Rupert Grint Was M. Night Shyamalan's 'Secret Weapon' Behind The Scenes Of Servant
M. Night Shyamalan's "Servant" is the kind of show that implores you to ask questions without giving you any answers. It incorporates the creepy and psychological elements of horror, has a very dark sense of humor, and transforms bizarre situations into something thoroughly absurd. Starring Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free, and Rupert Grint, the Apple TV+ series tells the story of the Turners — Dorothy and Sean (Ambrose and Kebbell) — a couple who hire a live-in nanny (Free) to look after their child — a reborn doll — following the tragic death of their baby boy.
The TV show's visual and aesthetic style makes it very mysterious and atmospheric ... and also very, very vague. You can't help but wonder what's going on most of the time — and you cannot come to trust anyone. Even the familiar-faced Rupert Grint — who plays Dorothy's younger brother Julian Pearce — takes on a chaotic, constantly-changing character (save for his love of wine) with a penchant for intruding on others' lives. And Shyamalan considers him the show's secret weapon.
The story of Servant confused Rupert Grint
During a conversation with Interview Magazine, M. Night Shyamalan and Rupert Grint discussed the "Harry Potter" star's audition tape for "Servant." Grint explained how he didn't have much context during the audition stage — he just knew it was "a conversation between two guys who gave out a doll." The actor didn't know much about the show then; he just knew that he felt in tune with the character.
"I didn't understand exactly what I was reading, but just from the dialogue, and the way and the rhythm in which he spoke, I felt very in tune and it felt very easy, more so than anything I've ever read."
Shyamalan praised Grint's audition — the filmmaker mentioned that he was nervous about how "spot-on" it was. "The Sixth Sense" director was in disbelief at how Grint adopted the character. "'He can't be this spot-on. He can't,'" Shyamalan recalled thinking.
When Grint revealed he thought himself to be bad at audition tapes, and that his audition for "Servant" was the only one he felt confident about, Shyamalan was rather surprised. He now had even higher praise for Grint: "You're shocking me. We refer to you in the writers' room as our secret weapon."
Rupert Grint has had ample practice
The "Servant" showrunner lauded Rupert Grint's versatility as an actor. Everyone knows he started — at age 10 — in the "Harry Potter" film franchise, where he portrayed the protagonist's red-headed best friend, Ron Weasley. As a child actor, Grint had already been commended for his effortless comic timing and physicality. Plus, he worked with directors such as Christopher Columbus and Alfonso Cuarón, not to mention veteran actors in Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, and Imelda Staunton among others. M. Night Shyamalan credits Grint's talent and presence as an actor to his experiences in "Harry Potter:"
"Your flexibility, your agility to do comedy, drama, and physicality in every way. I have to attribute it to the amount of practice you had as a child [...] It didn't even occur to me that you were growing up sparring with some of the great actors of our time."
Grint acknowledged that his decade-long acting stint in the Wizarding World was a "real education." He added, "We worked with so many great directors and people, and when it finished, it did feel like we were graduating from college, in a way."
While the 34-year-old Englishman has largely stayed away from the limelight since his "Harry Potter" days of fame, he has proved his indisputable talent by taking on some distinct roles, with "Servant" being one of them. Three seasons later, Grint has delivered a consistently compelling performance that continues in the ongoing fourth and final season, wrapping up on March 17 on Apple TV+. And he's impressed Shyamalan enough to become a part of the director's latest film, "Knock at the Cabin," out this Friday, February 3 in cinemas.