There’s no doubt that Emma Watson can consider herself a success when it comes to her on-screen career. Along with first finding fame as Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” films when she was still just a child, she went on to appear in other popular movies, like 2012’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast,” and 2019’s “Little Women.” Thanks to her work, the star has taken home multiple industry honors over the years, per IMDb, including MTV Movie + TV Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and People’s Choice Awards.
However, after making her way to the A-list, a rumor started circulating that Watson was retiring from her acting career so that she could focus more on her personal life. Although she could definitely move on and be satisfied with the earlier chapters of her life, her manager at Untitled Entertainment, Jason Weinberg, addressed the situation in a 2021 statement to Entertainment Weekly, saying, “Emma’s social media accounts are dormant but her career isn’t.”
That’s surely a relief to all of Watson’s fans. This means that they’ll hopefully be able to look forward to even more varied, intriguing, and entertaining performances from the talented actor. Beyond that, the fact that Watson plans to continue to work in the spotlight might mean that fans will also continue to find out interesting tidbits of info about this particular figure. For instance, check out some untold truths that you might not have been aware of when it comes to Emma Watson.
Emma Watson has a French connection
You may think of Emma Watson as an English actor — frankly, she was even named one of the best British actors around by Heart, along with Kate Winslet, Colin Firth, and fellow “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe. However, it turns out that Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was actually born on April 15, 1990, in Paris and lived in France until she was five years old, according to IMDb. Granted, she was born to British parents, which is why when they split up, her mother, Jacqueline Luesby, returned to the U.K. with her daughter.
While Watson may have originally left France behind as a child, she apparently “always feels at home whenever she returns to” Paris, telling Eurostar’s Metropolitan Magazine (via Hollywood.com), “I always get this wave of nostalgia that washes over me whenever I arrive at the Gare du Nord (train station). I feel like I’m in sync here with the culture, the art, the music. And what I wouldn’t do for a warm baguette!”
Granted, while the Mirror claimed that Watson “speaks fluent French,” she still says she has some work to do in that area. At the time, Watson was still struggling with the language somewhat. She admitted to Metropolitan Magazine in 2017, “I always make the same New Year’s resolution: to speak French fluently as soon as possible.” While Watson may not be completely fluent, she definitely puts what French she knows to good use when she gets the chance.
The star made a huge profit on her French ski chalet
Emma Watson’s love of France is surely one of the reasons why she decided to return to the country where she was born in 2008 to buy herself a chalet in Meribel. Where (and what) is Meribel? SeeMeribel.com explains that it is “a renowned ski resort” that’s “nestled in the beautiful Alpine valley of Les Allues.
” Costing Watson a cool £1 million at the time, according to The Telegraph, Theo Camfferman of Leggett Immobilier in Meribel told the Mirror that the chalet is “in a very sought-after location in Meribel, which is prized by celebrities and the wealthy because it is very private.” Beyond Watson, famous figures like Prince William, the Middleton family, and the Beckhams might be spotted in the area.
When Watson snapped up the property, her friend told The Telegraph, “The house is Emma’s way of celebrating … finally getting her hands on some of her hard-earned cash. She worked really hard this year and didn’t have much of a birthday party so this was her present to herself.”
Although buying a chalet is a pretty nice birthday present (to say the least), it was also a good investment for the financially-savvy star. That’s because the Mirror noted that she eventually sold the impressive abode in 2015. Why would Watson give up such an amazing home? Well, when she sold the chalet, she made an impressive £3 million profit in the process. Magnifique, madame!
Emma Watson went through a shocking number of Harry Potter auditions
Emma Watson was only 10 years old when the first “Harry Potter” movie started filming, according to Us Weekly. While it was her very first professional gig, per IMDb, she had already been through a lot before she had even landed the coveted and career-making role.
Although it’s not unusual to have to audition more than once to score a highly sought-after gig in the entertainment industry, Watson had to try out more times than you could likely imagine before she was given the part of Hermione Granger.
“I was crazy. I did eight auditions, and I would literally sit by the telephone in my house and wait for each call,” Watson recalled while talking to W magazine in 2013. It wasn’t until the ninth audition that she was told by David Heyman, the movie’s producer, that she was apparently the “preferred candidate” when it came to the many young performers who were vying for the job. While that could have been beyond nerve-wracking, things moved quickly from there.
Watson added, “Before I could obsess over what ‘preferred’ meant, they took a photograph of Daniel Radcliffe [who played the main character], Rupert Grint [a.k.a. Ron Weasley], and me, and it was broadcast on the Internet that we had been cast in ‘Harry Potter.'” The actor added, “By the time I got back to my house, there was press waiting outside.” That’s why her family “moved straight into a hotel.” And from there, a star was born.
Why she wasn’t interested in a certain Disney role
As fans of Emma Watson will likely be well aware, the star appeared in 2017’s live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast.” She starred in the beloved fairytale story as the main character, Belle, who is an independent, free-thinking, book-loving young woman.
Indeed, Glamour notes that “Watson’s version of Belle is progressive,” and while the character “has always been considered a feminist character,” the actor apparently “worked overtime” with director Bill Condon “to make sure this princess packed a punch.”
However, it turns out that Belle wasn’t the first Disney character that Watson had the opportunity to play. She told Total Film (via Grazia) that she once “turned down Cinderella.” For those interested, Lily James ended up playing the lead alongside Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, and Stellan Skarsgård, as well as Richard Madden as the prince, in the 2015 film, which was directed by Kenneth Branagh, per IMDb.
As for Watson, although she “didn’t know they were going to make ‘Beauty and the Beast'” when she said no to the part of Cinderella — meaning that she didn’t turn down the first role specifically for the second — when she was offered the role of Belle, she snapped it up.
The actor explained, “I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did. She remains curious, compassionate, and open-minded. And that’s the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice.”
