`Beauty and the Beast` and other roles: Emma Watson`s life outside the Harry Potter universe

Admit it, when you think of Emma Watson, the image of a clever witch with unruly hair and a book under her arm immediately comes to mind. Well, there's nothing surprising about that – an entire generation has grown up watching Hermione Granger grow up.

But let's set aside the magic wands and potions for a moment and take a look at Emma Watson's acting career outside the walls of Hogwarts.

Her first serious attempt outside the magical world came when the young actress played the ballerina Pauline Fossil in the TV adaptation of the novel "Ballet Shoes" (2007).
On the left is the heroine Hermione in the 'Harry Potter' film, on the right is Emma Watson at a modern style photoshoot
Emma Watson in 'Harry Potter' and now
This touching family film was special also because it featured Emma's stepsisters, who played the roles of twins Nina and Lucy. It was in this film that Watson first truly stepped out of the shadow of her star character.
The main cast of the film 'Ballet Shoes': Emma Watson, Yasmin Paige, Lucy Boynton
Scene from the film 'Ballet Shoes'
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However, the French melodrama about Napoleon, in which Emma was supposed to play the daughter of an official who befriends the disgraced emperor on the island of Saint Helena, remained only a plan. The project "Napoleon and Betsy," to the disappointment of viewers and the actress herself, never made it to the screens.

We cannot forget her small but vivid role in the film "My Week with Marilyn" (2011). The character of assistant Lucy demonstrated that our Hermione had grown up and was ready for serious dramatic roles.
Emma Watson with a hairstyle and red lipstick sitting in a dark club
Emma Watson in the film 'My Week with Marilyn'
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Emma’s real breakthrough was her work in the film "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (2012), an adaptation of Stephen Chbosky's popular novel. The story of a shy teenager Charlie, who finds friends that accept him as he is, resonated with both critics and audiences. On set, Emma became friends with Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller—a rare case where on-screen friendship turned into real life.
Emma Watson and Logan Lerman sitting at the table holding plastic cups
Emma Watson and Logan Lerman in the film 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'
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And what could be more serious than a biblical story? In Darren Aronofsky's epic film "Noah" (2014), Emma played Ila, the adoptive daughter of the main character. Working with such a renowned director and a star-studded cast was another significant milestone in her career.

Emma's participation in the comedy disaster film "This Is the End" (2013) deserves special attention, where she, like many other celebrities, played herself. The film showed that Emma is not averse to self-irony—she is not afraid to laugh at herself and her star status.
Emma Watson in the film, in a rage, with a stick in her hands, breaking down walls
Emma Watson in the film 'This Is the End'
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We must also mention the high-profile project "Beauty and the Beast" (2017)—a musical film version of the classic Disney tale. The role of Belle required incredible preparation from the actress—three months of singing, dancing, and even horseback riding lessons! For this role, Emma even turned down participation in another musical, "La La Land," where her namesake Emma Stone ultimately played the female lead and won an Oscar for it.
Belle's song from 'Beauty and the Beast'
Later, Watson explained that she physically couldn't star in "La La Land": when she was offered the role of aspiring actress Mia Dolan, work on "Beauty and the Beast" had already begun. The schedule was so packed that there was no chance to combine the projects.

Social themes are also not foreign to our heroine. In the film "The Circle" (2017), she played the role of Mae Holland, a graduate who takes a job at an IT company developing a system that unifies all a person's computer data into one network. The unsettling look at the near technological future made many viewers think about privacy issues in the digital age, although the film itself did not achieve commercial success.

One of Emma's latest notable works was the film "Little Women" (2019), based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. The story of four sisters living during the American Civil War has been adapted for the screen before, but this version received the highest praise from both critics and audiences.
Emma Watson sitting at the table with a thoughtful expression on her face, hands clasped together
Emma Watson in the film 'Little Women'
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Where Has Emma Watson Gone

In recent years, Emma Watson has noticeably reduced her acting activities, focusing on public work and personal development. Appearances on screen have become rare, with the exception of her participation in the special HBO release for the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter film. Additionally, she is trying her hand at directing, for example, she directed a series of commercials for Prada perfume.
Prada aradoxy by Emma Watson
In 2023, the actress seems to have decided to explore a new creative direction—she enrolled in a two-year writing course at Oxford and wrote a play, the details of which are still under wraps. Who knows, maybe soon we will see her name not in the film credits but on a book cover? In 2025, she completed the writing course and began studying philosophy at the same Oxford.
Emma Watson in the stands of a sporting event, looking ahead, sitting in a black top with a gold necklace
Emma Watson at the NBA Celebrity Game in February 2025
No new roles for Watson are on the horizon. Here's what she herself says about her departure from acting:
I'm so glad I did it because I gained a sense of my own voice, creative space, and independence, which I feel I didn't have before—more independence.
Emma Watson in an interview with Vogue British
However, Emma Watson's fans shouldn't despair. Talented and determined, she will surely delight us with new interesting roles. After all, at her age—she turned 35 on April 15, 2025—this amazing woman has proven she can be anyone, from a schoolgirl wizard to a UN goodwill ambassador, from Belle to a writer. And who knows what other talents she will discover in herself in the future?