Emma Watson

Profile last updated 11th July 2008

The Basics

Age:18

Location: Oxford, England

Birthday: April 15, 1990

Height 5ft 5"

Parents: Chris Watson and Jacqueline Duerre

Siblings: Three half-siblings, two step-siblings from her parents' remarriages, and one younger brother, Alex




Claim to Fame?

Everyone recognizes Emma as the classic bookworm who befriends Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, in the Harry Potter films.

The character of Hermione has appeared in all the books and therefore all the films, taking part in all of Harry's Wizard adventures. The Harry Potter Trio have grown together over the years in the books and films, as have the actors portraying them. Since 2001 Emma has been in the spotlight more than any other female Harry Potter actor. We have seen her transform from ugly duckling to a glamorous swan, and since her 18th birthday in 2008, she has been praised as an up-and-coming fashion icon. 

The only acting Emma had done previous to Harry Potter were a few school plays, so to snag one of the most famous roles in cinema history is extremely impressive.


So how did she get the role?

The producers of Harry Potter And the Philosopher's Stone quickly sparked a large UK search for the three main characters who had be aged from 9 to 11. J. K.Rowling, the author of the series, reportedly wanted an unknown British boy as the lead. Source. The Harry Potter Casting Call was one of the first of its kind of such a large scale, which included searching for actors through normal schools instead of turning to the professional child actor or stage schools and of course, this is how Emma got the chance to audition!

Along with others from her school, Emma was to audition for the role and was short listed after what can be expected to have been a long process. Her official website states;

"Emma was called up one day in assembly to be informed that she was one of several pupils who had been chosen to audition for an upcoming Harry Potter film... knowing Emma's hopes were set and the heartbreak that would ensue if she didn't get the role; her parents were careful to make her aware of the reality that her chances of getting the part were small, as thousands of hopeful girls from up and down the country were auditioning for the role and some, unlike Emma, had professional acting experience."

After eight auditions and months of anxious waiting, the producer, David Heyman, sat Rupert (The actor portraying Ron Weasley) and Emma down to tell them they had won the part.

Emma was asked; What did you do when you found out you got the part of Hermione?

I rang my best friend, literally minutes after I'd been told, and she answered and she said: "So have you got it?" And I said: "Yes." And she screamed, she literally just went arghhh - it was like five minutes, I had to hold the phone here (away from the ear), not to be able to break my ear and she was so excited she was almost more excited than me." Source.

For more information about the Harry Potter Casting Process, why not visit our Harry Potter Casting History.

What Else?

Since then, Emma has played Hermione in every Harry Potter film, and as of March 2007, it was confirmed that Emma was to continue making the films for all seven titles of the Harry Potter series. Source.

Although Emma is famed for these productions, until recently she steered clear of un-related Harry Potter projects, unlike her co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. Before Emma officially signed on for all the Harry Potter films, it was rumoured that Emma didn't want to continue doing Harry Potter films until she was 20. "I love to perform, but there are so many things I love doing." Source.

The 16-year-old actress has become tired of being known as “that girl from Harry Potter”, the News of the World quotes teenage co-star Rupert Grint as saying. Source

Emma continuously focused on her education in between films, and her Official Website states that after filming she hopes to go on a gap year before studying at University.

Emma's first acting project outside of Harry Potter was a BBC TV Drama, Ballet Shoes, that aired Christmas 2007. Emma played Pauline, an up-and-coming actress, sister to engine-obsessed Petrova and ballet dancer Posey, who was played by Lucy Boynton. Previews and clips of Ballet Shoes can be found on YouTube. A DVD is also currently available.

In a press article of Ballet Shoes on the BBC website, Emma talked about moving away from Harry Potter:

"Emma was perfect for Pauline," reports Goldbacher (casting). "She has a piercing, delicate aura that makes you want to gaze and gaze at her." Emma was intrigued by the part; Pauline's experience as a child actress who becomes a movie star had some parallels with her own.

Emma comments: "I was all set to go back to school after finishing Harry Potter but couldn't resist Ballet Shoes. I really loved it; it felt so funny and real. It was also beautifully written." She adds that a scene that had most resonance for her takes place the night before the première of Pauline's first film. Pauline weeps: "Tomorrow night, my face is going to be blown up as big as a house, and everyone will find me out!"

What's Next?

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the next film in the series. To find out more about all the Harry Potter productions, visit Mugglenet.com.

In other projects, Emma recently completed an animated project called The Tale of Despereaux, with Emma providing the voice of Princess Pea. The film, due to be released 19th December 2008, is based on a 2003 book of the same name. You find more information on the story at the author's website here, and view the trailer on the official website.

In April 2008 it was rumoured that Emma is interested in the role of Betsy in film project "Napoleon & Betsy". Webmistress Jo from Emma Watson Official stated; "We would just like to state that although Emma is interested in this project, nothing has been confirmed yet, and no official start date for this production has yet been given. We will of course keep you updated if Emma is officially cast in this role or indeed if nothing comes of it."

 For regular updates on more of her projects, we suggest you regularly check Emma's official website.

Other Facts

At 13, after being a teenager for just ten months, she placed tenth in "The Hottest Female Stars", in February 2004.

She's afraid Americans think she's snobby because of her posh British accent.

After a mere 8 auditions, Emma won the role of Hermione.

Emma in the galleries

There are too many pictures of Emma for me to hold in my gallery, but there are lots of excellent photo galleries online dedicated to Emma. For a list of Emma Fansites click here. Check these out:

I Heart Watson Gallery

Emma Watson.Net Gallery

Emma Source Gallery (Emma Photos)

Totally Emma.Net Gallery

Emma Online Photos

Credits for this page

Many fansites for info and images, including;

IHeartWatson, Emma Source

CBBC Newsround - in general for great information!

IMDB

I wrote this page using all the linked sources. This means you can too, so please no copying.