Despite being worth a rumoured £43million, with a string of acclaimed films and advertising campaigns behind her belt, Emma Watson has revealed her real idea of success is being able to tackle the simple things in life.
Although the 21-year-old actress was catapulted to fame playing Hermione Granger in the ‘Harry Potter’ films, she admits it has been a ‘challenge’ learning how to function away from the bubble of the popular series.
She said: ‘Doing the ‘Potters’ was such a bubble and then having to figure out how to function in the real world has been a challenge.
‘But it’s been the small successes for me. I know how to use a washing machine. I can cook. It’s worth it for me not to feel disconnected from everything, feeling like I’m in touch with people who do other things than acting or being in the entertainment industry.
Watson, who is in her final year studying at Oxford University in the UK after transferring from Brown in the US, credits her solid group of friends with helping her cope with normal life and showbiz events.
She added in an interview with the Independent: ‘I think humour has been a help. I have schoolfriends, a group of people around me, who have carried me through this whole experience and aren’t fazed if I ask, ‘Oh what are you doing tomorrow?’ and I say, ‘I’m going up to see Mario Testino in Notting Hill, he’s shooting me for the new Lancome campaign.’
‘I don’t know – it is mad, and some days I feel a bit mad, but it’s the balance that keeps me sane.’
Watson now wants to develop her own sense of style away from the billboards.
The 21-year-old actress has always welcomed assistance from stylists but now wants to make her own wardrobe choices.
She said: ‘I was fully game for, ‘Throw me in this, throw me in that’ but I’d like to develop my own sense of style and dress for myself.
Carving out success: Emma Watson revealed fashion and art has been instrumental in helping her develop an identity separate from Harry Potter
‘The press destroyed me over this Rodarte dress I wore once – it was bright blue with chains on it. I loved it. And I wore a leather Christopher Kane dress with embroidered flowers all over it. It wasn’t that crazy, but at the time…’
Emma believes her interest in fashion has helped her forge an identity for herself away from the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise.
The beauty who played Hermione Granger for 10 years, explained: ‘Fashion gave me a chance to feel like I was something outside of ‘Potter’. I’m a multi-dimensional person and that’s the freedom of fashion; that you’re able to reinvent yourself through how you dress and how you cut your hair or whatever.
