NEW YORK — Rupert Grint gets to play up his comedic talents in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” which opened today. Grint plays Ron Weasley, best friend to boy wizard Harry Potter. In the sixth film, Weasley gets a girlfriend and joins the Quidditch team. Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry, praised his co-star’s comedic timing.

“For my money, in terms of the comedy, this is Rupert’s finest hour,” Radcliffe said at the New York news conference promoting “Half-Blood Prince.”

“He’s absolutely brilliant in this movie. It kind of reveals him to be a fantastic practitioner of physical comedy. You balance the dramatics off, as well, obviously wonderfully, but the scene on the broomstick in Quidditch — which is like something out of Buster Keaton or something — it’s absolutely brilliant, and I was belly-laughing. It was wonderful.”

Grint said “Half-Blood Prince” was one of the funniest of the Potter films but deflected praise to his co-stars, both “Harry” newcomers.

“You’ve got two new characters as well; Jim Broadbent, who I think is hilarious in it, and Jessie Cave, as well, who is my girlfriend.” Cave plays the bubbly Lavender Brown, who becomes Ron’s very public paramour.

Grint described “Half-Blood Prince” and “Order of the Phoenix” director David Yates as his favorite. Yates is also helming the two-part conclusion to the Potter series, “Deathly Hallows.”

“He’s patient, yeah, which is quite a good thing to have really when you’re working with me and Dan because we laugh a lot,” Grint said. “It must be a bit annoying. But he’s great, such a lovely guy.”

Grint was reported to have a recent bout with swine flu, but he reassured reporters that all was now under control with his health.

“I’m fine now, yeah,” he said. “You’re all safe.”

- by Matthew Price
From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman

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