Emma Watson, renowned for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, has opened up about her decision to step away from acting. Since completing her role as Meg March in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women in December 2018, Watson has not appeared in a film. In a recent interview over the phone, we spent some time talking about her life in this absence, and what she’s up to these days.
For more than twenty years, Watson has drawn audiences in and kept them on the edge of their seats. She won the role of Hermione at the age of only 9. Since that time, she has gone the other way and successfully transitioned to becoming a public interest attorney. She played Belle in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast and even starred opposite Russell Crowe in Noah. Yet, she’s largely stepped away from the camera in recent years to prioritize her own development as an artist and scholar.
In her interview with Vanity Fair, Watson shared that she is “perhaps the most content and full of health that I’ve ever been.” This inward-looking period comes on the heels of a time when she felt “career burnout”—too much pressure, too many expectations. Your house is the keystone of the arch of your life. It’s where all of the people you care about are, which truly makes it the greatest. It’s just that I had put so much work into everything, my life just kind of imploded,” she said.
Watson’s passion for education is evident in her many achievements. She graduated from Brown University in 2014 with a degree in English literature and is currently pursuing a DPhil in creative writing at Oxford. She talked about her devotion to academia, sharing how it has provided space to cultivate her interests outside of acting.
“I’m not going to lie, I don’t miss the selling things part,” Watson confessed. “I found that to be quite soul-destroying. What I don’t miss one bit is not using my skill-set, and I really really miss the art. Her thoughts reveal her desire for a deeper, more rewarding relationship with her art. She says she feels burdened by the forces of re-election and media attention.”
Watson went on to describe the struggle of reconciling artistic vision with commercial demands. That’s because the promotion and marketing of this piece of art are more important than the job itself. It’s just how peoples’ minds work, she explained. This delicate balance is quickly upended. This feeling highlights her deep love of the creative process in and of itself, which she calls meditative.
And then the work begins.” “The second you step onto a film set, you don’t really have a lot of time for rehearsal,” Watson said. “Then the minute you actually get to work through a scene… it’s like the most amazing, beautiful meditation form. She explained that as an actor, she loves the experience of being in the moment where you’re completely in service of the character and the scene.
Although she adores acting, Watson is honest about the pressure involved in being in front of a live audience. You know, it’s that freeing.” She said this while reminiscing about a recent small-works play venture she undertook with a group of close friends. I miss that deeply, but I don’t miss the stress. I forgot it was intense pressure.
The actress and animal rights activist recently made news for her opposition to transgender issues. This has placed her at odds with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. This ongoing feud has drawn media attention as fans and commentators discuss its implications on both Watson’s career and public perception.
Alongside her studies, Watson has fully stepped into her entrepreneurial pursuits. In one of the pandemic’s neatest twists, she and her brother Alex have now launched their own sustainable gin brand Renais. This initiative is a great example of her leadership in demanding more sustainable and responsible business practices.
It seems that this time away from acting for Watson is an intentional decision meant to cultivate her happiness, health, and skills as a thinker and maker. She continues to be deliberate about building solid “sustainable foundations” for what she does next, while following her bliss.