Interview - Rupert Grint: Another young wizard comes of age

Unlike his famous screen alter-ego, Ron Weasley, Rupert Grint is the epitome of laid-back.

Dressed in a rumpled T-shirt printed with Mozart's face, Acne jeans

and Converses, he grins as he shakes my hand, then ruffles his fingers through his tousled red hair.

"I do get recognised quite often – it's pretty much every day," says the 21-year-old. "I think my hair colour stands out. People kinda look at me anyway.

"It's quite a strange thing, it's built up gradually. I'm

not completely used to it yet, but people are always really nice, so it's never a problem."

He is currently promoting his new film, Wild Target, and admits for once it's nice not to be talking about Harry Potter.

That doesn't mean he's not willing to speak of his wizarding days, which have made him and co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson among Hollywood's highest earners under the age of 25.

Grint – who plays Harry Potter's trusty sidekick, Ron – has recently finished filming the final scenes for the two-part finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The schedule has been punishing, but he managed to film Wild Target in a rare break after completing the sixth instalment.

He has also just finished the British drama Cherrybomb, about three teenagers who go on a wild weekend of drinking, shop-lifting and joy-riding.

The action comedy caper, Wild Target, which also stars Bill Nighy,

Emily Blunt and Martin Freeman, sees Grint play apprentice hitman Tony.

It's a complete departure from the Potter films and he admits that was part of the attraction.

"The guns appealed to me quite a bit – it was refreshing, and very unlike Ron. All the action stuff – the car chase too – was really fun," he says.

"There's a scene where I also had to assemble a gun blind-folded, so I had to learn how the gun comes apart and put it together again. That's quite useful, I suppose – if I need to do it again, I could," he adds, grinning.

Wild Target and Cherrybomb also represented another first for Grint – taking his clothes off.

The actor, who is single, bares all in a love scene in Cherrybomb, and reveals himself to Nighy in Wild Target.

"In Harry Potter, it was just a kiss, really. It was suggestive more than anything. This was a lot more intimate," he says of the Cherrybomb episode.

"It was quite nerve-wracking, and being naked in front of Bill is quite embarrassing.

"Thankfully, there weren't many people on set – just me and him. He didn't really say very much, but yes, it did feel just a bit uncomfortable for the both of us."

With the end nigh for Potter, Grint and the rest have been forced to

think about life after Hogwarts.

He has already signed on to play ski jumper Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards in a biopic about his life, although filming hasn't begun yet.

"It's still early stages," he says. "But the whole story is inspiring because he's the classic underdog and he actually did amazing things.

"He set the British record at the time. He's just got so much guts."

Grint, who never thought of acting as a career before Harry Potter changed his life, is open to offers.

"I'd do literally anything. Anything that's quite different with big characters would be good. Someone dark and insane would be quite cool," he adds.

He could see himself treading the boards like Harry Potter co-star

Daniel Radcliffe, but has some hesitations.

"I'd like to do some stage in the future, definitely, because it seems like you get a lot of satisfaction – probably not naked or singing though," he says.

"It just seems like a massive step and it's a different craft because you only get one chance.

"At the moment, I'm just looking at other stuff. I'll probably take some time off, catch up with friends and have some freedom.

"Then see what happens and take it as it comes."

Wild Target is on general release.

The facts about Rupert

Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint was born in Harlow, Essex, on August 24, 1988, but raised in Watton-at-Stone in Hertfordshire.

He acted in school plays and joined the after-school drama club, before applying for the role of Ron Weasley through Newsround: "I didn't even realise it could be a job. It was all a bit of a fluke."

Grint is the proud owner of a fully-functioning 1970s ice-cream van: "I got it on eBay. I don't drive it anymore because you get a lot of people queueing up for ice-cream and I don't have it always stocked up."

He would like to play an instrument: "I've been trying to learn the banjo for a long time now, and the guitar, but it's really hard."