Honestly, I don’t need to work anymore because I have enough money. However, recently I’ve started to consider continuing with my acting career. When I was nine years old, I knew I was the ideal candidate to play Hermione. But I was worried that if that was the only role people associated me with, it would prove that I couldn’t act. That was a scary thought for me.
Emma Watson is a refreshing change in a world that seems saturated with celebrity culture. Unlike many other famous personalities, she doesn’t crave fame or attention. In fact, she never planned on becoming an actress when she was a child. Born to highly educated parents, Emma is now contemplating joining the ranks of Oxbridge graduates herself. She is not only blessed with good looks and a sharp mind but also has a whopping £10 million in her bank account! It’s no surprise then that she finds solace in the academic pursuit of reading English and Philosophy at a Cambridge college. Recently, Emma reflected on her birthday celebrations and how they marked a significant transition in her life.
She recalls the difficulty of turning 18 and realizing she was suddenly fair game for photographers. At her party, the streets were swarmed with cameramen attempting to capture a shot of her looking inebriated, though she doesn’t need alcohol to have a good time. The most disturbing part occurred when one photographer went so far as to lie on the ground to get an upskirt photo. “They did it the night it became legal,” she laments. “The next day, I felt utterly violated by the whole experience. It’s not something I want to deal with, and I couldn’t help but think that if it had happened a day earlier, people would have been sued left and right.”
Emma asserts that she has no interest in parties or drugs and does not enjoy being intoxicated. She expresses her discomfort with the societal expectation for her to be a sexualized object at 18 years old. Emma feels embarrassed and confused by the concept of being “sexy.” Even during photo-shoots, people want to change her appearance and dress her in revealing clothing. However, Emma is not comfortable in mini-skirts and believes that dressing provocatively is not actually sexy. Her definition of sexy is less about revealing and more about leaving something to the imagination. Protecting the Hermione image is not her only concern regarding her wardrobe choices.
The private rooms in Groucho, a well-known members’ club in London, are not accustomed to hearing or seeing what is happening now. The club is home to some of the coolest bad girls, including Sienna Miller, Kirsten Dunst, and Lily Allen, but Emma Watson is different. Emma, who is known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, is a “nice girl” dressed in neat jeans, boots, and a pale cashmere top. She smells fresh from the shower with just a hint of perfume. Despite being pink-faced from embarrassment caused by getting lost on her way to the room, she looks entirely natural without any makeup on her face. Emma’s appearance is suitable for her employers, considering her role as Harry Potter’s closest, cleverest, and bravest friend, Hermione Granger. The upcoming sixth part of the series titled Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince will be released in July, while the final two-part installment, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, is currently filming. Although the Harry Potter movies have been a financial success, Emma is not attracted to partying or drugs. She does not enjoy being drunk, and her share of the earnings from the film puts her on the Under-Thirties Rich List at the 55th spot, tied with Amy Winehouse and other notable actors.
She is currently deliberating between attending a top-notch university like Oxbridge or an Ivy League college while pursuing her acting career. Despite this, she firmly believes that it won’t impede her ability to act. Pointing out examples like Jodie Foster and Natalie Portman, she believes it’s feasible to balance academics with filming. Unlike most people her age, she doesn’t exude apathy or cynicism in her speech. She hasn’t adopted any particular demeanor or accent, and other than an occasional curse word, she’s not one to swear. Overall, she’s a delightful, charming, and determined individual. As she puts it, “I think ‘eager to please’ is an apt description of me. It’s something I share with Hermione; we’re both intensely sincere people.”
Acting was never my childhood dream. I attended a regular school and fate brought film auditioners to me when I was just nine years old. Suddenly, I was caught up in a whirlwind of activity. However, there were moments when I felt unsure and thought to myself, “Hold on, do I really want to do this?”
Growing up, films were not a part of Emma Watson’s life. Her parents did not share an interest in them, and neither did she. Her mother, Jacqueline, met her father, Chris, at Oxford, and Emma was born in Paris. After her parents divorced when she was five, Jacqueline brought her back to Oxford and enrolled her in The Dragon school, which is considered one of the best prep schools in Britain. From there, she attended Headington School for Girls, a prestigious public school, where she achieved excellent grades on both her GCSEs and A levels. Emma has four siblings and half-siblings from her parents’ other marriages, and she always consults with both her mom and dad before making any decisions. She relies on their guidance and support greatly.
After starring in the Harry Potter franchise, Emma Watson’s first movie role was in the period drama Napoleon And Betsy. Despite the fame, fortune, and fashion deals that came with being a teenage star, Watson remained grounded thanks to her supportive group of middle-class friends and family, as well as her love for skiing and going out to nightclubs in Oxford. Watson only dated boys from her close circle of friends, avoiding any temptation to date someone famous. She never saw any “good behavior” clauses in her contract and didn’t need them since she had no interest in partying or drugs. Watson preferred to lead a private and normal life, avoiding the public eye whenever possible. While she understood why some people were drawn to the party lifestyle, she chose not to participate in it.
With a grin on her face, Emma Watson explains that she, along with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, were protected while making the Harry Potter movies. She says that despite the common belief that they were eager to break out of their image, they were not. All three of them share the same view and do not wish to court celebrity or be part of the game. Watson, in particular, has proved herself to be more than just a child star. Producers fought over her first post-Potter role, with many offers involving near-nudity. While Radcliffe took a role in Equus that required him to appear naked, Watson has been more careful in choosing her roles.
“I don’t plan on doing anything just to shock people or for the sake of it,” Emma Watson explains. While she’s open to potentially baring it all for a Bernardo Bertolucci film if it makes sense for her character, she has no interest in stripping down just for attention or to move on from her Harry Potter days. Acting was never something she saw as a long-term career option, so after finishing the franchise, she wasn’t sure what her future would hold. However, with the success of her TV movie Ballet Shoes, she gained the confidence to pursue acting further and prove she could play characters beyond Hermione. Her upcoming movie Napoleon And Betsy is a period drama that explores the complex relationship between Napoleon and a young girl during his exile, but Emma emphasizes that it’s not a sexual connection, rather a touching of souls. When it comes to her acting choices, Emma is focused on finding roles that challenge her and allow her to grow as an actress, rather than just seeking attention or shock value.
Emma believes that attending university will enhance her acting skills, despite having a successful career in Hollywood. She dismisses the idea of prolonging her gap year from university in case she receives another exciting offer to act in a movie. Emma feels that the university experience of meeting deadlines, living with other students, and immersing herself in campus life will ultimately benefit her craft.
Some actresses are out of touch with basic tasks like doing their laundry or taking public transport, but I won’t be one of them. I see this as just the start of my career and there’s so much more that I can achieve.
