Rupert Grint
English actor (born 1988)
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint (; born 24 August 1988) is an English actor. He rose to fame for his role as Ron Weasley in the "Harry Potter" film series, for which he was cast at age eleven, having previously acted only in school plays and his local theatre group. Grint portrayed Weasley in all eight films in the series, beginning with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (2001) and concluding with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" (2011). Since then, he has continued to work in film, television, and theatre.
Beginning in 2002, Grint began to work outside of the "Harry Potter" franchise, with a co-leading role in "Thunderpants". He starred in the dramedy "Driving Lessons" (2006) and the drama "Cherrybomb" (2009) and co-starred in the comedy "Wild Target" (2010). After the "Harry Potter" series concluded, he appeared in the films "Into the White" (2012), "Charlie Countryman" (2013), "CBGB" (2013), "Moonwalkers" (2015), and "Knock at the Cabin" (2023). Grint made his stage debut in 2013 in "Mojo" at the Harold Pinter Theatre. He executive-produced and starred in the television series "Snatch", based on the film of the same name. He has also starred in the black comedy series "Sick Note", the mystery thriller miniseries "The ABC Murders", and the psychological horror series "Servant".
Early life.
Grint was born on 24 August 1988 in Harlow, Essex, to Nigel Grint, a dealer in racing memorabilia, and Joanne Grint (née Parsons). He is the eldest of five siblings. He has said that his earliest goal in life was to become an ice cream man. He grew up in Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire, and was educated at Richard Hale School, in Hertford. Grint was raised a Catholic and said he "feared God" as a child.
While in school, he took an avid interest in theatre. He began performing in school productions and joined the Top Hat Stage and Screen School, a local theatre group that cast him as a fish in "Noah's Ark" and a donkey in a nativity play. He continued participating in school plays as he moved into secondary school. Nonetheless, he had never acted professionally prior to the "Harry Potter" series. He left school at sixteen to focus on his acting career, saying he "didn't really like school that much".
Career.
1999–2011: "Harry Potter" and worldwide recognition.
Starting in 1999, casting began for the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", the best-selling novel by J. K. Rowling. Rowling insisted the cast be British and assisted Susie Figgis and director Chris Columbus in casting the roles. Grint, a fan of the book series, chose to audition for the role of Ron Weasley, one of Harry Potter's best friends at Hogwarts. Having seen a "Newsround" report about the open casting, he sent in a video of himself rapping about how he wished to receive the role, and the casting team asked for a meeting with him. In August 2000, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Grint were selected to play Harry, Hermione Granger, and Ron. Grint is the oldest member of the trio. The release of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in 2001 was Grint's debut screen performance. Breaking records for opening-day sales and opening-weekend takings, it was the year's highest-grossing film. With a total of US$974 million in its theatrical run, it stands as the series' second most commercially successful entry. It was critically well-received, scoring mainly positive reviews. However, a number of critics found the adaption's faithfulness to the book both its best and worst quality. Grint won a Satellite Award in the category of Outstanding New Talent, and a Young Artist Award for Most Promising Young Newcomer.
A year later, Grint again starred as Ron in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002). It opened to positive reviews and critics generally enjoyed the lead actors' performances. Both "Los Angeles Times" and "New York Magazine" observed that Grint and his peers had matured between films, with the latter pointing out that Grint had become "more proficient" and said they missed "the amateurish ardour" the actor and Watson carried in "Philosopher's Stone". "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004) was released on 31 May in the UK. The film sees all three of its lead characters hover on the brink of adolescence, "and while they look braver and more capable than before, the dangers they face seem far more grave and their vulnerability more intense." Alfonso Cuarón took over direction for "Prisoner of Azkaban," which remains the lowest-grossing "Harry Potter" film with US$795 million in revenue. Nonetheless, it was the second highest-grossing movie of 2004, behind "Shrek 2".
In 2005, Grint reprised his role for the fourth film in the series – "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". The adaptation, unlike previous films, explored romantic elements and included more humour. In a 2005 interview with IGN, all three lead actors singled out humour as a reason for the film's success. It was directed by Mike Newell, whom Grint characterised as "really loud and not afraid to swear at you, but he was really cool". "Goblet of Fire" is one of the series' best-reviewed instalments, and is noted for its characters' maturity and sophistication, darker and more complex plotline, and the quality of the screenplay and lead actors' performances.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", the fifth film in the "Harry Potter" franchise, was released to cinemas in 2007. A huge financial success, it set a record worldwide opening-weekend gross of US$394 million, superseding "Spider-Man 3". It was directed by a new filmmaker, David Yates, who directed all of the subsequent "Potter" films. Grint said the laid-back director was "really good" and helped keep the material fresh. Grint and his "Harry Potter" co-stars left imprints of their hands, feet and wands in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
On 15 July 2009, the series' sixth instalment, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", was released and again set box office records. In its theatrical run, it earned US$933 million ticket sales. It is also one of the most positively reviewed Harry Potter films, with critics praising its "emotionally satisfying" story, direction, cinematography, visual design and music. Grint observed a change in Ron in this entry, pointing out that his once insecure, often overshadowed character started to become more secure and even began to show a dark side. He found it fun to personify a more emotional Ron. Between 2009 and 2010, Grint's work received three award nominations, including one win—an Otto Award from the German magazine "Bravo".
Despite the previous films' successes, the franchise's future was put into question when the three lead actors had reservations about signing on for the final two films. However, by March 2007, Grint agreed to return for the last installments. For financial and scripting reasons, the final book was divided into two films, shot back-to-back, with filming concluding in June 2010. After completing the final film, Grint said: "I mean it literally has been my childhood, and suddenly it all came down to really just one random scene, with us jumping through a fireplace, and then it was over. ...it's very odd. Because suddenly it was all over, just like that. It was really emotional for all of us, realising that we're never going to be doing this again."
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1" (2010) was released in November and grossed over US$950 million. It set several box office records and received mostly favourable reviews. Grint's portrayal of Ron again earned him critical praise. Reviewing the adaption for "Slate", Dana Stevens called all three of the leads "terrific". Although he disliked the film, Joe Morgenstern of "The Wall Street Journal" wrote that "Grint has grown up to be a skilful actor who knows the value of a slow burn". Grint's performance brought him nominations from the MTV Movie Awards and National Movie Awards for Best Fight and Performance of the Year in 2011. He reprised his role for the seventh time in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2", the final "Harry Potter" instalment. It resumed from where the previous film left off, and included a lot of action, whereas "Part 1" had focused more on character development. Grint, along with the film, was critically acclaimed: Ann Hornaday of "The Washington Post" wrote, "Who could have predicted that Radcliffe, Grint and Watson would turn out to be good actors?". The film broke several box office records, including biggest midnight release, biggest first-day opening, and biggest opening-weekend. "Deathly Hallows – Part 2" became the fourth highest-grossing film of all time.
"Harry Potter" author J. K. Rowling gave a speech at the world premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" on 7 July 2011 in London. She said that there were seven "Harry Potter" film series cast members whom she called "The Big Seven"; Grint was one of them, with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch and Bonnie Wright.
2002–2011: Concurrent film work during "Harry Potter".
In 2002, Grint starred in his first non-"Harry Potter" film, "Thunderpants", which revolves around Patrick (played by Bruce Cook) whose remarkable capacity for flatulence scores him a job as an astronaut. In this film, Grint played the co-lead role of Alan, an anosmic boy who is Patrick's only friend. It was generally ignored by critics and audiences. Most critics who did take notice of it did not respond well to it, with one writing: "This film should be shown in prisons so that inmates have a good reason to never return." Grint also appeared in "Driving Lessons", a comedy drama released in 2006, starring opposite Julie Walters. It met with a mixed reception by critics, but his portrayal of an oppressed teenage boy was generally praised. "Alt Film Guide"'s Andre Soares wrote: "Grint, on the other hand, is a revelation . . . [He] displays an innate naturalness mixed with personal charisma that turn a potentially pathetic Christian freak into a humorous, thoroughly likable – if more than a little awkward – young man".
