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Yep, the same charming high school quarterback who stole Hilary Duff’s heart, and half the internet’s, could have been played by Ron Weasley himself.
But Grint didn’t ghost the project for no reason. According to Cosmopolitan, he had to pass on the teen rom-com because he was deep into filming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Hogwarts came calling, and he picked up.
A Cinderella Story, which hit screens in 2004, became a go-to comfort flick for a generation. It followed Sam Montgomery (played by Hilary Duff), a hard-working teen stuck under her stepmother’s thumb. Between shifts at the family diner and prepping for college, she found solace in anonymous emails exchanged with a mystery guy named “Nomad.” Plot twist? Nomad turned out to be Austin Ames, the most popular jock at school.
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That jock, of course, was played by Chad Michael Murray. At the time, Murray was on fire. He had just lit up One Tree Hill, crushed hearts in Freaky Friday, and was on deck for House of Wax. His face was practically stamped on every teen magazine cover from 2003 to 2005.
But it almost wasn’t him.
Rupert Grint, already a global sensation thanks to Harry Potter, had Hollywood’s attention. Casting directors considered him for Austin. The idea of pairing the redheaded Brit with America’s sweetheart, Hilary Duff, definitely raised eyebrows, but it nearly happened. Grint was offered the role, but ultimately turned it down because he had wizarding duties to fulfill. The timing just didn’t work.
After that, Grint stuck with magic over prom kings. He continued to play Ron Weasley through to the end of the series in 2011. While A Cinderella Story went on to become a staple of teen movie culture, Grint took a different path. He chose offbeat indie roles in films like Into the White and CBGB, leaning into projects that pushed him outside of the Potter box.
In years later, Grint re-emerged with Servant on Apple TV+, stepping into psychological horror and adult drama. He proved he could do more than sling spells or slide into teen romances.
Still, the what-if lingers. Imagine Grint reading those iconic lines under the bleachers. Would the chemistry have clicked? Would A Cinderella Story still have been the same teen rom-com gold?
Maybe not. But it sure made for one fascinating missed connection.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News
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