unexpected, but completely expected coming from him. It’s comments like that that make me love Rupert a little more each day, and make me love myself more as well. It’s the way he said it, and the smile on his face, that makes him a true leader and a fantastic role model. I know he’s not just proving everyone wrong for himself. He’s proving people wrong for me and for all the other gingers who are cast aside because of minor details.

I give Rupert Grint so much credit for what he does, and I love him so much. Every day that I wake up and I’m able to look in the mirror and like what I see, I thank him. It’s because of him that I’m a proud ginger. It’s because of his courage that I have courage and strength to stand up for myself and others like me. If it weren’t for Rupert Grint, I don’t know where I’d be emotionally. He’s done more than entertain me. Rupert has reshaped my life just by leading with his confidence and pride.

Thank you Rupert Grint for being my muse and my Ginger Hero!