Emma Watson explains why she stopped acting.
In an interview with the Financial timesWatson thought about why she hasn’t made a movie since Greta Gerwig’s Little womenwho finished shooting at the end of 2018.
“I wasn’t very happy, if I’m honest I felt a little trapped,” she said.
She went on to explain that she felt conflicted about promoting projects that she didn’t have much “control over.”
“What I found very difficult was that I had to start selling something that I really didn’t have much control over. To be in front of a movie and have every journalist say, “How does this align with your point of view?” It’s been really hard having to be the face and spokesperson for things I haven’t been involved in,” she explained.
Watson continued, “I was held accountable in a way that I started to find really frustrating, because I had no voice, I had no say. And I started to realize that I only wanted to face things where if someone made fun of me about it, I could say, in a way that didn’t make me hate myself, “Yeah, I screwed up, it was my decision, I should have done better.’”
Following the end of the Harry Potter film franchise, Watson went on to star The benefits of a wallflower are, The Bling Ring, Beauty and the Beast, The circle And Little womenwith the latter film earning six Oscar nominations.
During her hiatus from acting, Watson ventured into writing and directing. Last winter she wrote and directed an advertising campaign for Prada. “People always told me to direct and produce, even when I was working Potter,” she said. “I was afraid it was just technical, not creative and I couldn’t bring what I think is probably my skill set. …Being a director seemed out of reach. I don’t think I had any confidence in that. I know it seems weird. I mean, I grew up on a movie set.”
Watson also teased that she’s been asked to direct a music video, though she wouldn’t reveal who the music video belongs to, other than hinting, “You must have heard of him.”
Despite not acting for nearly five years, Watson did not rule out a return to the screen. “Yes absolutely. But I’m happy to sit and wait for the next good thing. I love what I do. It’s finding a way to do it where I don’t have to split myself into different faces and people. And I just don’t want to switch to robot mode anymore. Does that make any sense?”
