The 10-episode Crackle series Snatch, based loosely on the cult classic of the same name and inspired by a real-life heist in London, centers on a group of young hustlers who stumble across a truck full of stolen gold and suddenly find themselves in the middle of the high-stakes world of organized crime. Going from small-time cons to the top of London’s underworld is no easy feat, and this group of friends must quickly learn to navigate unfamiliar criminal territory, if they’re going to survive. The series stars Rupert Grint, Luke Pasqualino, Lucien Laviscount, Phoebe Dynevor, Stephanie Leonidas, Dougray Scott and Ed Westwick.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actor Rupert Grint (who plays the not entirely street wise Charlie Cavendish-Scott) talked about the main attraction of a project like Snatch, what he did to get into the head of his character, how the stolen gold becomes its own character, adjusting to a TV schedule, the challenge of working in a rubber mask, how the possibilities for future seasons is endless, and why Crackle is an exciting place to be. He also talked about how cool he is with the fact that he will always be identified with the Harry Potter franchise, and what he looks for in a project.

Collider: When a TV series inspired by the movie Snatch, which so many people love, was first brought to your attention, were you immediately intrigued or were you hesitant about why this TV series should exist?

RUPERT GRINT: Yeah, there was definitely hesitation, but that was the main attraction. I loved the original film. I was way too young to have seen it when it came out, but I loved it. When I met with (showrunner) Alex [De Rakoff], very early on, it was very important to find what our show is really going to do differently. I think it had to be a reimagining and start again, with new characters and a new environment, a bit like a show like Fargo, where it’s a new world, but still has that feel of the original that people love. There’s always a bit of pressure and it’s challenging, but it’s been fun.

What was it that finally won you over on this show and made you want to play this character, in this world? Did talking to your showrunner and hearing his vision really help?

GRINT: Yeah, I really liked Alex. He’s so Snatch. He looks like a character from Snatch. He’s a sharply dressed guy with a really good beard. He has a real authenticity. He knows this world, and he knows how these characters talk. He explained to me how he loosely based the idea on a real gold heist in the ‘80s. It just sounded like so much fun. And I’ve never met anyone like Charlie before. It took me awhile to get in his head and work out who he is. I enjoyed the challenge of it. It was just a lot of fun.

What did you do to get into the head of this character? What helped you to get a grasp on who he is?

GRINT: It took me awhile, I must admit, to find him. I watched a lot of Prince Harry videos. Charlie lives in this world where he’s very proud of his family name and everything that means, but doesn’t have any money and lives in this decrepit, abandoned mansion with his parents, who are completely disillusioned. They grow marijuana in the basement and have these weird sex parties. That interested me, as well. All of these characters have a detached from their home, and they find their grounding within each other. The relationship between all of these characters, as the series widens out. That was great.

How much does ending up with this gold affect this group of friends?

GRINT: When we do accidentally steal the gold, the gold becomes a new character. It affects everyone in different ways and changes the dynamic. They have everything they’ve ever wanted, but it’s also the most dangerous thing they could have happen. It’s interesting how every character deals with it.

These guys have stumbled across a fortune in gold and they have no idea who it belongs to. How well do they navigate this underworld that they’ve found themselves in? Is it way more than any of them bargained for?

GRINT: Absolutely! They’re just kids, really, who do small-time scams, like boxing matches and stuff like that. Suddenly, they’re thrown into this very serious world of organized crime. Everyone is after this gold, and they’re completely out of their depth without any idea of where to even start. We find some very interesting ways to move the gold, trying to get as much as we can without alerting everyone.

What were the biggest challenges in shooting this season?

GRINT: The main thing is just working in the TV genre. I haven’t done much TV before. This is kind of my first foray. When you’re developing a character arc, because you’re shooting out of sequence, it’s hard to keep a full eye on where it’s going and where you are, at that time. That’s always challenging. And there’s quite a lot of big set pieces and action stuff, and I’ve never been a real natural stuntman. That stuff is challenging.

Did the action get more fun and feel more natural, by the end?

GRINT: Yeah, it does, a bit. Charlie is not the most sophisticated guy. He’s clumsy and he’s desperate to prove himself. He looks up to Albert a lot, and he wants to be Albert. It wasn’t too many hardcore stunts for Charlie, but as the show progressed, we got into some wild situations.

Was it particularly challenging to work while wearing a rubber mask?

GRINT: Oh, yeah! It was so weird ‘cause you can’t hear anything. It was so hot and very disorienting. There was so much going on, particularly in that scene where we get the gold. There were explosions going off. I had to throw a spike strip, which was quite a challenge. It was almost impossible. My mask was particular big, as well. I had to see through the nostrils.

Because you hadn’t done a TV project like this before, what was it like to collaborate with your showrunner?

GRINT: There’s always gotta be trust there, but it also felt very freeing. Everyone was free to collaborate, and he was very open. They were still writing episodes while we were filming them, so it was an ongoing experience, but he was great. He’d always make time for you and he was very present, so it was great to have that kind of relationship.

As a cast, you guys have such a great rapport together, which seems very easy and very natural. Did that happen very quickly, or did you get time to bond with each other?

GRINT: We actually didn’t have a lot of time. We had a read-through and we had some rehearsal time, and we had a few nights to socially be with each other. I think it’s quite important to bond, especially when it’s a relationship based dynamic. Everyone was great and really excited to be a part of it. We had a lot of fun!

Is this something that you’re hoping to get to do more seasons of? Is this a character you’d like to explore, for at least a bit longer?

GRINT: Absolutely, yeah! We had such a great time filming this, and it could go anywhere, which is exciting. The possibilities are endless. It’s an exciting prospect.

Crackle is really starting to build a name for itself with original programming. When did you realize that doing a streaming series was a viable option?

GRINT: It really is the future. It’s a really exciting time, with this whole concept of binge-watching. I find myself doing that myself, more and more. Crackle is an exciting place to be. They’re still new with original content, and they’re willing to take risks and make bold choices. They were great to work with and very freeing. They let us make what we wanted to make.

No matter what else you do in your life and career, you will always be identified with the Harry Potter franchise. How do you feel about that?

GRINT: It was such a huge part of my life. I’m hugely grateful to be a part of it because if it wasn’t for it, I probably definitely wouldn’t be making stuff like Snatch. I’m very grateful. I had such a great time. I was such a huge fan of the books. That’s how I got into it. I had never really thought about acting or a career. I just wanted to be Ron, really. It was a very unusual introduction into the industry, and we learned so much. It’s been a real education and an evolution. I really, really enjoy this. It doesn’t bother me, at all. It’s cool!

What do you look for in a project, these days?

GRINT: The script is really always the main attraction, and then there’s whether there is an interesting character and great people around you. Those are the key elements that I look for.

Snatch is available to stream at Crackle now.