In July 2008, it was announced that Grint would star in the drama film "Cherrybomb" with Robert Sheehan and Kimberley Nixon. Grint found shooting this film very different from the "Harry Potter" films, as he had to adjust to doing a dozen scenes per day. Grint's character—Malachy, a worker at Belfast—goes to great lengths to impress his boss's daughter, with whom he is infatuated. This film, like his next project, involved him playing violent roles. Despite premiering at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival, the film was initially unable to find a distributor. An online campaign by Grint's fans was credited with helping to secure a distribution deal in the UK in 2010.
Jonathan Lynn directed Grint in "Wild Target", a 2010 comedy thriller, where he starred with Emily Blunt and Bill Nighy. A remake of the 1993 French film "Cible Emouvante", it was made on a relatively small budget of US$8 million. It was a commercial failure, earning only US$3.4 million, and garnered mostly negative reviews in the media, which criticised it for dishonouring the original film and wasting the comedic potential of its cast. However, Grint also attracted some positive notice: "It's nice to see Rupert Grint perform well in a role other than that of Ron Weasley, and it's clear that he's got a career ahead of him."
In January 2011, Grint made a cameo appearance on the BBC popular comedy show "Come Fly with Me," starring comedy duo Matt Lucas and David Walliams (Little Britain). In March 2011, he was cast as the lead character in the small-budget anti-war Norwegian film "Into the White", directed by Petter Næss. Principal photography started in April, and the film, which was shot on location, was released in 2012. It is based on a real incident that took place on 27 April 1940, when German Luftwaffe pilot Horst Schopis's bomber was shot down at Grotli by a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Blackburn Skua, which then crash-landed. The several German and British crew members found shelter by chance during a harsh winter there.
In August 2011, Grint did a photo shoot with his friend and "Harry Potter" co-star Tom Felton in Los Angeles for the autumn/winter collection of the fashion label Band of Outsiders. In September 2011, it was announced that Grint would voice a character in the along with David Tennant, Stephen Mangan and Jim Broadbent; it was released in May 2014. Grint also appears in the music video for Ed Sheeran's song "Lego House", released on 20 October 2011.
2012–present: Further work, theatre, and television.
In March 2012, the "Visit Britain" TV ad was released, featuring Grint alongside Julie Walters, Michelle Dockery and Stephen Fry, promoting holidaying at home in the UK. Later that month, "Variety" reported that Grint had been cast alongside Chloë Grace Moretz in "The Drummer", a biopic film about drummer Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. That day, "The Hollywood Reporter" confirmed it and announced that filming would begin 15 June 2012 in California and Savannah, Georgia.
On 25 July 2012, Grint carried the 2012 London Olympic torch during the Olympic Torch Relay, part of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. He told the BBC News that it was an "overwhelming" experience that he "hoped to remember forever", and told "The Daily Telegraph," "It was amazing, it was really overwhelming. It's just such an honour to be a part of this. I'm really proud". In October 2012, he narrated "We Are Aliens", a 25-minute 3D Planetarium Fulldome film about the possibility of other intelligent life in the universe.
On 13 February 2013, "The Hollywood Reporter"'s Live Feed announced that Grint would star in a television pilot for CBS called "Super Clyde". It did not become a series. In July 2013, it was confirmed that Grint would make his stage debut in the second run of Jez Butterworth's black comedy "Mojo", with Grint playing Sweets, a hood who "pops amphetamines like Smarties" and "does a sort of double act, full of comic menace". The play, which also starred Brendan Coyle, Ben Whishaw and Daniel Mays, was based on real-life events, and ran from 26 October 2013 to 8 February 2014 at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London. Grint won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best London Newcomer for his role.
In September 2013, "The Hollywood Reporter" confirmed that Grint would star in an adaptation of Macbeth called "Enemy of Man", also featuring Sean Bean, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng, James D'Arcy, Neil Maskell and Joe Gilgun, and directed by Vincent Regan. Filming began in January 2014 in the United Kingdom. In June 2014, it was announced that Grint would make his Broadway debut as Frank Finger in the play "It's Only a Play" at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, appearing with Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Stockard Channing, and Megan Mullally. It ran from 28 August 2014 to 4 January 2015.
Since 2019, Grint has starred as Julian Pearce in the Apple TV+ psychological horror series "Servant". The series has been critically praised. In December 2021, the show was renewed for its fourth and final season.
Grint starred in the 2022 Netflix anthology series "Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities" and in M. Night Shyamalan's 2023 thriller film "Knock at the Cabin". He also reunited with multiple cast members of the "Harry Potter" film series for an HBO Max special, "", which premiered on 1 January 2022.
Personal life.
Grint has been in a relationship with actress Georgia Groome since 2011. They have a daughter, born in May 2020. He joined Instagram in November 2020, posting a photo of himself holding his newborn daughter. He reached one million followers within four hours and one minute of creating his account, breaking the previous Guinness World Records title for the fastest time to reach one million followers on the platform.
As Grint's earliest ambition was to be an ice cream man, he bought an ice cream van with the money he earned from the "Harry Potter" series and sold ice cream to local customers.
He took part in the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay, carrying the flame through Hendon in northwest London to outside Middlesex University.
Grint is a keen football fan and an avid supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.
Philanthropy.
Grint has supported various charitable organisations, including donating personal items to charity auctions. He participated in the Wacky Rally in 2010 with James and Oliver Phelps, which raised money for Britain's Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He was one of more than 40 people to produce designs for the Chrysalis Collection for Keech Hospice Care in Luton. His piece, a painted butterfly, was auctioned on eBay in March 2010. In May 2011, with other celebrities, he took part in the "Make Mine Milk" ad campaign to promote daily milk drinking. His ads were seen on posters and the sides of thousands of buses across the United Kingdom. Since 2011, he has supported the Little Star Award for Cancer Research UK. "I think that it's wonderful that Cancer Research UK is helping to bring a little bit of magic to the children's lives in this way," he said.
Tax affairs.
In 2016, Grint lost an appeal against HMRC's decision to block his attempt to change his accounting date. This move was intended to reduce his tax liability by deferring income into a lower tax year. At that time, the actor was calculated to have earned around £24 million from the Harry Potter franchise. However, HMRC successfully argued that the change was motivated by tax avoidance rather than legitimate business reasons.
In 2019, HMRC brought another case against Grint. He was ordered to pay an additional £1.8 million in tax after losing the legal battle with HMRC. The tax authority argued that a £4.5 million sum he received should be classified as income rather than as a capital asset which is subject to much lower tax rate. This ruling increased his tax liability for the 2011–12 tax year. Grint later lost his appeal claim and was ordered to pay £1.8 million of tax liability and legal costs.
References.
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Ron Weasley
Fictional character of Harry Potter series
Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in the "Harry Potter" series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He is introduced in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" as a first-year student on his way to the wizarding school Hogwarts. During the school year, Ron befriends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Being the only member of the trio who was raised in wizarding society, he provides insight into wizarding customs and traditions. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and is present for most of the action throughout the series. Ron is portrayed by Rupert Grint in all eight "Harry Potter" films.
Creation and development.
Ron was one of the first "Harry Potter" characters that Rowling created. Although Ron and Hermione form a romantic bond in the series and eventually have children, Rowling confessed in a 2014 interview that she wrote the relationship as "a form of wish fulfilment". She said the characters are fundamentally incompatible in some ways, but that their relationship might function with "a bit of counselling".
Appearances.
Novels.
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone".
