In the post-Harry Potter world, only a few actors have made a run at decent entertainment careers. For people like Daniel Radcliffe, the transition has been almost seamless. For others, the path has not been as easy. Rupert Grint has had an interesting post-Potter career and has been experiencing a new high since 2019 when he became acquainted with M. Night Shyamalan.

Rupert Grint’s Post-Potter Career

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Blinding Edge Pictures

Grint hasn’t been lazy about finding or even generating work for himself. Before the Potter series was over he had already found roles in films like Thunderpants (2002), Driving Lessons (2006), Cherry Bomb (2009), and Wild Target (2010). Though not all huge hits, they presented Grint as being able to switch genres and his ability to try new things. Despite his early fame, Grint has a great habit of blending into ensemble casts. This is in no way a dig and actually speaks to his abilities to play believable characters.

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Between his movie roles, cameo appearances on television, and his work in a variety of plays, Grint seemed to have been telling the world just how ready he was to bite into a meaty role. Something that could excite not only him but audiences as well. It did not appear that a clear project, television or film, was waiting for him until 2019. That was when he met M. Night Shyamalan.

The Draw of Shyamalan for Actors and Audiences

Knock at the Cabin featured
Universal Pictures

Shyamalan is by far one of the biggest draws in modern movie history. His name is synonymous with the theater-going experience and his hit-or-miss record has a few more hits than misses. However, his concepts never disappoint even if his execution sometimes falters.

For audiences, the idea of a successful Shyamalan movie is wonderful. Since he broke out with The Sixth Sense (1999) we always want to know if he’ll be able to pull off his endings. Will the story be predictable? Not likely. Will the ending make us gasp and point and want to spoil it for our friends? We certainly hope so.

When it comes to actors, the idea of working with an artist like Shyamalan means the possibility of film immortality. His films are stuck in our collective unconscious in a way that few pieces of media can be. We live in a world where everything seems like it comes and goes for our immediate consumption. However, an M. Night Shyamalan movie stays with you and makes you want it over and over as the years go by. The amazing thing is that his most successful films have twist endings. But even when we know the ending they always make for a great rewatch.

For an actor, the idea of being in a cinematic spectacle like this is alluring. Shyamalan brings them a juicy script with interesting parts and stories they can’t put down. When a script can crackle in your hands it will almost always sizzle on screen. Bruce Willis learned this. James McAvoy learned this. Even Samuel L. Jackson learned this. At one point they even learned it together.

Grint Has Found His Calling

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Netflix

Grint is a character actor. A great character actor can find the projects that give them work and that allow them to stay recognizable. For Grint, the goal may also be to shed some of his Ron Weasley fame and find success in a different role.

Shyamalan has begun helping Grint on his journey. The first thing he did was cast him as Julian Pearce in the show Servant in 2019. His performance is not only outstanding, but it also proves his range to wider audiences that may not know his post-Potter work. For the role, Grint won the Best Supporting Actor award from the Hollywood Critics Association.

Related: Will Knock at the Cabin Be the Start of a New Wave of Shyamalan Films?

The show was a bit of a sleeper hit, with audiences finding it and thus allowing it to run for four seasons on Apple TV+. This might be a normal pick-up for a reality show but dramas, and especially dramas with Shyamalan twists are not always so lucky. This means people have seen and Apple listened. It is a coup for both the actor and Shyamalan as a producer.

Now, Grint will be starring in A Knock at the Cabin. This is a full-blown Shyamalan project, with him both writing and directing. It is a return to form for the director and a possible second break for Grint. The eyes of the industry and audiences are laser-focused, as they always are when the director presents his work. The hope for an actor like Grint is that not only will it work out, but he will then become a part of the Shyamalan stable of actors.

These roles and awards have provided Grint with the second career-high he has wanted and others have wanted for him. His work has begun leading him to some interesting places, and he recently starred in the series of another acclaimed director in the Netflix show Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities.

Grint is primed to keep his career going at a new pace and level. If Shyamalan can show him the path to success it is high time he took it. Be ready to see this once-again-rising star make his mark and remain a relevant voice in Hollywood.