Emma Watson’s Amazing Transformation

It is difficult to find someone who doesn’t know Emma Watson’s name. The star is an actress, model and politician who rarely takes a vacation and makes a difference. Since her beginnings as an actor, she was beloved by her fans for her role as Hermione Granger, the iconic character from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. We saw Watson’s growth as an actor and as a woman passionate about a cause, as the series progressed. Let’s look back over the years and see Watson’s transformation.

The role that changed everything

Watson, like many other children growing up, always wanted to be an actor. She became an actor, and starred in one the most successful and recognizable movie franchises. The 11-year old Watson made her film debut in 2001 as the spunky and witty Hermione Grager in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Watson and her young castmates were able to strike gold.

Watson was only 18 years old when she found a way to find a healthy balance. Watson enjoyed fame, but she still maintained her everyday life with friends and school. The 12-year-old told BBC News that she went to school every day since Harry Potter’s fame began. She said, “I go at a very large school and some people give my a stick…But other than that, most people are really kind about it. My closest friends treat me as normal. It’s okay for them to ask questions because they are curious, but it’s normal… I do all the things I used to do. I continue to play hockey and all of my other sports.”

Watson’s success in the first movie made it more than just schoolwork. Watson continued to strive to be an actor and demonstrated how dedicated she was to her craft. She shared her thoughts on a challenging scene in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. Watson was clearly not your typical 12-year-old.

Finding our favorite witch

Watson continued to study Hermione Granger’s character as she grew and became more skilled in acting. Watson, who was just 14 years old, was interviewed by IGN about Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. She spoke about her role as the iconic character. “I hope that I have done justice to her character. It’s my favourite book and it’s such an important part for her in this third book. I do hope she is what she [fans] expected her to be.”

Watson was a mature teen, and showed no diva tendencies. She stated, “I feel extremely lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with so many people and be in such an amazing film. My ambitions could not have imagined Harry Potter’s greatness and scale, so I feel very fortunate about it.” We are all extremely lucky that Watson became our Hermione.

Growing with her character

Watson’s popularity was evident in no time, but she refused to let it get to her head. Watson continued to push herself and was able to excel when she worked hard… Sounds a lot like a witch we all know. Watson recognized that Hermione was a part of Watson. In 2005, the 15-year old told BBC that she felt like she didn’t have to act anymore. “It feels like I’m doing nothing sometimes because there’s so much of Hermione in me and her in me.”

Both Watson and her character became more complicated as they grew older. Watson was thrilled to have the opportunity to confront conflict with her character. “I loved all the argument. It was very juicy. It’s been a great friendship between Harry, Ron, Hermione. I believe it’s more realistic to assume that they will argue and that there will be problems. It was great fun.”

IGN spoke to her about Mike Newell, the director of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. She acknowledged how much responsibility he had given her to play her role. “He wasn’t taking any slack. He expected us to be professional throughout.”

Watson was not only responsible for her acting career, but also her academic one. While filming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2006, Watson was recognized for her top-level marks on her exams. Is there anything she cannot handle?

Being a role model in real life

Watson rose in fame and became a role model to young girls. She saw the importance of promoting intelligence in girls. Parade (via People), 2007: “There are too many stupid boys in the media.” Hermione isn’t afraid to be smart. Sometimes smart girls can become a little too smart, which I find to be a problem. Scholastic was also informed by her that she is a bit of feminist. It is important to be assertive, regardless of gender, no matter what age you are.

Watson was vocal about girl power but was also focusing on her normal life outside of the Hollywood craze. Watson was raised by lawyers and didn’t feel the need to be immersed in showbiz excitement. Parade asked Watson why she didn’t want to become a full-time actress. But school keeps her in touch with her friends. “It keeps me connected to reality… Let’s be real: I don’t have to work again. But I wouldn’t want to. I am motivated by learning.”