Ron is introduced in the first novel in the series, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (1997). He and his family encounter Harry Potter at King's Cross station and help him find the Hogwarts Express. Once aboard the train, Ron and Harry meet Hermione Granger, whom they initially dislike. At Hogwarts, all three students are assigned to Gryffindor House. After Ron and Harry save Hermione from a troll, they develop a friendship with her. When the trio seeks the Philosopher's Stone, Ron uses his skill at Wizard's Chess to allow Harry and Hermione to proceed safely through a dangerous, life-sized chess game. At the last dinner of the school year, the Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore rewards Ron's chess skill by giving him fifty House points, which helps Gryffindor win the House Cup.
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets".
Ron returns in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (1998). During the summer after his first year at Hogwarts, Ron writes to Harry several times. He receives no answer because his letters are intercepted by Dobby the house-elf. Ron becomes so concerned that he and his brothers Fred and George fly to Harry's house in their father's enchanted car. Harry spends the next month at the Weasleys' home. When Harry and Ron are unable to board the train to Hogwarts, they take the flying car instead. Ron receives a Howler from his mother, who berates him for taking the car.
Later in the novel, Ron and Harry use Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as they infiltrate the Slytherin dormitory and attempt to gather information about the Chamber of Secrets. During a journey into the Forbidden Forest, Ron is forced to encounter his worst nightmare: spiders. The giant arachnids nearly devour Ron and Harry, but the enchanted car rescues them. Ron and Harry then enter the Chamber to save Ron's sister Ginny, who was kidnapped. After Harry rescues her, both boys are given awards for their service to Hogwarts.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".
In "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (1999), Ron's pet rat Scabbers goes missing. Ron, Harry and Hermione eventually discover him hiding in Hagrid's hut. When Scabbers runs off again, Ron chases him to the Whomping Willow, where he is snatched by a large black dog and dragged into a tunnel. Ron and his friends follow the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. The dog turns out to be Sirius Black, who explains that Scabbers is actually the Death Eater Peter Pettigrew. As Ron returns to Hogwarts with Harry, Hermione, Sirius and Remus Lupin, Pettigrew knocks Ron unconscious and escapes. Ron is forced to remain in the hospital wing of Hogwarts while Harry and Hermione travel back in time to rescue Sirius and the hippogriff Buckbeak.
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire".
The Weasleys invite Harry and Hermione to the Quidditch World Cup in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2000). Ron is in awe when he sees his favourite Quidditch player, Viktor Krum. He is even more excited when Krum comes to Hogwarts to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. At Christmas time, Ron attends the Yule Ball with Padma Patil. He becomes very upset when he sees that Hermione's date to the Ball is Krum, and the two have a heated argument. In the second task of the Tournament, Harry must rescue Ron from the depths of the Great Lake in Hogwarts.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".
In "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2003), Ron is made a Gryffindor prefect. His brother Percy congratulates him and advises him to become an ally of Dolores Umbridge, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor appointed by the Ministry of Magic. Ron, however, does not support Umbridge's policy of refusing to teach students practical defensive magic. He, Harry and Hermione form the group Dumebledore's Army, which provides a venue for students to practise defensive spellcasting. Ron also joins the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Keeper and helps Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup. Near the end of the novel, Ron battles Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries alongside Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. He is injured during the fight, but makes a full recovery.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".
Ron returns as Quidditch Keeper in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2005). However, he performs poorly at Quidditch after learning that Hermione may have kissed Krum. He becomes upset when he observes his younger sister Ginny kissing a boy, and Ginny reacts by pointing out that Ron has never been kissed. To bolster Ron's confidence for an upcoming Quidditch match, Harry pretends to give him a luck potion. Believing he has actually taken the potion, Ron performs well and Gryffindor wins the match. During the ensuing celebration, Ron kisses Lavender Brown. Hermione becomes jealous and begins to ignore Ron, who gradually becomes dissatisfied with his relationship with Lavender.
In March, Ron eats chocolates containing a love potion. Horace Slughorn administers an antidote, then kindly offers Ron some mead. Unbeknownst to Slughorn, the mead is poisoned; Harry saves Ron's life by forcing a bezoar down his throat. Ron is taken to the hospital wing, where he is visited by a panic-stricken Hermione. After recovering, Ron reconciles with Hermione and breaks up with Lavender. Later in the novel, Death Eaters enter Hogwarts. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and other students and staff fight them. Snape kills Dumbledore during the battle, after which Ron and Hermione vow to help Harry find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. Rowling said that before this novel, Ron is "quite immature". She said the events of "Half-Blood Prince" help the character to "grow up emotionally" and "make himself worthy of Hermione".
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
In "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (2007), Ron and his friends use Polyjuice Potion to impersonate employees of the Ministry of Magic. They then infiltrate the Ministry and retrieve a Horcrux in the possession of Dolores Umbridge. Fearing the locket containing the Horcrux might be lost or stolen, Harry requests that someone wear it at all times. Wearing the locket has a profound effect on Ron, who lashes out at Harry and Hermione and abandons them. Ron immediately regrets his decision to leave, but is captured by Snatchers and cannot return. Eventually he reunites with his companions with the help of the Deluminator he inherited from Dumbledore. He finds Harry attempting to recover the Sword of Gryffindor from an icy pool and rescues him from drowning. Harry forgives Ron for leaving and insists that he use the sword to destroy the locket.
The trio are captured by Snatchers but are rescued by the house-elf Dobby, who dies during the escape. Eventually, the trio returns to Hogwarts, hoping to find the last unknown Horcrux shown in Harry's vision. Having lost the Sword of Gryffindor to Griphook the goblin, Ron gets an idea to procure more Basilisk fangs and manages to speak enough Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets, where Hermione destroys the Horcrux in Helga Hufflepuff's cup. He begins to worry about the fate of Hogwarts' elves. Upon hearing this, Hermione drops the basilisk fangs she was carrying and kisses him for the first time. He also takes part in the Battle of Hogwarts, witnessing the death of his brother Fred, and teams up with Neville to defeat Fenrir Greyback.
In the epilogue of "Deathly Hallows", which is set nineteen years after Voldemort's death, Ron and Hermione are sending their daughter Rose Granger-Weasley off to her first year at Hogwarts. They also have a younger son named Hugo. In interviews following the release of the novel, Rowling gave differing accounts of Ron's life after the events of the series. On one occasion she said Ron and Harry work for the Ministry of Magic as Aurors. In a later interview, she said that Ron works at the joke shop Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes with his brother George.
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child".
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is a play written by Jack Thorne from an original story by Thorne, J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany. The plot occurs nineteen years after the events of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". In the play, Ron and Hermione send their daughter Rose on the train to Hogwarts. Hermione is now the Minister for Magic, while Ron manages Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with his brother George. In the second act, Harry's son Albus Severus and Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius travel through time, and their actions change Ron and Hermione's relationship during their time at Hogwarts. Ron falls in love with Padma Patil at the Yule Ball, with the result that Ron and Hermione never marry. However, this alternate timeline is eventually erased, and the original timeline is restored.
In 2016, Paul Thornley portrayed Ron Weasley in the stage debut of the play at the Palace Theatre in London. For his performance, Thornley was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Play at the 2017 WhatsOnStage Awards. Thornley reprised the role in 2018 at the Lyric Theater on Broadway.
Portrayal in films.
Rupert Grint portrays Ron Weasley in all eight "Harry Potter" films. He auditioned after seeing a segment on the children's news programme, "Newsround", inviting children to apply for the role. Grint sent in a photo, a self-written script and a rap explaining his suitability for the part. Rowling was supportive of the casting, calling Grint perfect for the role. Grint's performance in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" earned him the Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent and the Young Artist Award for Most Promising Young Newcomer. In a 2020 article, Nathan Sharp of "Screen Rant" described him as the most "natural" child actor in the early films, and "excellent from minute one". Grint commented on playing Ron in the series: "The line between Ron Weasley and me got thinner with each film".
Characterisation.
Outward appearance.
