Emma Watson has lived and grown with her Harry Potter character Hermione Granger over 8 films. The young British actor who portrayed the nerdy wizard immortalised by author J K Rowling in her Harry Potter series, has carved her identity in the entertainment industry thanks to this marquee role that made her a household name. From a brilliant and gawky 10 year old to an assured teenager, Watson personified the character of Hermione Granger to perfection.

But slipping into the role was not always easy for the Beauty and the Beast star. By her own admission, Emma Watson faced difficulties while getting into the character of Hermione Granger and took a considerable amount of time before ultimately relating to the character fully.

Emma Watson Struggled To Be Like Other Girls Of Her Age

Harry Potter star Emma Watson spent a large part of her formative years essaying the role of the clever Hermione Granger in the 8-part film series. The young actor in an interview confessed that while many aspects of the character actually mirrored her own personality, it wasn’t until much later that she was actually able to embrace the role and relate to Hermione fully. Speaking of the peer pressure that she faced to avoid being nerdy and conform to the typical cool teenage norms, Watson said that she lost her true identity somewhere in between while trying to fit in.

“I watch interviews that I did when the first movie came out and I was so lost! I would think, ‘What do young girls talk about? What do they say?’ ‘I like going shopping and I have a crush on Brad Pitt.’ And I had no idea who Brad Pitt really was. It makes me sad because I see this girl trying so much to fit in.”

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in a still from Harry Potter

As a result, Watson went through a phase where she tried to disassociate herself from Hermione in an attempt to adhere to a certain public image despite having many similarities to her character. Ultimately, over the years and 8 films, the star succeeded in embracing her inner nerd through her wholesome acceptance of Hermione Granger.

How Similar Is Emma Watson To Hermione Granger?

Despite taking her time to completely comprehend and relate to the role of Hermione Granger, Emma Watson admitted that she and her character shared a lot of similarities along with a few differences. In an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show, Watson detailed the intricacies of her character and said,

“I think I’m probably a bit more fun-loving than she is.She’s a bit more serious than I am. I think I’m a bit more rounded than she is. She’s very, like, focused on her academics, and she doesn’t really do anything else. But then, we have similarities, as well. I’m very loyal like she is, and I’m very hardworking like she is.”

Emma Watson with director David Yates

Watson went on to add that it wasn’t until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that her character was completely fleshed out thereby allowing her to forge a deep connection to Hermione. Speaking of director David Yates’s brief, the star said that his guidance and explanation of how Hermione developed and blossomed allowed her to take the character to new heights.