Rupert Grint said it feels “so special” to reprise his role as Ron Weasley in a Broadway production of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.

The 38-year-old rose to fame in 2001 after starring in Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone as the loyal and accident-prone red-headed wizard.

He returned to the role for all eight films in the franchise, based on the JK Rowling fantasy novels – opposite Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.

Grint will return to the role nearly two decades after the release of the last film to play the beloved character for a 17-week run at the Lyric Theatre in New York City.

Grint said: “Ron Weasley has been a part of me since I was 11 years old and I can’t wait to meet him again in this stage of life.

“There is something so full-circle and so special about stepping back into Ron’s shoes now when we are both fathers; it is somehow both very familiar and completely new.

“And the joy of being back on Broadway, this time in a role that defined so much of my life is truly exciting.

“The first time I saw Cursed Child onstage, I was blown away and I can’t wait to set foot back on Platform nine and three-quarters and pick up where I left off. I am overjoyed to join this exceptional cast and crew at the Lyric Theatre this winter.”

Grint will appear in the Broadway production for a 17-week run from February 2 until May 30.

He follows in the footsteps of his former castmate Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the franchise and currently stars in the Broadway production until January 3.

In a joint statement, producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said: “We, along with all the wizarding world fans around the globe, watched Rupert grow up through his portrayal of Ron while preserving the qualities at the very heart of the character – his humour, his bravery, and of course, that unmistakably cheeky grin – like an invisible thread woven throughout the years.

“His return creates a powerful bridge between the story audiences first fell in love with and the story of family, legacy and the passage of time that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child carries forward.”

After being in the eight films, Grint starred in Sky One comedy Sick Note, crime drama Snatch and Agatha Christie adaptation The ABC Murders.

The Hertfordshire-raised star has also been in the thriller Knock At The Cabin, drama Cherrybomb and will soon appear alongside Johnny Depp in Ti West’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol as Scrooge’s underpaid employee Bob Cratchit.