In the first novel, Ron is described as "tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose". He has the trademark red hair of the Weasleys, and is one of Harry's tallest schoolmates, even outgrowing some of his older brothers. Rowling has stated that Ron has blue eyes.
Personality.
Ron is known for his humour, loyalty, readiness to defend his friends and his love of food. In an interview, Rowling described Ron as very funny but insensitive and immature. As his first exercise with the actors who portray the central trio, Alfonso Cuarón, who directed the third film in the series, "Prisoner of Azkaban", assigned them to write an autobiographical essay about their character, written in the first person, spanning birth to the discovery of the magical world, and including the character's emotional experience. Of Rupert Grint's essay, Cuarón recalls, "Rupert didn't deliver the essay. When I questioned why he didn't do it, he said, 'I'm Ron; Ron wouldn't do it.' So I said, 'Okay, you do understand your character.'" Commenting on Ron's character development in the final book, Rowling explained that "Ron is the most immature of the three main characters, but in part seven he grows up. He was never strong footed, people see him mostly as Harry's friend; his mother had actually wanted a girl and in the last book he finally has to acknowledge his weaknesses. But it's exactly that which makes Ron a man."
Ron proves his bravery and magical ability several times, such as by playing 'real wizard's chess' in the first book, entering into the Forbidden Forest with Harry during the second book despite his arachnophobia, producing a full-corporeal Patronus Charm in the fifth book and even, in the seventh book, getting basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets by mimicking Parseltongue without understanding it.
Some of Ron's qualities serve as foils to Harry's. Whereas Harry is an orphan with more gold than he needs, Ron comes from a loving but poor family. Many of his possessions are hand-me-downs. Harry is famous but would prefer to avoid the spotlight; Ron, in comparison, is often perceived as a mere lackey and sometimes becomes jealous of the recognition Harry receives. Overshadowed by his many siblings and the fame and achievements of his friends, Ron's inferiority complex and need to prove himself are the main thrusts of his character arc. As the books progress, he matures from an insecure boy to a competent young man capable of strategy and leadership.
Magical abilities and skills.
Ron is given his brother Charlie's old, chipped wand, which is made out of ash and has a unicorn hair sticking out of the end. He holds the wand together with Spellotape after nearly breaking it in half at the start of "Chamber of Secrets", but it malfunctions dreadfully after this, backfiring spells, making strange noises, and emitting objects from the wrong end. Ron's new wand is fourteen inches, willow and unicorn hair, which he procures before the start of his third year at Hogwarts. Ron's talents are rarely shown, but he, like the other DA members, survives a violent encounter with adult Death Eaters in "Order of the Phoenix", and it is implied that during the Death Eater assault in "Half-Blood Prince" he held his own quite well because he was being helped by Felix Felicis, the good luck potion. In "Deathly Hallows", Ron loses his original wand, and takes Peter Pettigrew's wand for his own. Following this, Ron begins to demonstrate more aptitude and general knowledge, along with a sudden spurt in maturity after a terrible row with Harry. For a while, he effectively leads the trio in the hunt for the Horcruxes while Harry suffers a major depression.
Reception.
The entertainment website "IGN" selected Ron as the third best "Harry Potter" character, writing that his status as comic relief makes him "instantly endearing". The "IGN" writers observed that "unlike most sidekicks, Ron isn't a coward or a simpleton, nor is he content to live in Harry's shadow ... Ron overcomes his shortcomings with faithfulness and perseverance". "Empire" magazine included Ron's friendship with Harry as one of the 33 best friendships in film.
In popular culture.
In 2003, the British charity organisation Comic Relief performed a spoof story called "Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan", in which Jennifer Saunders appeared as both Ron and J. K. Rowling.
References.
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Chris Rankin
New Zealand–born British actor
Chris Rankin is a New Zealand–born British actor, director, and producer who is best known for playing Percy Weasley in the "Harry Potter film franchise".
Early life.
Rankin was adopted. Rankin lived in Rothesay Bay until he was six, attending Kristin School in Albany. He and his parents subsequently moved to Norfolk in


Better Call Saul
American legal crime drama television series (2015–2022)
Better Call Saul is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the "Breaking Bad" franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, "Breaking Bad" (2008–2013), to which it serves primarily as a prequel, with some scenes taking place during and after the events of "Breaking Bad". "Better Call Saul" premiered on AMC on February 8, 2015, and ended on August 15, 2022, after six seasons consisting of 63 episodes.
Set primarily in the early to mid-2000s in Albuquerque, New Mexico, several years before "Breaking Bad", "Better Call Saul" examines the ethical decline of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), an aspiring lawyer and former con artist who becomes the egocentric criminal-defense attorney Saul Goodman, and Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), a former corrupt police officer who becomes a fixer and enforcer for drug traffickers. Other main characters include Jimmy's romantic interest and colleague Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), his brother and rival Chuck McGill (Michael McKean), Chuck's law partner Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian), drug dealer Nacho Varga (Michael Mando), drug lord Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), and cartel enforcer Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton). In addition to the primary storyline, "Better Call Saul" includes black-and-white flashforwards set in 2010, after the events of "Breaking Bad", which explore the consequences of Saul's actions across both series. Odenkirk, Banks, and Esposito reprise their roles from "Breaking Bad", as do many others in guest appearances.
Gilligan, who created and developed "Breaking Bad", and Gould, who wrote the "Breaking Bad" episode "Better Call Saul", began considering a Saul Goodman spin-off in 2009. Because Saul's role in "Breaking Bad" had expanded beyond the writing staff's plans, Gilligan felt he could be explored further. He and Gould considered making a half-hour legal comedy featuring Saul and his various clients, but settled on an hour-long tragedy showing how he develops into the character seen in "Breaking Bad". "Better Call Saul"'s development began during the production of "Breaking Bad"'s final season in 2013, with Gilligan and Gould serving as co-showrunners and numerous production staff returning. Gilligan left "Better Call Saul" early in the third season—making Gould the sole showrunner for the remainder of its run—though he returned to help write the final season.
"Better Call Saul" received critical acclaim, with praise for its acting, characters, writing, direction, and cinematography. Many reviewers have considered it a worthy successor to "Breaking Bad"—some deeming it superior to its predecessor—and one of the greatest television series of all time. It has garnered many accolades, including 2 Peabody Award nominations, 53 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations, 19 Writers Guild of America Award nominations, 20 Critics' Choice Television Award nominations, 9 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, and 6 Golden Globe Award nominations. At the time of its airing, the series premiere held the record for the highest-rated scripted series premiere in basic cable history.
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Premise.
"Better Call Saul" is a spin-off of "Breaking Bad", a popular crime drama television series that ran from 2008 to 2013. It is primarily a prequel that focuses on Jimmy McGill, a former con artist aiming to gain respectability as a public defender, and chronicles his gradual transformation into his eventual "Breaking Bad" persona of Saul Goodman, the flamboyant criminal lawyer with ties to the drug cartel. Most of the show takes place over a two-year period before the events of "Breaking Bad", spanning approximately 2002 to 2004.
Jimmy is inspired by his older brother Chuck McGill to leave his Chicago-area conman past, when he was known as "Slippin' Jimmy". He initially works in the mailroom at his brother's Albuquerque law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM), where managing partner Howard Hamlin becomes his nemesis. While at HHM Jimmy befriends Kim Wexler, a fellow mailroom employee who completes law school and becomes one of the firm's associates, and their friendship later turns romantic. Jimmy is motivated by Chuck's success to finish college and complete a Juris Doctor degree through a correspondence law school, the fictitious University of American Samoa.
