Rupert Grint's First Dream Wasn't Acting — It Was Selling Ice Cream From a Van

Long before Rupert Grint became one of the most recognizable actors on the planet, he had a very different career in mind. When asked as a child what he wanted to be when he grew up, the answer wasn't actor, footballer, or astronaut. It was ice cream man.

The Van

As soon as the Harry Potter paychecks started rolling in and Grint was old enough to drive, he bought exactly what you'd expect: a 1974 Mr Whippy Bedford ice cream van. Pink. Working soft-serve machine. The real deal.

He stocked it with wholesale ice lollies — roughly 50 for £10 — and started driving through the villages near his home in Hertfordshire, England. When he spotted kids who looked like they could use an ice cream, he'd pull over and hand them out. All free. He doesn't have a vendor's license, so selling was never an option. That suited him fine.

The Pub Parking Lot Incident

Shortly after getting the van, Grint pulled into a pub car park to make a U-turn. Within seconds, eight children appeared out of nowhere, pocket money in hand, ready to buy. He had nothing stocked. After disappointing a small crowd of eager kids, he swore he'd never drive the van empty again.

The Last Day of Filming

When the final day of shooting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 arrived in 2011, Grint showed up in style. He drove the ice cream van onto set, accompanied by a mariachi band, and served free ice cream to the entire cast and crew. It was, by most accounts, the most Rupert Grint way to close out a decade of filmmaking.

Still Going

Over a decade later, Grint still owns the van. In a 2023 interview, he mentioned taking his young daughter out in it. He avoids driving it in July and August — peak season means too many disappointed customers when the van inevitably runs dry — but the rest of the year, the ice cream man of Hertfordshire is still making his rounds.