What would you do if you discovered you had enough money and influence to do virtually any legal thing you wanted? If you already had fame and youth and wealth?
If you’re Rupert Grint, you’d buy an ice-cream truck.
The young Hollywood star might not be a household name, but his visage is immediately recognizable to millions as Ron Weasley, the heroic best friend in the Harry Potter series.
He made millions from his role in the movie series and has, like the other young stars, continued with his acting career. He’s had small parts in movies and television shows while working on stage in the UK. In his spare time he drove an ice-cream truck around to neighborhoods and handed out free frozen treats to kids.
He was the first of the child stars to get a driver’s license, and his childhood dream had been to be a popsicle – “lolly”, in British English – delivery driver.
He explained to the Daily Mail in 2014:
‘I keep my van well stocked. It’s got a proper machine that dispenses Mr Whippy ice cream and I buy my lollies wholesale – 50 for a tenner – so I never run short. I’m not allowed to sell my merchandise. I’d need a licence for that.
‘I tend to avoid July and August, but the rest of the year I’ll drive around the local villages and if I see some kids looking like they’re in need of ice creams, I’ll pull over and dish them out for free. They’ll say, “Ain’t you Ron Weasley?” And I’ll say, “It’s strange, I get asked that a lot.”
‘The van often comes in useful. I drove it up to the set on the last day of filming on Harry Potter. The cast and crew were having a barbecue and I supplied the lollies and ice creams.
He gave up the van after a few years, because he decided it was, in his words, “a bit creepy” to drive around as an adult man and hand out free ice cream to kids… a point that must be conceded. He now drives a vintage Ferrari. And he still loves his fans.
Question of the night: If you could buy any one vehicle and could afford to drive it around, what would it be?