After attaining admission to the bar but being denied employment at HHM, Jimmy's pursuits focus on low-paying clients, including working as a public defender. He later begins to build a practice in elder law, which leads to a prolonged lawsuit against a nursing home chain he discovers is defrauding its clients. He and Chuck begin working together on a class-action suit, which Chuck quickly turns over to HHM, squeezing out Jimmy. Jimmy begins to unravel due to Chuck's constant belittling, sabotage, and vindictive behavior toward him. Jimmy's life and career begin to intersect with the illegal narcotics trade and feature characters and story arcs that continue into "Breaking Bad".
Among these arcs is the uneasy relationship between rival members of a drug cartel. On one side is Gus Fring, a fried chicken entrepreneur whose restaurant chain is a front business for his narcotics distribution. On the other are the Salamancas, a Mexican crime family who claim to have begun the drug trade in New Mexico. They are led by Hector Salamanca, and later by his nephew Lalo Salamanca. Those caught up in the conflict between Gus and the Salamancas include Ignacio "Nacho" Varga, a Salamanca associate who wants to protect his father from harm, and Mike Ehrmantraut, a former Philadelphia police officer who becomes a fixer for Gus but also has ties to Jimmy. As his interactions with criminals continue, Jimmy takes on the persona of the colorful Saul Goodman, and he starts to draw on his conman past while his work as an attorney goes from questionable to unethical to illegal.
In addition to selected scenes that take place within the "Breaking Bad" timeline in 2008, the show includes flashforwards, shown in black and white, to events following "Breaking Bad". Taking place in 2010, these flashforwards show Jimmy living as a fugitive under the identity of Gene Takavic, the manager of a Cinnabon store in Omaha, Nebraska. The flashforwards constitute the opening scenes of the first five season premieres, and make up nearly the entirety of the episodes towards the end of the series.
Production.
Conception.
The character of Saul Goodman first appeared during "Breaking Bad"'s second season, in an episode that was also titled "Better Call Saul". Bob Odenkirk, who portrayed Saul Goodman, had never seen the series prior to his appearance. The character was originally intended to appear in only four episodes, but soon became much more developed than the staff had planned. He would eventually stay on the series and become central to its narrative. As "Breaking Bad" continued its run, the character would grow in popularity with the audience. Odenkirk speculated this was because he is "the program's least hypocritical figure", and "is good at his job".
Vince Gilligan, who created and developed "Breaking Bad", and Peter Gould, who wrote the episode with Goodman's first appearance, considered a Saul Goodman spinoff as early as 2009. Gould noted that over the course of "Breaking Bad", there were several "what ifs” their team considered, such as if the show won a Primetime Emmy Award, or if people would buy "Los Pollos Hermanos" T-shirts. The staff did not expect these events to come to fruition, but after they did, they started considering a spin-off featuring Saul as a thought experiment. With the growth of Saul's character, the writers saw ways to explore the character further. While filming the "Breaking Bad" episode "Full Measure", Gilligan asked Odenkirk his thoughts on a spinoff. In July 2012, Gilligan publicly hinted at the idea, stating that he liked "the idea of a lawyer show in which the main lawyer will do anything it takes to stay out of court", including settling on the courthouse steps.
Development.
In April 2013, "Better Call Saul" was confirmed to be in development by Gilligan and Gould. In July 2013, before the second half of "Breaking Bad"'s final season aired, Gilligan said he and Gould were still working out ideas for the spin-off, but a deal had not yet been made. Netflix was one of many interested distributors, but ultimately a deal was made between AMC and the "Breaking Bad" production company Sony Pictures Television.
As Sony and AMC began to commit to a spinoff, Gilligan and Gould worked on what it would be about. They initially considered making it a half-hour show where Saul would see various clients – celebrities in guest roles – in his strip mall office, similarly to "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist", but they had no idea how to write for this type of format. They eventually fell back to planning for hour-long episodes. Gilligan described "Breaking Bad" as being "25-percent humor, 75-percent drama", and speculated that they would reverse that for "Better Call Saul". While the intent was to add more humor, the show remained heavy with dramatic elements, with Odenkirk calling the first season "85 percent drama, 15 percent comedy." Gould would call the comic element of "Better Call Saul" and its predecessor "Breaking Bad" the "secret sauce" to both series, saying that it made their dramatic elements stronger and vice versa.
Gilligan and Gould initially believed that Saul Goodman was insufficient to carry the show by himself, with Gilligan thinking the character was "great flavoring" for a show but not the substance. Eventually they came to realize that Saul, in the "Breaking Bad" timeframe, was a man who had come to accept himself, and recognized the potential of telling the story of how Saul got to be that person. While several of the characters are lawyers in the show, Gilligan and Gould did not want to write a legal show, but instead a crime show, but one that would necessitate some legal elements. To help in these areas, the writers spoke to real lawyers and spent time observing cases at Los Angeles Superior Court, observing that the bulk of the activity in these cases was downtime while waiting for others to complete actions.
Writing.
Gilligan and Gould began as co-showrunners for the series. Former "Breaking Bad" writers Thomas Schnauz and Gennifer Hutchison joined the writing staff, with Schnauz serving as co-executive producer and Hutchison as supervising producer. Also joining the initial writing staff were Bradley Paul and former "Breaking Bad" writer's assistant Gordon Smith.
Having learned several lessons from "Breaking Bad" related to foreshadowing without writing the foresight, Gilligan and Gould gave themselves more flexibility in how "Better Call Saul"'s plot would develop over its run. From the beginning they had no firm idea where it would end up outside the connection to "Breaking Bad". For example, Gilligan and Gould had already committed to the "Better Call Saul" title in the beginning, so that in following this route, they believed they had to quickly get from Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman, or they would otherwise disappoint their audience. However, as they wrote the show, they realized "we don't want to get to Saul Goodman … and that's the tragedy". Rhea Seehorn's performance as Kim Wexler during the first season also influenced this decision. Impressed with Seehorn and her character, the writers subsequently decided to put more focus on the Jimmy–Kim relationship starting in the second season, in addition to further slowing Jimmy's transition into Saul Goodman for the remainder of the series. Gilligan compared this to the impact Aaron Paul's acting had on "Breaking Bad"'s eventual storyline.
In writing for "Better Call Saul", Gilligan and Gould recognized they were including overlaps with "Breaking Bad", and had ideas of characters that they would include, such as Gus Fring, though on no set timetable within the show's development. Gilligan described the writing approach as if developing two separate shows, one that centered on Jimmy/Saul, Kim, Chuck, and Howard, and a second on the more familiar "Breaking Bad" characters like Mike and Gus. Where possible, they had written in minor "Breaking Bad" characters in smaller parts or as Easter eggs to fans, but Gilligan preferred to include such major "Breaking Bad" characters as Walter or Jesse only if this seemed unconstrained and satisfactory to both the production team and the audiences.
Because of the closeness to the "Breaking Bad" storyline, a writer would be tasked at the start of each season to rewatch all 62 episodes of the show and verify that the scripts for the "Better Call Saul" season introduced no conflicts. As the show continued, the show's "brain trust" consisting of script coordinators Ariel Levine and Kathleen Williams-Foshee reviewed each script to help maintain the continuity with "Breaking Bad", including tracking minor character traits and assuring small details from the previous show were kept correct if brought up again.
Gilligan left the "Better Call Saul" writing staff early in the third season to focus on other projects, resulting in Gould becoming sole showrunner. This transition had been planned since the show's debut. Upon his departure, Gilligan expressed his hopes to return to the writers room during the show's final season. He remained involved in the fourth and fifth seasons, but had little to do with developing the show's contents during this period. Instead, Gilligan reduced his role to being a "director for hire", having directed an episode during each season when he was not on the writing staff. Gilligan went on to laud Gould for maintaining the "Better Call Saul"'s high quality, stating the series got better even after he left. Gould would bring Gilligan back to the writers room for the sixth and final season, calling it "wonderful to have him there, so we can finish this show that we started together."
Casting.
Starring cast.
