Emma Watson Reveals Why She Wanted To Quit Harry Potter
Emma Watson recently opened up about why considered leaving the Harry Potter franchise before the movies had all been completed.
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Harry Potter became a sensation when J.K. Rowling wrote about an orphan boy entering the Wizarding World. While Rowling has had her share of controversy, the series of fantasy books and later films have stood the test of time. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone introduced Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) in 2001. The series has since spawned a spin-off series of sorts in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. And on New Year’s Day, a Harry Potter reunion special will air on HBO Max entitled Return to Hogwarts. But one of the stars considered leaving the franchise early.
As amazing as all these accomplishments are, being at the center of a worldwide phenomenon can’t be easy. There was a time when Emma Watson felt doubts about portraying the brightest witch of her age in the Harry Potter films. Digital Spy reports that the reunion special reveals Watson questioned coming back to the franchise at all when she got older. Director of Order of the Phoenix, David Yates, recollects Watson’s tentative feelings on returning to the films.
“I can see that,” Emma Watson admitted. “At times, I was lonely.” Even though the actor admits that she was afraid for a time, that didn’t mean that she didn’t come around in the end. Watson went on to say, “No one had to convince me to see it through. The fans genuinely wanted me to succeed and they all genuinely have each other’s backs. How great is that?” Even Rupert Grint empathized with Watson’s feelings to a degree. Both actors had entered into a large commitment at such a young age. It is only natural that when the actors got older, they would question their place in the world.
Tom Felton also had sympathy for Emma Watson. The actor who portrayed school bully Draco Malfoy understood that Watson had to walk a lonely road. While Radcliffe and Grint had each other, she was younger and didn’t have as easy of a time. The actors maintain that they all got along quite well as friends and some fans speculated that perhaps Watson and Felton were more than that. Watson insists that nothing romantic ever happened between the two. However, Felton has expressed genuine affection for his co-star. “Emma and I have always loved each other, really,” Felton expressed in Return to Hogwarts (via Us Magazine).
Whatever the truth of the matter is, Watson surely has spread her wings since Harry Potter ended. She emulated Hermione Granger in real life as well. Like her onscreen counterpart, Watson juggled her responsibilities as well as going to class. She pursued a degree at Brown University while she continued to act (via Showbiz CheatSheet). The actor went on to study at Worcester College, Oxford for Visiting Student Programme and eventually graduated from Brown in 2014.
Since the conclusion of the Harry Potter franchise, Emma Watson has been particular about what roles she should take. Her most recent film of note was Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the American classic novel Little Women. Watson depicted the oldest sister Meg. Since then, her activity has been described as “dormant.” However, Watson’s manager confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Watson’s career is still on track. Fans of Hermione Granger can tune into HBO Max on New Year’s Day to see her reminisce with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint when Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts airs.
