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It’s fair to say that the Harry Potter movies changed Emma Watson’s life. An entire decade of the actor’s life was devoted to filming and promoting the eight films. They also made her a household name, a multimillionaire, and one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. And while portraying Hermione Granger was a dream come true for the actor, it wasn’t always an easy experience.

Harry Potter movies stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint
‘Harry Potter’ cast members: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint | Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

Emma Watson considered quitting the ‘Harry Potter’ movies

While Watson is in all eight Harry Potter movies, she initially only signed up for two. Warner Bros was unsure how the films would be received when they cast the first movie. However, they completed the saga due to the movies’ continued popularity. Though Watson considered leaving the franchise, she eventually stuck things out because she couldn’t bear to see anyone else bring Hermione to the big screen.

Shooting both parts of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ was challenging for the cast

While every film had its unique challenges, Watson cites the last two Harry Potter movies as the most difficult. The subject matter in both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is undoubtedly the darkest. Watson’s character alone deals with death, heartbreak, torture, leaving home, and more. But the emotional demands of the last two films were only part of the challenge. It was also a very physically demanding shoot.

There’s plenty of action in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. But one scene, in particular, was a nightmare for the cast to shoot. In an interview with JoBlo, Watson recalled the worst experience she had while filming the Harry Potter movies. It involves filming a scene that any diehard Potterhead will recognize.

Watson recalls the scene that was the worst for her to film

“Yes, I can tell you the worst right now,” Watson shared. “It was on movie #2, we get dropped by a dragon into the lake and I think it was January or February. The lake wasn’t heated, and because we had to get changed as part of the next scene, we couldn’t wear anything underneath. I was lucky. I had my bottom half with some thermals on, but I was like, ‘This must be a joke.’ It was so cold.”

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‘Harry Potter’: Emma Watson Admits There Were Days She ‘Just Panicked’

Continuing on, the Little Women alum explained that she was eager to get the scene over with. “I hate being cold more than anything, so that was my most memorable day,” Watson added. “I was like, ‘I can’t wait for this to be over!’ We spent pretty much the whole of PART 2 soaking wet, and Leavesden—I’m sure it’ll be beautifully redone when Warners invests all this money in it, but that day, it was not heated. Anyway, I’ll stop complaining.”

Clearly, filming parts of the Harry Potter movies were very physically and emotionally taxing for the cast. However, most fans will likely agree that it was pretty incredible to watch.

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