Bob Odenkirk confirmed he would reprise Saul Goodman in the starring role when the series was first announced, but his character would be introduced as lawyer Jimmy McGill. In January 2014, it was announced that Jonathan Banks would reprise his "Breaking Bad" role as Mike Ehrmantraut and be a series regular.
New cast members included Michael McKean as McGill's elder brother Chuck McGill. McKean previously guest-starred in an episode of Odenkirk's "Mr. Show" and Gilligan's "X-Files" episode "Dreamland". Rhea Seehorn auditioned and got the role of Kimberly "Kim" Wexler in April 2014, her character being described as "prestigious attorney ... whose hard life is complicated by her romantic entanglements with somebody else at the firm". In May 2014, Patrick Fabian was cast on the show as Howard Hamlin, a "Kennedy-esque lawyer who's winning at life". After impressing Gilligan and Gould with his audition tape and screen test, Michael Mando was cast as the "smart and calculating criminal" Ignacio "Nacho" Varga. Mando's character had been previously mentioned but not seen in the "Breaking Bad" episode "Better Call Saul".
Going into the third season, Giancarlo Esposito was added to the main cast as Gus Fring, a drug kingpin who previously served as one of "Breaking Bad"'s main antagonists. Esposito was previously a starring cast member in "Breaking Bad" for the same role. McKean would leave the series at season's end due to his character being written out, but would make appearances in the fourth and sixth seasons. Tony Dalton made his first appearance as Lalo Salamanca in the fourth season, and would be promoted to the main cast for the fifth. Similar to Nacho, Lalo had been a character mentioned only by name in the same "Breaking Bad" episode "Better Call Saul".
Return appearances from "Breaking Bad" cast members.
Before the second season, Gilligan confirmed that more "Breaking Bad" characters would appear on the spin-off, but remained vague on which ones were likely to be seen. By the next season, Gilligan said that the show had been on long enough that any reuse of "Breaking Bad" characters would require more than "just a cameo or an Alfred Hitchcock walkthrough", and that their appearances would need to be essential to the story.
"Breaking Bad" lead actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul regularly said throughout the series run that they would be open to reprising their respective roles as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman on "Better Call Saul". However, both maintained that they would only appear if Gilligan found a sufficiently good reason to bring them on the show. Both would eventually appear in the final season. Dean Norris, a "Breaking Bad" starring cast member who portrayed Hank Schrader, stated that he could not be part of "Better Call Saul" in the beginning due to his involvement in the CBS series "Under the Dome". However, he was able to reprise his role as a guest star in the fifth season. Plans were initially made for Betsy Brandt to reprise her role as Hank's wife Marie Schrader in a cameo in the second season, but the writer's room objected, considering the idea to be distracting for audiences. Brandt would eventually reprise the role in the final season.
Other "Breaking Bad" cast members spoke of the potential of being on "Better Call Saul". Before the series began, Anna Gunn mentioned a talk with Gilligan over possible guest appearances as Skyler White. Bill Burr was set to return as Patrick Kuby in the fifth season, but scheduling fell through due to him needing to attend to a personal matter. After the series ended, Gould mentioned his desire to bring back the remaining "Breaking Bad" characters for the finale, but he and the writing staff could not find a proper way to have them fit into the story.
Filming.
Principal photography for "Better Call Saul"'s six seasons took place from June 2, 2014, to February 9, 2022. Like its predecessor, "Better Call Saul" is set in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, with filming primarily taking place at Albuquerque Studios. Gilligan directed the pilot. Additional filming was done in March 2022, after principal photography for the series ended, for the opening teaser of the season six episode "Point and Shoot". With several crew members but no cast members on hand, the scene was filmed in Leo Carrillo State Beach, California. This was the only time the series was filmed outside of New Mexico.1:00:01–1:01:29
Notable exterior locations include the Twisters restaurant used previously in "Breaking Bad" for Gus's Los Pollos Hermanos, a parking lot kiosk at the Albuquerque Convention Center for where Mike worked in the first few seasons, the Old Bernalillo County Courthouse as the local courthouse, and two nearby office buildings in the North Valley, including Northrop Grumman's, that collectively are used for the HHM office spaces. Jimmy's back office is located in an actual nail salon, which the producers accommodated by working with the owners. The Salamanca's restaurant is a real business in the South Valley that production modified slightly for the show, but which otherwise remained open. The scenes set in Omaha are filmed at Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque; production worked with Cinnabon to bring in the period-specific equipment and service items for the segments, and the extras in the store during these scenes are Cinnabon employees. The New Mexico Film Office reported that the first four seasons of "Better Call Saul" brought over US$ into the state, and they have hired 1,600 crew for each season and a total of 11,300 extras.
"Better Call Saul" employs "Breaking Bad"'s signature time jumps. Notably, the opening episode for the first five seasons started with a black and white flash-forward to a period in the years after the finale of "Breaking Bad". Here, Saul has been relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, as "Gene", a manager of a Cinnabon store, and remains paranoid about anyone discovering his past identity. This was foreshadowed in the penultimate episode of "Breaking Bad", "Granite State", in which Saul tells Walter: "If I'm lucky, a month from now, best-case scenario, I'm managing a Cinnabon in Omaha."
The show's director of photography was Arthur Albert for the first two seasons, and Marshall Adams starting with season 3. Additionally, Paul Donachie served as a cinematographer on episodes "Namaste" (2020), "Carrot and Stick" (2022) and "Hit and Run" (2022). Seasons 1 and 2 were filmed mainly on RED Dragon cameras. Starting with season 3, Panasonic VariCam Pure were incorporated due to their extra low-light sensitivity. This allowed the crew to shoot extra wide exterior shots at night as well as during the day, and to shoot on sets in near total darkness, such as nighttime in Chuck's unelectrified house. For scenes requiring to film from cramped spaces, a Panasonic Lumix GH4 camera was used. In season 4, three RED and two VariCam Pure cameras were used. For seasons 5 and 6, mostly Arri ALEXA LF was used.
Title sequences.
Each episode's title sequence features a different low-quality image that recalls Saul Goodman's days on "Breaking Bad". This includes the inflatable Statue of Liberty balloon that sat atop Saul's office, a drawer of burner phones kept in his desk, and a bus stop bench that advertised his business. Gould and Gilligan were inspired by the poor quality of early VHS tapes and the notoriously low production values of 1980s public-access television, and from the fact that Saul Goodman's ads on "Breaking Bad" were done in a similar style. They intended for the title sequences to appear "purposefully shitty" in order to stand out from its contemporaries, which generally had increased visual quality and production standards. Some of the title sequences were put together from unused footage from "Breaking Bad", but others were filmed specifically to create new ones. The title sequences were put together by assistant editor Curtis Thurber, and scored by Little Barrie guitarist Barrie Cadogan. When Cadogan was putting the music together, he was told the producers wanted a piece of music that would be cut abruptly at 15 seconds.
As every season except for the last has ten episodes each, the title credits for every season's corresponding episode number would reuse the same image. However, beginning with the second season, each of the episode's title sequences would continue to decline in picture quality by intermittently flashing black and white, and continue to lose color with each passing season. This caused many to theorize that this symbolized Jimmy McGill's storyline gradually transitioning to that of his post-"Breaking Bad" alter-ego Gene Takavic, whose scenes were entirely in black and white.
With the final season featuring thirteen episodes instead of the usual ten, the title sequences would take a new format. During "Nippy", the title sequence features Saul Goodman's "World's Greatest Lawyer" mug falling off his desk and shattering on the floor, as was typical during a season's tenth episode. However, the title image and music prematurely stops and is replaced by a blue screen, recreating the effects of a home video recording on a VCR, and then displayed the show's title and creator credits. This is also the first episode to take place entirely after the events of "Breaking Bad". The remaining three title sequences retain the blue background, but briefly flash to an image previously unseen in the intro, with a distorted version of the theme song playing underneath. They then revert to the blue background again and display the title and creator credits. Before the show resumes, they again briefly flash to another new image that will be seen later on in the episodes.
