Emma Watson has had a flourishing career in the film industry. Perhaps best known for playing the intelligent witch-best friend of Harry Potter in the film series of the same name, she has won several awards and earned a name for herself. But there had been a time when the English actress had been rejecting roles and movie offers like switching the channels on a television. While the said roles would more often than not get delivered to her on a silver platter, The Circle star still refused to work on various popular projects.

Emma Watson

Although she gained immense fame after starring as Hermoine Granger in the live adaptation of the fantasy book series, the 32-year-old actress had backed away from a number of roles that had been offered to her after Harry Potter.

Emma Watson Turned Down A Lot of Popular Movies

Emma Watson‘s career in the film industry kickstarted with Harry Potter at the innocent age of 9, and as she grew up, the actress gradually slipped into the glimmering slippers of fame. Unlike many child/teenage actors whose popularity often ends up dying down, Watson only earned more and more recognition with time.

Emma Watson gained immense fame as Hermoine in the Harry Potter series

Throughout her career in Hollywood, Watson has joined forces with revered directors like Darren Aronofsky and led famous movies like Little Women. At the same time, however, there have also been plenty of films that the Beauty and the Beast actress has shot down with little or no hesitation. Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning La La Land is just one example; Watson was reportedly approached first for the musical romance but because she’d refused to work in it, the role went to Emma Stone instead.

But the Colonia actress hadn’t been declining movies just for the heck of it or out of arrogance. The major reason why she wanted to take a step down from the realms of fame was because she had been adamant about finishing her education, which is why she went back to college in 2009.

Emma Watson Prioritized Her Education Over Fame

The same year that she was crowned the highest-grossing actress of the decade by the Guinness Book of World Records, Watson attended Brown University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the Ivy League institution.

While fans were shocked to see the Regression actress sidestep her career for college, she knew it was the wisest decision she could’ve made. In an old interview with Vanity Fair, Watson admitted that film agents and producers often reprimanded her for turning down critically hailed projects. But she wasn’t keen on getting popular at the cost of sacrificing her mental health and education.

Emma Watson at her graduation

“There have been hard moments in my career when I’ve had an agent or a movie producer say, ‘You are making a big mistake. But what’s the point of achieving great success if you feel like you’re losing your freakin’ mind? I’ve had to say, ‘Guys, I need to go back to school,’ or ‘I just need to go home and hang out with my cats.’ People have looked at me and been like, ‘Is she insane?’ But, actually, it’s the opposite of insane.”

However, attending university wasn’t the only reason why she turned down high-end studio projects.  The Noah star had also revealed how she enjoyed working on relatively smaller projects rather than the mainstream big-budget movies. Stephen Chbosky-helmed The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring (2013) are just a few examples of the same.

But even though Watson chose her education over her career, she’s still a monumental success in the film industry, and that speaks volumes.