Day the magic died

EMMA WATSON is pretty convinced that she has nothing left to prove when it comes to making and starring in huge blockbuster movies.

Having starred for more than half her young life in the biggest and longest-standing franchise in movie history, why should she?

Ten years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone first appeared on our screens, the eighth and final Harry Potter movie hits cinema screens around the world this weekend, closing the magic circle which has thrilled and delighted millions of young readers and viewers around the world. Today, the demure actress who has played Harry’s friend Hermoine Granger since she was nine-years-old, is a 21-year-old young woman who is hungry for a change and actively seeking quirky parts in atypical movie fare.

Sitting down with The Irish Examiner at Claridge’s in London just hours before the hugely anticipated final Harry Potter premiere, the second instalment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Watson is acutely aware of what a big deal this is to fans of the material and eager not to disappoint.

Dainty and almost doll-like in a sparkly pink dress from Valentino and matching Laboutin high heels, she is extremely polite, almost shy and so softly spoken that I have to lean in very close at times, to pick up what she has to say.

“I was 12 when I first walked down a red carpet in high heels and I remember being shocked at being asked who I was wearing,” she recalls, in a voice barely above a whisper. “I think I corrected the person who first asked me and said, ‘Don’t you mean what am I wearing?’”

Nine years later, she is the face of both Lancome and Burberry, and Watson has grown into a graceful style icon of her own, with tastes favouring a classic couture cut, tending more towards the conservative than expressionistic.

Audiences around the world have watched her grow up on screen, from plucky gal pal, through the awkwardness of adolescence, to beginning her on-screen romance with Ron. Watson is both gratified and still somewhat amazed at the fierce and loyal connection which so many fans of the books and movies have to the material and the characters.

“They’re expecting 40,000 people to show up outside the premiere and it’s intimidating to say the very least!” she acknowledges. “For those who’ve been fans for so long, my biggest worry is how can I be enough when people are that crazy about the world of Harry Potter? There will be television crews from 90 countries, but it’s all about the fans, not the media. They’re the ones who’ve shared in this journey with me and who have grown up with me.”

What’s it like for her to look back at herself on screen and the adventure she’s been on since 2001?

“When I look back on the early movies, I see that girl and I know it’s me, but so much has happened to me since I began that I sometimes feel I don’t know her at all. Of course it’s also mildly embarrassing, looking at myself going through all sorts of the awkward stages of growing up! My hair was enormous at various stages,” she laughs.

These days, Watson, who was born in Paris to two lawyer parents, who’re now divorced, looks more like Audrey Hepburn than the nerdy and serious Hermione. Yet beneath that elegant veneer, there beats a terribly serious heart, absolutely dedicated to any work she does, whether it be paid acting work or academic.

Like other hugely successful child actresses such as Jodie Foster and Brooke Shields, she was always clear about her intentions to step back from acting, to develop her formal education, rather than just keep on working, as she very easily could, and she has spent the past two years studying English literature and history at Brown University in Rhode Island. Watson plans to spend the next year studying in England, before returning to Brown to complete her degree.

“All sorts of ridiculous things have been said about my decision to switch to England for a year of university, but the real reason is, the commuting between school and working on this franchise just wasn’t feasible,” she says with a sigh. “I didn’t want to compromise either my work or my studies and it’s a hugely demanding curriculum, so I’ve decided to do my third year in England.

“I’m very proud of my work ethic and all that I’ve been able to achieve and that I’ve learned over the past 10 years, but I’m also terribly impatient and self-critical, which of course is not always helpful. I’d like to change that if I could,” she says, shrugging.

What memories of working on Harry Potter will be dearest to her? She doesn’t even need to think about it.

“The first film will always be the one that’s closest to my heart, because I walked onto that film set for the first time in my life and I got to act and to learn how a film is made. It was just so exciting and it still is.

“I’ve had a chance to work with wonderful and very different directors like Chris Colombus, Mike Newell and David Yates who’ve all taught me so much and helped me to discover my own acting method. The great thing is, I’ve worked with animals, I’ve worked special effects and I’ve done stunts. I couldn’t have had better training. It’s like graduating from one of the most difficult and hardcore film schools!”

What kind of acting projects is she likely to look for, post-Potter? She seems relieved to consider the question.

“Well, I feel I’ve got the blockbuster box well and truly ticked,” she says making a checking motion with her right hand.

“My first movie since finishing Harry Potter is The Perks of Being a Wallflower which will be out sometime next year. It’s a coming-of-age story based on the novel by Stephen Chbosky. I did a lot of ad libbing in that which was totally new for me and which I really enjoyed.

“As an actress, what I really want is to keep working with great directors, who have the generosity to keep teaching me. I want to make quirky films that I’m passionate about and I don’t really mind what the genre is. It’s not the quantity of movies I care about. I want to choose films and not just roles. You bare part of your soul every time you give a good performance, so it’s crucially important to me what I choose. I’m very lucky to have the ability to be picky and to make choices.”

The question of moving to Hollywood is an inevitable one for any actor, but not one that’s top of her list right now.

“If it’s the right project, I’d be happy to go anywhere and I expect I will be going there sometime, but not just yet.”