Emma Watson is making sure that everyone is aware of the fact that she has never been one to follow the Hollywood playbook. The star of ‘Harry Potter,’ who essentially grew up playing Hermione Granger on TV, has been enjoying a well-earned vacation from acting since 2019. Why? To enroll in Oxford University’s master’s program in creative writing since, evidently, being a well-known movie actor wasn’t remarkable enough!
With roles in ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ and ‘Little Women,’ Watson has stepped outside of the realm of magic, but she has always been picky about the kinds of roles she accepts. She has also drawn a clear line when it comes to drugs and on-screen nudity.
“I’m Not Going To Get My Kit Off Or Snort Cocaine In A Film”: Emma Watson
In an interview with The Times, Watson made it crystal clear that she has no intention of doing anything extreme just to shake off her Hermione image. “I’m not going to get my kit off or snort cocaine in a film, just to leave Hermione behind,” she stated bluntly. “I’m not going to do something shocking because I’m so paranoid or insecure that I can’t play another role convincingly.” Now, that’s what you call confidence!
She went on to say that she truly takes pride in her iconic Harry Potter character and isn’t interested in playing parts that are wholly at odds with her morals just for the sake of it. “I don’t want everyone to forget me as Hermione. I’m really proud of her,” she said.
However, Watson offered a slightly more nuanced viewpoint on nudity in movies in a different interview with The Scotsman. Although she has personal boundaries, she clarified that if a scene had a legitimate purpose in the plot, she wouldn’t totally rule it out. “I’ve been saying since I was 16 that if it’s an interesting character and important for the character development, and of course if it’s important to the story, then I’ll do it because I’m an actress and that’s it really.”
Breaking Free From The Hermione Mold
Stepping out of the ‘Harry Potter‘ shadow wasn’t an easy feat for Watson. In a 2012 interview with Jonathan Ross, she admitted that after spending a decade playing one character, she wasn’t sure if she had it in her to take on different roles. “I didn’t know if I had other people in me or not. I did doubt myself a little bit. I think I’d just played one person, who in many ways was similar to my own personality, and I played her for ten years and I got so comfortable doing that, that the idea of coming out and playing somebody else was terrifying,” she confessed.
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But taking a break from acting has given Watson a newfound sense of creative freedom. Now enrolled in a master’s program at Oxford, she’s enjoying the autonomy that comes with focusing on her own passions. “I’m just so glad that I did [step away from acting] because I have this feeling of having my own voice and creative space and sovereignty in some way that I don’t think I did before – more autonomy,” she shared with Vogue UK.
While Watson’s admirers may be ready to see her return on the big screen, it’s evident that she’s choosing her own route on her own terms. She keeps demonstrating that she is more than simply the girl who waved a wand, whether it’s by defying Hollywood’s demands to shock people or by pursuing academic pursuits. And honestly? We love that for her.
