‘Harry Potter’: Emma Watson Found It ‘Quite Horrible’ to See Herself in the First Movie
The trajectory of Emma Watson’s career is certainly an interesting one. At 9, she became an overnight celebrity when she was cast in the Harry Potter movies. She would spend a full decade filming and promoting the eight films. And though she has gone on to star in other movies, Hermione Granger is undoubtedly her most well-known role. But what was it like for Watson to watch herself grow and mature as a person and an actor throughout the film franchise?
Emma Watson’s castmate helped her get over her nerves
Watson has been candid about the fact that she struggled with watching herself on screen early in her Harry Potter tenue. The actor would get very nervous whenever she saw herself on screen and would avert her eyes. It wasn’t until her fellow Harry Potter castmate, Maggie Smith told her to get a grip that she got over the aversion. But just because Watson was able to watch herself doesn’t mean she enjoyed the experience.
The English actor didn’t like watching herself in the first ‘Harry Potter’ movie
Back in 2007, Watson appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. The Noah actor was promoting Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In the interview, she was asked what it was like to see herself in the four previous movies. O’Brien specifically asked about Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone since it was Watson’s first foray into movies. Interestingly enough, Watson revealed that she didn’t enjoy watching herself in the first movie.
“Quite horrible, to be honest,” Watson revealed. “It’s really, I mean, I guess it’s just, yeah, very, very, strange. And especially, like in [Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix] there’s a flashback to the first film, so I get to see a lot of that. I guess just, I seem to have such chubby cheeks, and such like a high voice, and the big hair, and yeah.”
Continuing on, the Harry Potter alum gave a comparison that even most non-actors can relate to. “I mean, it’s kind of hard to explain like how that feels,” Watson shared. “But I guess like, I don’t know, if you hear your voice. If you ever hear your voice taped or on an answering machine and it’s like, ‘Ah people can’t listen!’ it’s exactly like that, but like 20 times worse.”
Watson once got distracted by a ‘Harry Potter’ movie during a romantic moment
It may be weird for Watson to watch herself in the Harry Potter movies, but she’ll likely be coming across them for the rest of her life. In a 2019 interview with British Vogue, Watson revealed that the Harry Potter movies have come on doing some pretty inopportune moments. She once was experiencing a romantic moment and ended up being distracted by one of the films playing in the background.
“I’ll be making out with someone and then I am on the telly behind us,” Watson remembered. “And all I can hear is the Harry Potter theme tune as I’m kissing someone, and I’m like, ‘Do I turn it off? Do I just ignore this? Is he thinking about this? Is it just me thinking about this? Maybe he doesn’t know what the Harry Potter theme tune sounds like. Maybe it’s just me.’”
Watson may not love watching her old work. However, it’s pretty cool that the Harry Potter star is able to track her journey as an actor in such a tangible way.
