Emma Watson Reflects on Not Knowing if She Wanted to Be an Actor
It wasn’t too long ago that rumors were swirling about Emma Watson’s acting career. Multiple news sources reported that the Harry Potter alum was engaged and was retiring from acting to focus on her relationship. After months of speculation, the actor took to Twitter to debunk those claims. However, there was a time when Watson was seriously questioning if acting was her path.
Watson was always sure that she was destined to play Hermione Granger. Like millions of other people, she fell in love with the character by reading the Harry Potter books. She noticed the similarities between herself and the witch early on. So, when the opportunity to audition for the films materialized, she was keen to take it.
Emma Watson originally only signed up for two ‘Harry Potter’ movies
But even though Watson loved playing Hermione, she questioned if she wanted to be involved in all eight films. The Perks of Being a Wallflower actor was only 9 when she committed to the role. Furthermore, she initially only signed up for two films. As time went on, Watson wasn’t sure she wanted to continue with the franchise. She had a deep passion for learning and longed to attend university. However, because filming and promoting the Harry Potter movies took up so much of her time, she had to put those dreams on ice.
Ultimately, it was Watson’s love of Hermione that pushed her to see the Harry Potter movies through to completion. The actor admitted that it would have caused her physical pain to see another actor take on the role in the films. But even after Watson decided to continue playing Hermione, she wasn’t sure acting was a career path she wanted to take. When she revealed this in interviews, she was met with quite a bit of criticism. The British actor admits that she was pretty surprised by the backlash.
The ‘Beauty and the Beast’ actor was surprised that people were so reactive to her questioning her career path
“I was a little bit shocked by people’s responses, too,” Watson shared in a conversation with Interview Magazine. “Maybe it’s because, at the moment, there are so many people who want to be famous, so how could I not want this? Or, how could I not want to keep it forever? But I guess I just want to be sure it’s what I want. I was so young, and I don’t think I really knew the greatness of what I was signing on for. I really want to study. I would love to try theater. I need to try stuff out.”
Watson didn’t know if she had the right personality to be an actor
In addition to having other interests, Watson also wasn’t sure that she had the right temperament to make acting her career. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Beauty and the Beast actor explained that she wasn’t sure her personality was suited for the entertainment industry. “I’ve been doing this since I was 10 or 11, and I’ve often thought, I’m so wrong for this job because I’m too serious; I’m a pain in the a**; I’m difficult; I don’t fit.”
Considering Watson was only 9 when she was cast in Harry Potter, it makes sense that she questioned if acting was her true path. However, with time and exploration, Watson was able to commit to being a professional actor.