Episodes.
"Better Call Saul" had its series premiere on February 8, 2015, and aired for six seasons until its series finale on August 15, 2022. Its episodes are split between two main timelines. The primary timeline begins in 2002, six years before the first episode of "Breaking Bad". During this period, where a majority of the series takes place, Saul Goodman mainly practices as a lawyer in Albuquerque, New Mexico under his birthname Jimmy McGill.
The secondary timeline takes place in 2010, following events of "Breaking Bad"'s finale, where Saul has fled Albuquerque and hides in Omaha, Nebraska under the alias Gene Takavic. This later timeline would be shown only in the cold open in the first five season premieres, but would be fully explored in the last four episodes of the series.
Season 1 (2015).
The first season was planned to be released in 2014 but was delayed. The first teaser trailer debuted on AMC on August 10, 2014, and confirmed its premiere date of February 2015. On November 20, 2014, AMC announced the series would have a two-night premiere; the first episode aired on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at 10:00 pm (ET), and then moved into its regular time slot the following night, airing new episodes Mondays at 10:00 pm until the season concluded on April 6, 2015.
In 2002, Jimmy schemes to represent Craig Kettleman, accused of embezzlement, leading to encounters with psychotic drug lord Tuco Salamanca and his lieutenant Nacho. Jimmy also cares for his brother Chuck, who is housebound with electromagnetic hypersensitivity. While pursuing elder law, Jimmy learns of seniors being defrauded by the Sandpiper retirement community. As the class action lawsuit against Sandpiper grows, Chuck suggests giving it to his law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill. Jimmy receives a small of counsel fee and a share of any future settlement, but is blocked from participation. Jimmy learns Chuck sabotaged his legal career out of resentment. After the death of an old friend, Jimmy finds success when Davis & Main, another firm HHM brought in to assist with the Sandpiper case, offers to hire him.
In 2010, Gene manages a Cinnabon by day, but in the evening reminisces about his life as Saul by watching a VHS tape of his old television advertisements.
Season 2 (2016).
Prior to the series' launch, on June 19, 2014, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes to premiere in early 2016, which was later reduced to 10 episodes. The season premiered on February 15, 2016, and concluded on April 18, 2016.
In 2002, Jimmy works as an associate at D&M, but quits after his ostentatious legal style doesn't mesh with the firm's corporate demeanor. Kim is demoted by Chuck's partner, Howard Hamlin, because of Jimmy's actions. She secures banking firm Mesa Verde as an HHM client, although Howard denies her credit. Kim quits HHM and opens a shared private practice with Jimmy. Jimmy sabotages Chuck's work for Mesa Verde, which drops HHM and hires Kim, but Chuck discovers this and tricks Jimmy into confessing. Nacho wants to hire Mike Ehrmantraut to kill Tuco, but Mike instead removes him from the Salamanca organization by engineering his imprisonment. Hector Salamanca, cartel elder and Tuco's uncle, confronts Mike. Mike attempts to assassinate Hector, but is mysteriously interrupted.
In 2010, Gene accidentally locks himself in the dumpster room when closing out the Cinnabon for the night. Instead of alerting police, he spends the night waiting for the janitor to open the door.
Season 3 (2017).
AMC announced on March 15, 2016, that "Better Call Saul" was renewed for a 10-episode third season, which premiered April 10, 2017, and concluded on June 19, 2017.
In 2003, the results of the disciplinary hearing have Jimmy's law license suspended and Chuck's hypersensitivity condition is revealed to be psychosomatic. After Jimmy sabotages Chuck's insurance, Howard urges him to retire, but Chuck sues HHM in spite. Howard buys him out of the firm, leading Chuck to commit suicide. Gus prevents Hector's assassination, and Mike attacks Hector's trucks to steal $250,000 on Gus's orders. To launder the money, Gus arranges for Mike's hire as a contracted security consultant at Madrigal. Hector plans to take over the business of Nacho's father, so his son attempts to kill Hector by sabotaging his angina medication. Hector suffers a stroke during a confrontation with cartel lieutenant Juan Bolsa, which renders him comatose.
In 2010, Gene points mall security guards towards a shoplifter during his lunch break. Later, a stressed Gene suddenly collapses during his work.
Season 4 (2018).
Following the third season's end on June 27, 2017, AMC renewed the series for a 10-episode fourth season, which premiered on August 6, 2018, and concluded on October 8, 2018.
In 2003, Jimmy regains his outgoing demeanor after Howard shoulders the blame for Chuck's death. Jimmy manages a cell phone store but earns more by reselling prepaid phones to criminals. A year later, his law license reinstatement is denied over lack of remorse for Chuck. After faking mourning, he successfully appeals and practices as "Saul Goodman". Gus learns Nacho attempted to kill Hector and blackmails him into undermining the Salamancas. Mike escorts engineers who evaluate Gus's industrial laundry site as a potential underground meth lab. Gus hires Werner Ziegler to oversee construction, but Mike is ordered to kill Werner when he goes AWOL to spend time with his wife. Hector recovers from his stroke, but is mute and can only move his right index finger. His nephew, Lalo Salamanca, arrives to run Hector's business, and learns some details of Gus's construction project.
In 2010, Gene is hospitalized after his collapse and later discharged. He becomes uneasy when a taxi driver with an Albuquerque Isotopes air freshener seems to recognize him.
Season 5 (2020).
The series was renewed for a fifth season on July 28, 2018, just prior to the airing of the fourth season. The fifth season was not expected to air until 2020; according to AMC's Sarah Barnett, the delay was "driven by talent needs". The 10-episode fifth season would start airing with a special Sunday broadcast on February 23, 2020, with following episodes to air on Mondays until the season concluded on April 20, 2020.
In 2004, Jimmy's law practice as Saul Goodman draws him into Albuquerque's drug trade and he is conflicted when Howard offers him a position at HHM. Kim balances her Mesa Verde and "pro bono" work with her own feelings for Jimmy, and finds herself employing similar conman-style tactics. Jimmy and Kim later devise a plan to ruin Howard to settle the Sandpiper case. Lalo's presence in Albuquerque forces Gus to suspend construction of his meth lab. Nacho and Mike become pawns in the feud between the Salamancas and Gus. After Lalo is arrested for murder, he hires Jimmy to represent him and arrange bail, which almost kills Jimmy. After an unsuccessful attempt on Lalo's life by Gus's hired assassins after his release, Lalo deduces that Nacho has betrayed him.
In 2010, during another lunch break, Gene is approached by the taxi driver, Jeff, and his friend Buddy. Jeff reveals he recognized Gene as Saul Goodman from when he previously lived in Albuquerque. Gene admits he is living with a secret identity.
Season 6 (2022).
AMC renewed the series for a sixth season on January 16, 2020, with a scheduled premiere in 2021. Showrunner Peter Gould confirmed it would be the show's final season and consist of 13 episodes rather than the usual 10. Production experienced long delays due to COVID-19 and star Bob Odenkirk needing several weeks to fully recover from a heart attack he experienced on set. The sixth and final season was split into two halves. The first half premiered on April 18, 2022 and concluded on May 23, 2022. The first two episodes of the season would air back to back. The last half of the season premiered on July 11, 2022 and concluded on August 15, 2022.
In 2004, Nacho attempts to flee from the Salamancas after the attempt on Lalo's life, but after Gus falsely implicates him, Nacho sacrifices himself in exchange for his father's safety. Jimmy and Kim smear Howard's reputation, thereby forcing a settlement of the Sandpiper case. Howard confronts them, but is murdered by Lalo. After forcing Kim to act as a diversion, Lalo ambushes Gus and accesses the construction site of Gus's meth lab. Gus kills Lalo with a hidden gun. Mike makes Howard's death appear as a suicide, and oversees the burial of Howard and Lalo beneath the lab. A traumatized Kim quits the law and divorces Jimmy. Some time later, Jimmy has fully transformed into Saul Goodman, setting the groundwork for his appearance in "Breaking Bad".
