Emma Watson Found It Hard Watching Herself in the Later ‘Harry Potter’ Sequels
Emma Watson didn’t have that much of an issue watching herself in the Harry Potter movies at first. But it became challenging when the actor had to see herself on the big screen the longer the series went on.
Emma Watson initially felt a lot of pressure being in ‘Harry Potter’
Watson had all eyes on her at a very early age. This led to the actor feeling extra cautious and anxious about the performances she let the world see. Unlike other actors, who had the opportunity to develop their craft behind the scenes, Watson realized quickly she didn’t have that luxury.
“What most actors and actresses do behind closed doors — slowly but surely figuring themselves out, making mistakes, getting better, you know, all of that stuff — I did with the world watching,” she once said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “It makes you very afraid of being bold, of being brave, of really going for it, of putting yourself out there.”
However, she later believed this helped her career later on. Being exposed to so much at a young age prepared her for anything the film industry could throw at her.
“I mean, I have done scenes with animals, with owls, with bats, with cats, with special effects, with thespians, in the freezing cold, in the pouring rain, boiling hot; I’ve done press with every syndication, every country; I’ve done interviews with people dressed up as cows — there’s honestly nothing that’s gonna intimidate me! And that’s a nice feeling to walk on with,” she explained.
Emma Watson found it hard watching herself in ‘Harry Potter’ sequels
Watson has always had a difficult time watching herself on screen. In an old interview on Late Night with Conan O’ Brien, she even described the experience as horrible.
But Watson once confided she didn’t have as much of a difficult time watching herself in the first few Harry Potter flicks. If only because she was so young she hardly recognized herself in the feature.
“Really, I find it easier to watch the earlier films, which might surprise you, because I had the whole bushy hair, chipmunk face, big cheek thing going on, which wasn’t a great look for me. Actually, I find that easier to watch because I can completely disconnect myself. It felt like such a long time ago. I really don’t identify myself with that girl,” Watson once said according to Contact Music.
But the latter Harry Potter sequels hit too close to home for Watson.
“However, the ones from one or two years ago – I find them much, much harder to watch,” she explained.
Emma Watson isn’t the only ‘Harry Potter’ star who couldn’t stand watching themselves on screen
Watson wasn’t alone in how she felt about watching herself in the wizard franchise. Her Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe also occasionally wasn’t a fan of seeing his own performances. In a candid 2014 interview Radcliffe did with Daily Mail, Radcliffe even criticized his acting in one of the sequels.
“I’m just not very good in [The Half-Blood Prince],” he said. “I hate it. My acting is very one-note, and I can see I got complacent, and what I was trying to do just didn’t come across. My best film is the fifth one [Order of the Phoenix] because I can see a progression.”
