Emma Watson Once Revealed Her Education Wasn’t the Only Reason She Wanted to Quit ‘Harry Potter’
Emma Watson earned the role of a lifetime at a young age by playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies. Yet she once said she felt like a prisoner, and she contemplated leaving the franchise more than once. Of course, Watson quitting Harry Potter never came to pass, but she once revealed the sad reasons she seriously considered walking away.
Emma Watson wanted to leave ‘Harry Potter’ to focus on school
Like co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, Watson earned her life-changing role at a young age. She was only 11 years old when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone hit theaters in 2001. Watson initially only signed up for two movies, and she and the producers negotiated her return for Prisoner of Azkaban. The other child actors found themselves in the same boat as the studio took a slow approach out of the gate.
The Potter franchise became a massive hit almost immediately, but Watson once considered quitting before Order of the Phoenix for a very Hermione Granger-like reason — to focus on her education.
She obviously stuck around for all eight movies and managed to devote time to her education. Still, Watson once revealed she almost quit Harry Potter because of fear and fame.
Watson once revealed her education wasn’t the only reason she wanted to quit ‘Harry Potter’
Watson once called Hermione her favorite fictional character. She later revealed she suffered while bringing the character to life.
Watson opened up about the challenges and uneasiness she faced as a teenage movie star during the Return to Hogwarts special. She, Radcliffe, and Grint discussed Watson wanting to quit Harry Potter, where she revealed her education wasn’t the only reason.
“I think I was scared. I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, ‘This is kind of forever now,’” Watson said, per Yahoo, adding, “[T]he fame thing had finally hit home in a big way.”
Watson also admitted she felt “lonely” at times, as MSN reports, but the fans helped her find the fortitude to continue. “The fans genuinely wanted you to succeed, and we all genuinely have each other’s backs. How great is that?” she said.
Co-star Tom Felton empathized with her and admired her courage
A young Watson fell in love with Potter co-star Tom Felton on the set of the first movie. Both claim nothing romantic ever happened between them, but they maintain a close relationship and frequently contact each other.
During the Return to Hogwarts special, Felton chimed in when Watson detailed her struggles with fame and feelings of loneliness. Befitting for someone who has maintained a close friendship with Watson over the years, Felton had her back.
“People definitely forget what she took on and how gracefully she did it,” Felton said, per Yahoo. “Dan and Rupert, they had each other. I had my cronies, whereas Emma was not only younger, she was by herself.”
Loneliness and the crush of fame pushed Emma Watson to quit Harry Potter. The support of fans and castmates prevented her departure, and the wizarding world is better off for it.
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