Expanding her horizons

In 2008, Watson was a young starlet who had captured the attention of the entire world. The actress, now 18 years old was making big strides in her acting career. The Chanel announced that Watson had signed a $6 million, two-year contract to be the face and spokesperson for its Coco Mademoiselle fragrance. This was a significant moment that demonstrated Watson wasn’t the teen we saw grow up before our eyes but was now a woman of distinction.

She wasn’t only gaining attention from the fashion industry, her academic record was impeccable. Her website published a statement via The Telegraph in 2008 stating that Emma had received straight A’s in English literature, geography, and Art. Emma is thrilled, and we all are very proud of her. We loved that she was becoming more Hermione-like every day.

Try normalcy for a while

Watson was a person who tried to maintain some normalcy throughout her life, despite Harry Potter’s fame. College was no exception. Watson declared in 2009 that she was planning to travel to the States to study liberal arts at Brown University. Watson was a typical teenager who knew she would be home sick. She told People that she will miss London taxis, marmite, baked beans and the rain and she may need to bring along boxes of marmite or baked beans.

Watson’s desire to have the college experience, including dorms and rooms with roommates, is what makes her so cool. She stated, “If this is what I want, it will be done properly and I’m going do it like everyone else.” She did have one request: she didn’t want to be too much of a Harry Potter fan. “As long there aren’t Harry Potter posters up on the wall, it will be fine and I will be happy.” Imagine Watson as a freshman year college roommate. Greatest roommate ever.

Watson was never an underachiever but she wanted to continue acting in her school life. “I want to keep going. I have managed to balance work and studying well to this point. I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t continue doing so. But I do want to be a normal teenager.”

New hair, new attitude

Fans were left wondering what the future would hold for their favourite Hogwarts academic after the filming ended for Harry Potter. Watson made a big change in 2010, and it got people talking. For a very cute, short, pixie-like look, she cut her hair. Watson spoke to Metro about the hairstyle, which she was unable to do until after filming finished. “I wasn’t able to dye my hair or shave it like many teenagers. I also felt that, even though I’m 20 years old, I’m no longer a little girl. I had been reading Harry Potter for ten year so I wanted to celebrate the end. I needed to make a big change, and that’s exactly what the crop was about.”

The cut was first revealed by her on Facebook (via The Huffington Post), where she wrote, “Dear all. I cut my hair a few days back… It feels amazing. It’s a joy. This is something I have wanted for many years. It’s the most liberating thing I have ever done. Hope you like. Emma x. Huge love.” Watson took the fashion world by storm with her fierce new hairstyle.

She teamed up with Alberta Ferretti, a designer, and People Tree to create a clothing line in 2010. Metro spoke with her, saying that she is very hands-on. “I have picked the fabrics, and I also visited Bangladeshi garment factories last year. All of it is handcrafted.” It’s all handmade. It’s much easier than you might think. Watson went on to talk about her favourite designers. Although premieres are reserved for top designers such as Chanel or Balenciaga, Watson loves casual looks. “If I’m going casual I’ll mix vintage clothes with clothes from TopShop Zara and Gap. Agnes B is another favorite. It’s financially accessible for everyone because I will mix and match.”

Fame comes at a price

Watson, 21, was about to enter her third year at Brown University. She decided to step away from Brown University for a while. “I tried to find normality but I have to accept who and where I am.”

She would not be leaving school completely, but she would return to the UK. Rumours abound, but she insists that she was not bullied at her university. Her problem was actually the reverse. Watson spoke out about her struggle to date college men and stated that her fame intimated college boys. “I tell my friends, ‘Why hasn’t X called? “Why doesn’t anyone ever chase me?” They say, “Probably because they are intimidated.” They must have the fame wall…It must also be the circus that surrounds me. As a person, it is hard for me to believe that I would be so intimidating.” She said, “Sometimes they feel intimidated and feel they must knock me down.” They don’t know me at all, but they will ask me “How are the Narnia films?” College boys, sigh.

