Emma Watson, the British actress renowned for her portrayal of the intelligent witch Hermione Granger in the acclaimed “Harry Potter” film series, shot to fame. However, since her appearance in director Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “Little Women” in 2019, she has been absent from the big screen.
In an interview with “Hollywood Authentic” on September 21, the 35-year-old actress revealed the reasons behind her decision to take a break from acting and discussed the negative impact of the entertainment industry.
Watson expressed, “To a certain extent, I’ve been incredibly lucky with my acting career, and the experiences I’ve had have been very unusual. But compared to the actual work of acting, the larger part is about promotion and selling the project and promoting that piece of art.”
She spoke of her aversion to the promotional aspect of the job, admitting, “I don’t miss being on set one bit and I don’t miss being on a film set. I find it really soul-destroying to be pushed to sell work. But I do miss using my skills, I do miss performing and I miss the arts. I just feel like the moments that I enjoy most are when I’m not there.”
Watson shared that she truly enjoyed her time on set, describing standing in front of the camera as “a form of deep meditation”.
She said, “When the camera starts rolling, you could completely forget about everything else and just be in that moment with no other thoughts. It’s a really freeing feeling, and that’s something that I particularly miss. But I don’t miss the pressures that come at other times.”
At the age of 11, Watson made her debut in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first film in the “Harry Potter” series based on the bestselling novel series by British author J.K. Rowling.
She continued to portray Hermione Granger in the subsequent films, including “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002) and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” (2011).
She then starred in the 2012 coming-of-age drama “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and took part in films the following year like “The Bling Ring” and “This Is the End”.
During this time, Watson pursued her university studies and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Brown University in 2014.
Prior to graduating, Watson discussed her future acting prospects in an interview with “Wonderland” magazine in February 2014. She expressed, “I am really excited by all these new opportunities. I feel like as an actress, there are so many more things I want to achieve. I really want to try theatre, that will be something completely new.”
“Once I finish my degree, I’ll have a bit more time to pursue other passions, and I want to figure out what those passions will be specifically. I like engaging in things that have nothing to do with the film industry, it means that I exercise my brain in a different way.”
We look forward to seeing Emma Watson’s future endeavors and hope she finds fulfillment in her pursuits beyond the pressures of show business.