The prospect of turning old had even Emma Watson entangled in anxiety.

Out of her various likes and dislikes, fame makes it to the very top of the list of things that Watson absolutely loathes. The English actress never admired being the center of attention and even admitted that the idea of too much popularity made her uncomfortable. Yet, if there’s one thing that freaked Watson out more than the spotlight, it was entering her 30s.

Emma Watson

Turning 30 automatically brought an abundance of pressure on the Little Women star’s shoulders and the plethora of expectations society had from women of a certain age didn’t help either. As Watson got brutally real about entering the scary age of 30, she opened up about the bitter reality behind not being able to enjoy that time in one’s life and how she herself struggled with the same.

Why Entering Her 30s Scared Emma Watson 

Emma Watson has had a flourishing career in Hollywood which kickstarted at the very young age of 9. From playing Hermione Granger in the blockbuster Harry Potter film series to working in independent and small-studio movies, Watson has earned recognition for her work in an array of projects. But for a woman who is on the verge of turning 30, her hard-earned success doesn’t amount to much until and unless she has also had a husband and a family by then, a burdened expectation that society tends to place on women. And that is exactly what Watson feared the most.

In one of her interviews with British Vogue, the Beauty and the Beast actress admitted to being “stressed and anxious” about entering her 30s since she hadn’t conformed to the unspoken rule of having a husband and children by that age, something which apparently marked the potency of a woman.

“So, I was like, ‘Why does everyone make such a big fuss about turning 30? This is not a big deal,’ blah blah. Cut to 29, I’m like ‘Oh my god! I feel so stressed and anxious.’ And I realize it’s because there is suddenly this bloody influx of subliminal messaging around…if you don’t have a…if you have not built a home, if you do not have a husband, if you do not have a baby, and you are turning 30, and you’re not in something, like incredibly secure, stable place in your career, you’re still figuring things out, there’s just this, like, incredible amount of anxiety.”
But while it’s no secret that Watson practically hates the limelight, she still couldn’t help but feel guilty for not enjoying it all to the fullest.

Emma Watson Felt Guilty for Not Truly Enjoying Her Stardom

The Perks of Being a Wallflower star further explained how regardless of her stance on having a family at the age of 30, she felt “guilty” for not cherishing all these aspects of life as much as a popular actress like her ought to. Be it starting a new chapter in life after turning 30 or disliking the blinding glimmer of fame, Watson was seized with contrition for “struggling” instead of being “excited” about it all.

Emma Watson at the 2022 BAFTAs

“That’s another thing I’ve sat in therapy and felt really guilty about, to be honest, is like, ‘Why me? Why? Somebody else would’ve enjoyed and wanted this aspect of it more than I did.’ And I’ve struggled with, I’ve wrestled a lot with the guilt around that. I’ve been like, ‘I should be enjoying this more. I should be more excited.’”
But, as she remarked, there was no way she could’ve known at the naive age of 9 what destiny had in store for her. And now, at the age of 32, the award-winning actress is currently one of the most renowned stars in Britain. Fate certainly has an ironic sense of humor.