Emma Watson and the cast of Harry Potter are once again back in the news! It’s been 20 years since the first Harry Potter movie graced our screens and with the new Harry Potter reunion special on HBO Max, the fans have once again been thrust into the wonderment and splendour of the franchise. Naturally, to cure their nostalgia, fans took to re-reading the books and binge-watching the movies.
However, it’s always fun to learn interesting facts about your favourite characters and the actors who played them on-screen. Our favourite is none other than Hermione Granger, and today we’re bringing you 5 facts you probably didn’t know about Emma Watson!
1. JK Rowling Admitted That Emma Watson Was “Too Good Looking” To Play Hermione
In an interview with Daniel Radcliffe in 2013, JK Rowling admitted that Emma Watson was “too good looking” to play Hermione and says that “it was really lucky that [she] spoke to Emma on the phone first before [she] met her”.
In the interview, JK Rowling explains how she was won over by Emma when they spoke over the phone, however, when she met her in person she wondered if Emma Watson would be able to play the “gawky, geeky, ugly duckling Hermione” effectively.
JK Rowling goes on to clarify that Hermione in the books wasn’t ever “ugly” but it was a big deal for her since she had written a brainy strong female character and she was sceptical if Emma’s beauty would take away from that aspect of Hermione’s character.
2. She Is A Certified Yoga Instructor
In 2014, in an interview with BBC Radio 1, Emma Watson revealed that she was a “board two-certified, qualified yoga instructor”. Emma has always been a massive yoga fan and she wanted o get a certification so she could teach one day. As part of her certification, Emma did a week of meditation teaching and she found that experience to be “amazing”.
3. Emma Ran Her Very Own Feminist Book Club For 6 Years!
In 2016, Emma Watson started a feminist book club on Goodreads called “Our Shared Shelf”. Her main goal was to focus on reading feminist books and have fruitful discussions with her fanbase and fellow readers.
“Dear Readers, as part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on. I decided to start a Feminist book club, as I want to share what I’m learning and hear your thoughts too. The plan is to select and read a book every month, then discuss the work during the month’s last week.”
The book club ran for six years and even had a significant presence on Instagram where readers would share their thoughts on current reads. Though the book club is currently dormant, because of Emma’s busy schedule, you can still browse the backlog of monthly book club reads.
Browse Emma Watson’s Entire Book Club List Here
4. Malala Was Inspired By Emma’s UN Speech
Malala was inspired by Emma Watson’s 2014 UN speech on gender inequality and it made her realize, that she too, was a feminist and proud to be one!
“(Feminism) has been a tricky word. When I heard it the first time I heard some negative responses and some positive ones. I hesitated in saying am I a feminist or not? After hearing your speech I decided there’s no way and there’s nothing wrong with calling yourself a feminist. So I’m a feminist and we all should be a feminist because feminism is another word for equality.”
Malala in coversation with Emma Watson in 2015
5. Emma Watson Is Pro-Palestine
This week Emma Watson posted an image on her account in support of the Palestinian cause. The image which has a banner that reads “solidarity is a verb” was originally created by the Bad Activist Collective In response to the rocket attacks on Gaza last year by Israel.
While the quote that accompanies it is by the intersectional feminist scholar Sara Ahmed. The entire quote, only cited in part by Emma reads:
“Solidarity does not assume that our struggles are the same struggles, or that our pain is the same pain, or that our hope is for the same future. Solidarity involves commitment, and work, as well as the recognition that even if we do not have the same feelings, or the same lives, or the same bodies, we do live on common ground.”
Sara Ahmed
This Instagram post has caused Emma Watson to be accused of antisemitism by Israel’s former ambassador to the United Nations, while millions of users around the world are appreciative of her support and stance on the issue.
