On fashion industry waste

Emma explained, “We’re still in a place where 100 billion garments are made every year. The deadstock fabric and the burning of so many clothes that don’t make it to the consumer is obviously a massive, massive problem.”

She added, “Perfection is the enemy of almost everything that’s important. The place where I have influence is, I’m an actress, and I work in the fashion industry, and so my points of contact are Hollywood and fashion. I do what I can to push as hard as I can within those [spaces].”

On her activism

Emma said, “I would work with stylists and people would literally laugh at me – they thought this was some silly thing that I’d forget about. I think I lost heart for a little while; I did feel so discouraged, if I’m being honest. I kind of expected that the whole world would be different the next day and what I have come to learn is that change does take time.”

On stepping away from acting, and what she’s been doing instead

Emma‘s last movie came out in 2019 (it was Greta Gerwig‘s Little Women).

Since then, she’s been doing a little directing with a Prada commercial and did a creative writing program where she’s written a play.

“Because I’m in a career that moves very quickly, the decision to take time to do these things felt like a very big decision. [Choosing] to go back and write and study and get behind the camera was terrifying for me because I’d never done it before. I had always been in front of the camera; I’d always been an actor.”

On how she feels about her decision to take a break from acting

Emma said, “I’m just so glad that I did [step away from acting] because I have this feeling of having my own voice and creative space and sovereignty in some way that I don’t think I did before – more autonomy. I’m so glad that I allowed things to be messy for a minute and to really allow myself to not know [what’s next], because the knowing that I’ve come to, I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

She added, “I get a front row seat [with] some of the most successful, beautiful, incredible people in the world. And when you have that seat it becomes very, very clear that there is just absolutely no level of success that will make you in any way happy or content if you do not like who you are or enjoy what you’re doing when no one’s watching.”

On her dog, and previously judging dog people

Emma rescued a dog named Sofia and, like many pet owners, quickly became obsessed!

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I was always judgemental about people who were really obsessed with their pets and then I became one of those people. Really embarrassing,” she shared.

“I just look at her and I’m like, ‘Well, I’m happy and you’re happy.’ The thing that is so amazing about animals is they’re just so good at being. Food, humans, sleep – they’re very good at the basics. I feel like whenever I get really overwhelmed, I’m like, ‘Emma, just do the basics.’ ”

Clarifying her viral quote about being “self-partnered”

In 2019, Emma famously told the world about her relationship status using the phrase “self-partnered.”

Specifically, in 2019, she shared: “I never believed the whole ‘I’m happy single’ spiel. I was like, ‘This is totally spiel.’ It took me a long time, but I’m very happy [being single]. I call it being self-partnered.”

Now, she’s clarifying that quote, saying, it’s not “necessarily about me celebrating being single. Getting to the point when I was 30, I was realizing, ‘Oh, maybe I’ve figured out some things about how to care for myself better – maybe quite well, actually.’ And taking pride in that.”