“If I was going to be a princess, I would be a warrior princess.”
Emma Watson, who plays the iconic Hermione Granger in the long-running “Harry Potter” film series, has some serious thoughts on feminism, grand declarations aside. The 21-year-old actress was in New York over this past weekend, the start of the American leg of promoting “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” out Friday.
While she may have retired her wand forever at this end of this movie franchise, Watson”s opportunity to play J.K. Rowling”s brainy witch gave her some perspective on moving forward in her career, as a strong-headed self-proclaimed feminist.
“I”m a bit of a feminist in the same way that she is. I will speak my mind,” Watson said to a group of journalists, comparing herself to Hermione. “I”m very heady in the same way that she is; I”m constantly thinking three, four moves ahead. I try to intellectualize a lot, which she does as well, obviously. I”m very determined as well… I feel so much of me went into her and so much of her went into me. I can”t really differentiate too much anymore it”s all a bit of a blur.”
Watson, sporting short hair and what appeared to be a Givenchy dress, said she drew inspiration from another feminist — her mom – to try and convincingly play Hermoine as the film wraps up, and heading into her future post-Potter.
“For my mum, she was the first generation that felt like, ‘Wow, we really can work and we have choice.” My mum worked when I was growing up. I feel like for my generation, not only do we have that choice, but we also have the choice to stay at home… But I also think it”s easy to feel a bit lost about what the right thing to do is,” she said.
The “right thing” for Watson next is to finish up her degree and promote her next projects. The actress completed about two years of study at Brown University here in the United States, but is studying English “abroad” – close to home at Oxford in England – for her third year. She also reiterated that she”s still enrolled at Brown. Before that, she plans to travel for the summer
And even throughout her studies, Watson wishes to remain an actress. She”s wrapped up her role as Sam in Mr. Mudd (“Juno”) production “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” which itself had some challenges.
“A lot of moments in this last movie I made in Pittsburgh, Perks of Being a Wallflower, I was terrified. On my first day I was so nervous. Doing a different accent, being on a new movie set, in a foreign country with a crew I didn”t know and a cast I didn”t know. There”s a scene where I have to mimic Susan Sarandon in ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show” and I”m standing in a corset in front of all of these extras trying to do this dance. I felt ridiculous. It”s funny, coming out of this, I”m constantly doing things that are new, and that takes bravery,” she said.
And, like Hermione, bravery and will power gets things done.
“You know, I feel like young girls are told that they have to be this kind of princess and be all delicate and fragile, and it”s bullsh*t. I identified much more with the idea of being a warrior, and being a fighter… I think women are scared of feeling powerful and strong and brave, and I think that”s something they”ve got to embrace.