Emma Watson has been in the spotlight since she was only 10 years old, and as is the case with many child actors (or celebrities in general), navigating success has not always been a walk in the park. After wrapping filming for the 2019 film Little Women, Watson was away from the silver screen — something that left many fans disappointed.
In a recent interview with Financial Times, though, the actress finally revealed that this was a thought-out decision on her part. Tired of being held responsible for situations in which someone else was holding the reigns, Watson chose to take a step back and put her acting career on pause.
“I wasn’t very happy, if I’m being honest. (…) I think I felt a bit caged. The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn’t have very much control over. To stand in front of a film and have every journalist be able to say, ‘How does this align with your viewpoint?’ It was very difficult to have to be the face and the spokesperson for things where I didn’t get to be involved in the process. I was held accountable in a way that I began to find really frustrating, because I didn’t have a voice, I didn’t have a say.”
These negative feelings led Watson to a much-needed realization: it’s much better to take the brunt for something she has control over, rather than being a bystander victim. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why the star opted for embracing new projects, and is now launching her own gin brand, Renais.
“I started to realise that I only wanted to stand in front of things where if someone was going to give me flak about it, I could say, in a way that didn’t make me hate myself, ‘Yes, I screwed up, it was my decision, I should have done better.’”
While there’s no way to know for certain what or who Watson might be referring to in this interview, it’s only natural for readers’ minds to immediately conjure up an image of J. K. Rowling and her many controversies. The Harry Potter author has a knack for getting on the bad side of her own audience, and for better or for worse, Watson and her co-stars are forever tied to the franchise. However, Watson has already taken a direct stance against Rowling’s transphobic views.
It’s unclear whether or not this actress will eventually return to the screen, but whatever she has planned, fans will likely support her all the way through.
Published: May 2, 2023 08:11 am