From swotty sorceress to model-in-the-making, Emma Watson’s come a long way since her early Harry Potter days. Prim, proper and beautiful, we love Hogwarts’ most stylish star – and we know you do, too! Here’s her bio, from fresh-faced nipper to fashion icon.
Young Star
Emma was born in Paris but moved to Oxfordshire with her mum and little brother Alex after her parents divorced. At six years old she began dreaming of becoming an actress and started training at the Oxford Stagecoach Theatre Of Arts.
By age nine Emma had performed in lots of productions and school plays but she’d never acted professionally. When she first auditioned to play the part of Hermione Granger in Harry Potter she couldn’t have known how big the film would become. It took nine callbacks for Emma to land the role.
The actress spent the next 10 years beside Daniel Radcliffe and the rest of the Harry Potter cast. She had a tutor come in and teach her on set each week instead of going to regular school. But it was worth it – her role in the six Harry Potter films earned her about £13 million!
You may wonder if bossy Hermione is anything like the real-life Emma Watson. Not at all. The actress is always cool, calm and collected off-screen. In her early teens Emma made it clear she wasn’t going to let fame and fortune send her on a downward spiral.
Awards Galore
As if Harry Potter mania and several million in the bank weren’t enough, Emma’s received some pretty prestigious awards for her acting, including:
- Young Artist Award for Best Performance In A Feature Film (2002)
- Phoenix Film Critics Award for Best Performance By A Youth (2002)
- National Movie Award (2007)
Career Smarts
Now Emma’s starting to branch out her career. In 2007 she appeared in her first non-Harry Potter role as Pauline in the BBC’s Ballet Shoes and the voice of Princess Pea in The Tale Of Desperaux.
Emma’s also managed to keep up with her schoolwork, bagging 10 A* grades in her GCSEs and A-levels. Then it was off to Brown University in the U.S. to study English Literature.
Social Circle
Emma has become a permanent fixture on the society circle – showing up at a premieres and launches looking lovely with stars like rocker Johnny from Razorlight and The Geldof sisters or her live-in beau Jay Barrymore. No incriminating photos snapped yet, though – Emma always retains her self-control and usually leaves early!
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