Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born on April 15, 1990 in Paris, France. Her parents are Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson, both of whom are practicing lawyers. Emma lived in Paris until the age of five, and then moved to Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom with her mother upon the separation of her parents. She started her education at the Dragon School and studied singing, dancing and acting at the Oxford branch of Stagecoach Theatre Arts.
During her childhood she was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), for which she started medical treatment. Watson discovered her passion for acting at the age of six and took an active role in school plays and theater productions.
Beginning of Acting Career
Emma Watson began her professional acting career in 2001. She auditioned for the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, based on J.K. Rowling's best-selling novel, through her drama teacher at Oxford. After eight separate auditions, she was cast as one of the lead actresses to play the character of Hermione Granger. The film was a high grossing hit the year it was released and the performances of the young actors received positive reviews.
Watson received five award nominations for her first film, including the Young Artist Award.
Harry Potter Series (2001-2011)
Watson has played the role of Hermione Granger in the entire Harry Potter series. The main productions in this series and their broadcast dates are as follows:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
In the process, it was nominated twice for Critics' Choice Awards, and was nominated for many national and international awards following the completion of the series. The series itself was awarded the BAFTA award for “Best British Contribution to Cinema” in 2011.
Acting after Harry Potter
Following the Harry Potter series, Emma Watson has continued her career in a variety of independent and mainstream films. Featured productions and roles include:
A Week with Marilyn (2011) - Lucy
The Benefits of Being a Flower Pot (2012) - Sam
Shimmering Lives (2013) - Nicki
Until Here (2013) - Himself
Noah: The Great Flood (2014) - Ila
Fear Therapy (2015) - Angela Gray
Colonia (2015) - Lena
Beauty and the Beast (2017) - Belle
The Circle (2017) - Mae Holland
Little Women (2019) - Meg March
With these productions, Watson has secured her place in the international arena and expanded her acting range.
Academic Achievements and Social Contributions
In 2014, Watson graduated from Brown University in the USA and became one of the rare actresses who pursued her education alongside her career. In the same year, she was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador by United Nations Women and actively worked on gender equality and women's rights. She has reached a wide audience especially with the “HeForShe” campaign.
Awards and Recognitions
Watson has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career. Among these, the following stand out:
Calvin Klein Emerging Star Award (2012, ELLE Women in Hollywood)
Trailblazer Award (2013, MTV Movie Awards)
Woman of the Year Award (2013, GQ Awards)
People's Choice Awards - Favorite Dramatic Film Actress (2012)
San Diego Film Critics Circle - Best Supporting Actress (twice)
Filmography and Fee Information
Watson has become one of Hollywood's highest-paid young actresses with million-dollar deals per movie.
Beauty and the Beast (2017) - USD 15 million
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & 2 (2010-2011) - 15 million USD each
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - 4 million USD
First films in the series - approximately 125,000 USD each
