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Did Emma Watson Almost Quit Acting?

Watson revealed that, ironically, all the success she has enjoyed as an actor sometimes convinces her that she isn’t worthy of it.

In a lot of ways, the acting business is unlike any other. For example, in Hollywood, it is perfectly normal for massive companies to hire children to work for them. While that does make some sense, since so many shows and movies feature characters that are children, that doesn’t mean that it is a good thing. After all, so many former child stars go on to have major issues once they become adults.

Given the fact that Emma Watson became internationally famous when she was still quite young, it sadly wouldn’t be too shocking if she wasn’t very well-adjusted. Instead, based on all the information that is out there, it seems like Watson has her priorities in the right places for the most part.

Even though Emma Watson remains a hugely popular star, fans of her work may have noticed that she only seems to work sporadically. Given the fact that Watson has starred in so many hugely successful films, it should go without saying that she is the one who has chosen to put acting on the back-burner. In fact, Watson once revealed that she seriously considered giving up acting permanently.

Taking The World By Storm

Once the Harry Potter books became an absolute sensation, it was only a matter of time before they were adapted into movies. With movie producers looking to cast the first Potter film, they hit pay-dirt when Emma Watson’s Oxford theater teacher brought the young actor to their attention. Not even 10-years-old when she auditioned to play Hermione Granger, Watson’s confidence helped her to land the role. That is all the more impressive considering that J.K. Rowling once said Watson was too pretty for the role.

Once the world got to see Emma Watson play Hermione Granger on the big screen for the first time, the vast majority of people loved her in the role. After all, Watson was able to help make Granger as lovable on the big screen as she is in the books, which could have been challenging since the character easily could have been cartoonish. Going on to play Granger in eight films in total, the world got to watch Watson grow up in front of them, and she seemed to handle the spotlight extraordinarily well.

Almost Quitting

Unlike a lot of celebrities who solely seem to be interested in finding ways to advance their careers, Emma Watson has proven time and time again that she has other priorities. For example, Watson has a long history of activism when it comes to advancing women’s rights around the world. Since Watson is such a powerful voice in that area, in 2014 she was named a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.

While it is no secret that Emma Watson isn’t obsessed with her career, a lot of people don’t know that she almost gave up on acting entirely at one point. Speaking to Marie Claire in 2013, Watson revealed that when she finished filming the final Harry Potter film, she found herself at a serious crossroads. “I basically took two years out and stepped as far away from it as I could – I mean the HP films were still coming out but I took time to really try and figure out who I was and what I wanted to do. I even considered not being an actress.”

During that same interview, Watson also revealed that ironically, all the success she has enjoyed as an actor sometimes convinces her that she isn’t worthy of it. “ It’s called the impostor syndrome. It’s almost like the better I do, the more my feeling of inadequacy actually increases, because I’m just going, “Any moment, someone’s going to find out I’m a total fraud, and that I don’t deserve any of what I’ve achieved. I can’t possibly live up to what everyone thinks I am and what everyone’s expectations of me are.” Here’s hoping that Watson’s fears of inadequacy have since subsided.

An Accomplished Adult Actress

Thankfully for Emma Watson fans, she wound up returning to acting after contemplating giving it up once she was done filming the final Harry Potter film. After all, she would go on to star in movies that meant a lot to people, including The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Bling Ring.

Since the year 2015, Emma Watson has only appeared in five films in total. However, two of those films were massively successful and there is little doubt that they will go down in cinematic history. Chosen to be one of a handful of actresses who’ve played a live-action Disney princess, Watson did an excellent job playing Belle in 2017’s Beauty and the Beast. While Watson certainly wasn’t the main star of the 2019 adaptation of Little Women, she proved to be a marvelous supporting actor. Given all the meaningful films Watson starred in post-Potter, it is amazing to think that she almost missed out on being a part of them.

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“Little Women”: Locks China Release For August 25

Sony has secured a China release for Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-winning Little Women, with the film set to bow in the Middle Kingdom on August 25.