Explore the beauty world deeper

Emma Watson was more at ease to make major changes by 2012, when the last Harry Potter movie had been released. Independent reported that she felt more free to try new things as she grew older.

One of these was to be the new Lancome “Rouge in Love” campaign’s face, with a particular focus on lipstick. Lancome’s new role allows fans to see her as an adult, rather than the frizzy-haired high-anxiety wizard that we all know. Watsons fans love her in every light, but that’s okay.

It’s not about the celebrity lifestyle

We often think of celebrities as living extravagant, privileged lives. But that is not Watson’s reality. It’s not surprising that Watson has repeatedly stated her desire to live a normal life. Radio Times, 2013. via E! The 23-year old shared a shocking truth about herself in an interview with Radio Times (via E! Watson doesn’t live up to the celebrity lifestyle, even though those shoes are absolutely stunning. Watson even challenged the definition of celebrity, saying that “there’s a whole new definition of celebrity now.” That’s why celebrities are so popular. It’s something that hasn’t been associated with a craft. It’s easy to make the mistake of sounding like a hypocrite, since I am wearing designer clothes right now.” Watson has no matter how many shoes she owns. We are there for her.

Fighting for gender equality

Emma Watson only gets better with time. In 2014, she graduated from Brown University. The same year, the British actress, then 24 years old, was named the U.N. Women’s new Goodwill Ambassador. You go, girl.

TIME published Watson’s statement about the news. She stated, “Women’s rights are something so intrinsically linked with who and what I am. They are so deeply personal and rooted within my life that it’s hard to imagine a more exciting opportunity.” Watson would focus on HeForShe, the organization’s campaign for women’s empowerment.

Watson later in 2014 demonstrated her worthiness for this role by giving a speech asking men and women to support gender equality. TIME covered the event. Watson spoke at the U.N. headquarters, New York City. “Their daughters, mothers, and sisters can be free of prejudice. But also so their sons are able to be vulnerable and human — regain the parts of themselves that they lost and become a more complete and true version of themselves.” Watson has remained focused on gender equality, feminism and the environment since that time. Malala Yousafzai (18 years old) was the youngest Nobel Prize winner. Watson met her in 2015. They talked about her life, advocacy, feminism and how to make good change.

She continues to make an impact

Emma Watson won’t be slowing down in her activism. She has continued to do what she promised. She’s also spent more time researching and learning about feminism. The 26-year old spoke out on the hot topic of equal pay for women in Hollywood and elsewhere in 2016. She’s not backing down. Watson spoke with Vanity Fair and said that money is not something we should talk about because people might think you are difficult or a diva. “But there is a willingness to be like Fine. I don’t care if you call me a “diva”, a “feminazi”, or a “feminista,” it doesn’t matter what label I choose. All that matters is that I do my best to make sure the right thing happens.”

Watson believes women should feel confident and strong. Watson spoke out with Paper magazine in a powerful moment. She said, “I guess I could give women anything through feministism… it would be to be able move away, and to get through all that.” It’s so common to see women struggling with self-esteem. They know it, they hear it, and they read it in books and magazines all the time. But it’s hard to do.”

Becoming a Belle

Emma Watson, who starred in Beauty and the Beast’s Belle role in March 2017, made her big screen debut as Disney princess. Some might be surprised to hear that she was first offered the role as Cinderella in Disney’s live-action remake. She declined. It was a good decision. She told Total Film that she felt Belle resonated more with her than Cinderella.

Watson, the feminist who adores the bookish princess, said, “In a strange manner, she challenges the status-quo of the place that she lives in, which I found really inspiring. She is also able to maintain her integrity while still being able to have an entirely independent view.”

Beauty and the Beast featured a strong, intelligent female character. Watson also had the opportunity to show off her dancing and singing skills. It’s quite different from acting. Watson told Good Morning America that there is nothing to hide behind. “It’s your voice, and yes, I felt very naked doing it for my first time so that was the hardest.”

Watson is clearly not afraid to take on a challenge, just like Harry Potter.