In November 2020, actor Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame joined Instagram. The versatile actor who played Ron Weasley in the franchise, put up a photo of himself holding his newborn daughter on his account. Within hours, Grint gained a million followers on his account.
When Grint created his account, little did he know he was going to become the Guinness World Record holder for the distinction of being the fasted to gain one million followers. He acquired this feat in four hours and one minute. The record was previously held by Sir David Attenboroug, whose record he beat by 43 minutes.
However, the star refuses to take credit for the fear. He insists that it was not him but his daughter who attracted the million followers. Therefore it was she who was the real record holder. He said: “I think Wednesday actually broke the internet, personally. She gets the credit.”
Rupert and his long-time partner Georgia Groome welcomed their baby girl, Wednesday in May, 2020. The doting dad has been enjoying fatherhood and has admitted in recent interviews that the love he feels right now as a parent is a very different kind of love. It is something he never imagined he would experience. It is no wonder that the first photo the star choose to put up on his Instagram account is one that highlights his newest and most rewarding role. What happened after posting the photograph is something he never imagined either and the fame from the incident is yet to sink in too.
The 32-year-old actor still finds the entire event very “surreal”. In an interview with ‘Entertainment Tonight’, the actor says: “I don’t believe it. It’s very, very surreal. I never thought I would [join Instagram]. I always said that I wouldn’t, and then I just thought, ‘It’s been such a crazy [time]. So why not?’ It’s insane.”
The memorable photo in question does not show the little infant’s face. She is simply in her dad’s arms in a bright pink jumper. The accompanying caption reads: “Hey Instagram … only 10 years late, but here I am. Grint on the Gram! Here to introduce you all to Wednesday G. Grint. Stay safe, Rupert. (sic)”
Harry potter co-star Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the series, was among the first to comment on the post. He wrote: “Welcome Weasley, it’s about time. Love to Wednesday xx.”
The baby’s name, which was revealed to the public for the first time in this post, caught a lot of attention and evoked many discussions on social media. So perhaps one should agree with Rupert that it was indeed his daughter, more than he, who caught public attention and brought him the record breaking fame.
Rupert crossed the 2 million follower milestone in less than a day and currently has more than 4 million followers. He himself is following a diverse range of accounts as well. The actor seems to be having an eventful Instagram experience.