The movie, a re-telling of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel starring Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen as the March sisters, alongside Timothée Chalamet, has been a hit in international markets, grossing north of $100M since it rolled out in January. It has also taken $108M stateside.

Little Women was up for six Oscars earlier this year, winning the Costume Design award for Jacqueline Durran.

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The 11 Books Emma Watson Is Reading As Part Of Her Commitment To Anti-Racism & Self-Education

In a bid to encourage people to educate themselves about systemic racism, Emma Watson has shared her current reading list on Instagram. After acknowledging the ways in which she, as a white person, has benefited from white supremacy in an earlier statement on social media, the actor encouraged her 57 million followers to join her in picking up books by authors including Ta-Nehisi Coates and David Olusoga.

“Self-education is an essential part of any anti-racist journey, and reading has always been a huge part of my personal learning,” Watson wrote, alongside a painting by Natalie Lauren Sims. “In 2016, I started @oursharedshelf, a book club to create conversations around intersectionality, feminism, and equal rights and to profile feminist writers,” she continued. “Many of the writers and books we featured over the years are relevant to anyone wanting to understand that the struggle for racial justice has been a long one, that ALL Black Lives Matter and women’s voices are a vital part of any movement for change. Alice Walker, Bell Hooks, Maya Angelou, Roxane Gay, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Angie Thomas, Audre Lorde, Brittney Cooper, and Toni Morrison are just some of the authors we featured and which I urge you to check out if you haven’t already.⁣”

More recently, Watson has been working her way through multiple reads by people of color. “I hope you’ll pick these up and read along with me,” she wrote.

Here, British Vogue takes a closer look at her educational reading list.

The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon⁣
Published in 1961 by psychiatrist Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth made him the leading anti-colonialist thinker of the 20th Century. Writing about the trauma of colonization, Fanon’s text inspired anti-colonial movements thanks to its analysis of race, violence, class, and culture in a fight for freedom.

We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Published in 2018, ⁣Coates’s book is essential reading in an understanding of race in America today. We Were Eight Years in Power looks at Barack Obama’s presidency and Trump’s thereafter, by delving into the Black Lives Matter movement and the rise of white supremacy.

Discourse on Colonialism by Aimé Césaire⁣
Published in 1955, Discourse on Colonialism by Aimé Césaire inspired a generation of activists fighting for liberation. In the text, Césaire describes the harsh impact of both capitalism and colonialism.

From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor⁣
Published in 2016, From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor⁣ delves into how the Black Lives Matter movement sparked a new wave of activists. Taylor⁣’s analysis looks at unemployment within the black community and increased police violence.

Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga
Historian and broadcaster David Olusoga⁣⁣ look at the longstanding history between Britain and the people of Africa and the Caribbean in Black and British: A Forgotten History.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Published earlier this year, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo follows the different lives of 12 women. All young, black and British, it paints a picture of contemporary life in the UK.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates⁣
Published in 2016, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates⁣ is educational in helping to understand race. Moving from a personal narrative to a reimagined history, it’s intimate and remarkable.

White Privilege: The Myth of a Post-Racial Society by Kalwant Bhopal
Published in 2018, White Privilege: The Myth of a Post-Racial Society by Kalwant Bhopal ⁣explores the impact of race on multiple issues in our world today, from inequality to difference in society.

I’m Telling the Truth But I’m Lying by Bassey Ikpi
Written as a memoir of essays, I’m Telling the Truth But I’m Lying by Bassey Ikpi (a Nigerian-American immigrant) explores her own mental health and diagnosis of bipolar II and anxiety.

The Heart of the Race: Black Women’s Lives in Britain by Beverly Bryan, Stella Dadzie, & Suzanne Scafe, Lola Okolosie
First published in 1985, The Heart of the Race: Black Women’s Lives in Britain reclaims black women’s rightful place in Britain’s history. Long excluded from the narrative, it documents their experiences with work, education, and political struggles.

The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla and others
Published in 2016, The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla and others brings together 21 black, Asian, and ethnic minority voices in the UK today. Delving into what it means to be an immigrant in modern Britain, makes for a compelling (and educational) read.

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