In 2008, in another series of flashbacks that take place during the events of "Breaking Bad", it is revealed that Saul had deduced early on that Walter White was the mysterious "Heisenberg" who is producing the high-quality crystal meth in the New Mexico area. Armed with this knowledge, and despite Mike's warnings, Saul decides to recruit Walter and Jesse Pinkman as his full-time clients, figuring it would be good for business.
In 2010, Gene approaches Jeff and Buddy with an offer to rob a department store. After reaching out to Kim, who now lives in Florida, Gene devises a scheme to obtain financial identification of rich single men at bars he can sell for profit. When the scheme goes wrong, Buddy quits the operation, Jeff is arrested, and Gene is eventually caught. He is extradited to Albuquerque for the trial and feigns testimony implicating Kim so she can be summoned to court. Jimmy confesses to Kim and those at the trial about his crimes during the events of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul", as well as his role in Chuck's death. He is subsequently sentenced to 86 years in prison. Jimmy is recognized as Saul in prison and gains popularity with the inmates. Kim visits him and they share a cigarette before parting again.
Release.
Broadcast.
"Better Call Saul" would air on cable network AMC. The series premiere drew in 4.4 million and 4 million in the 18–49 and 25–54 demographics, respectively, and received an overall viewership of 6.9 million. This was the record for the highest-rated scripted series premiere in basic cable history, until it was surpassed later the same year by another AMC series, "Fear the Walking Dead".
Streaming.
In December 2013, Netflix announced that the entire first season would be available for streaming in the U.S. after the airing of the first-season finale, and in Latin America and Europe each episode would be available a few days after the episode airs in the U.S. However, the first season was not released on Netflix in the U.S. until February 1, 2016. Internationally, episodes of the second season became available the day after they aired in the U.S.
Netflix would be the exclusive video-on-demand provider for the series and made the content available in all its territories, except for Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, "Better Call Saul" premiered on the streaming service Stan on February 9, 2015, acting as the service's flagship program. In New Zealand, the show was exclusive to the video-on-demand service Lightbox before moving to Neon in 2020 when both services were merged. The episodes were available for viewing within three days of broadcast in the U.S.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series was acquired by Netflix on December 16, 2013, and the first episode premiered on February 9, 2015, with the second episode released the following day. Every subsequent episode was released each week thereafter. In Ireland, the series began airing on Irish TV network TG4 on October 18, 2022. In India, the series was broadcast on Colors Infinity within 24 hours of the U.S. broadcast.
During the final season's run in 2022, each episode would be available to stream the day they premiered on AMC+, AMC's streaming service which first launched in June 2020. The sixth season premiere resulted in the biggest day of new subscriber sign-ups for AMC+, and by the mid-season finale episodic viewership on the streaming service rose by 61%. Upon the release of the series finale, the app experienced an outage, causing many users to be logged out. AMC later reported that first-day viewing numbers for the finale on AMC+ was four times as big as the season premiere, and called the series' final season the highest acquisition driver in the history of the streaming service.
Home media.
Each season would be released on Blu-ray and DVD. A limited edition Blu-ray set for the first season was also released with 3D packaging and a postcard vinyl of the "Better Call Saul" theme song by Junior Brown. The complete series was issued on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on December 6, 2022, which spanned 19 discs and included 70 hours of bonus features.
Reception.
Critical response.
"Better Call Saul" received critical acclaim and is considered to be an outstanding example of how to successfully produce a prequel and spinoff work that defies expectations. Many critics have called "Better Call Saul" a worthy successor to "Breaking Bad" and some have even deemed it superior to its predecessor. In September 2019, "The Guardian" ranked the show at No. 48 on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, describing it as "A supremely measured character piece that has steadily improved as its central tragedy has materialised." In 2021, "Empire" ranked "Better Call Saul" at No. 27 on their list of The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Also in 2021, it was voted the 23rd-best TV series of the 21st century by the BBC, as picked by 206 TV experts from around the world. In September 2022, "Rolling Stone" listed "Better Call Saul" as the 32nd greatest TV show of all time, in its updated list from 2016.
The first season has a 97% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.1/10 based on 291 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Better Call Saul" is a quirky, dark character study that manages to stand on its own without being overshadowed by the series that spawned it." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a "generally favorable" score of 78 based on 43 reviews.
The second season has a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.7/10 based on 182 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Better Call Saul" continues to tighten its hold on viewers with a batch of episodes that inject a surge of dramatic energy while showcasing the charms of its talented lead." On Metacritic, it has a score of 85 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
The third season has a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.75/10 based on 175 reviews. The website's critical consensus is, ""Better Call Saul" shows no signs of slipping in season 3, as the introduction of more familiar faces causes the inevitable transformation of its lead to pick up exciting speed." On Metacritic, it has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
The fourth season has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.9/10 based on 185 reviews. The website's critical consensus states, "Well-crafted and compelling as ever, "Better Call Saul" deftly balances the show it was and the one it will inevitably become." On Metacritic, it has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
The fifth season has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.9/10 based on 185 reviews. The website's critical consensus is, "Grounded by Bob Odenkirk's endlessly nuanced, lived-in performance, "Better Call Saul"'s fifth season is a darkly funny, vividly realized master class in tragedy." On Metacritic, it has a score of 92 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
The sixth season has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 9.4/10 based on 182 reviews. The website's critical consensus is, ""Better Call Saul" remains as masterfully in control as Jimmy McGill keeps insisting he is in this final season, where years of simmering storytelling come to a scintillating boil." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 94 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Comparisons to "Breaking Bad".
After the airing of the series finale, Stuart Jeffries of "The Guardian" said that the series had surprisingly surpassed its predecessor in quality, saying: "Over six series, "Better Call Saul" evolved into a more profound and beautiful drama about human corruption than its predecessor. It mutated into something visually more sumptuous than "Breaking Bad", while never, for a moment, losing its verbal dexterity and moral compass". Craig Elvy of "Screen Rant" also opined that the series was better than its predecessor, saying: "Jimmy McGill's spinoff leaves a very familiar legacy – sustained and enthusiastic praise from audiences and critics, capped by an ending that satisfies across the board." He went on to say: "When "Better Call Saul" began, many would've hoped the spinoff could either escape "Breaking Bad"'s shadow, or somehow enhance Walt and Jesse's story with illuminating new details. Few dared dream "Better Call Saul" would achieve both, and the sheer ambition to create a spinoff that wholly embraces its predecessor whilst also existing in a totally different realm exemplifies why "Better Call Saul" has an ever-so-slight edge over "Breaking Bad"." Jeremy Urquhart of "Collider" made a comparison between the quality of both series, saying: ""Breaking Bad" succeeds as a crime-thriller tragedy with a fast-paced plot, and "Better Call Saul" works as a slower-paced, character-focused drama (with some dark comedy)". He said the list "doesn't aim to argue that one is better than the other. It's a matter of personal preference, but it's hard to deny that there are certain things "Better Call Saul" does better, but also some areas where it isn't quite as great as its parent show."
Accolades.
"Better Call Saul" received 53 Emmy Award nominations, with zero wins, which is the record for the most nominations without a win. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest shows of all time to never win an Emmy. It received seven nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, Bob Odenkirk received six nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito were each nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (four times for Banks and twice for Esposito), Rhea Seehorn received two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and Michael McKean was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. The series also received eight nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and one nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.
Franchise.
"Better Call Saul" has its own set of official multimedia spin-offs and related media within the "Breaking Bad" franchise. This includes a talk show, several web series and digital shorts, comic books, and an insider podcast.
References.
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