Emma Watson, who made her on-screen debut in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone 14 years ago, turns 25 today, meaning that she’s been very famous for more than half of her life. While most of her non-Potter filmography leaves something to be desired (This Is the End being the one fantastic exception), she’s been an inspiration in her personal life. Watson is an outspoken, proud feminist who’s out to change the inaccurate perception that respecting women means hating men, and also that one time when one of her fellow students at Brown shouted “three points for Gryffindor!” when she answered a question correctly. Never forget. Anyway, in honor of Watson’s birthday, here are a few times she’s influenced wizards and Muggles alike.
1. When she happily posed with the guy who played her in Harry Potter‘s gay porn parody.
2. When she replied to a woman whose dad said she couldn’t become an engineer.
@lordvoldemot @HeforShe Become an engineer.
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) January 23, 2015
3. When she laughed off her Harry Potter premiere “wardrobe malfunction” by telling David Letterman, “At least I’m wearing underwear.”
4. When she wrote Steve Carell a glowing thank-you note for wearing cuff links promoting HeForShe, her campaign that aims to bring together “one half of humanity [men] in support of the other half of humanity [women], for the benefit of all,” to the Oscars.
@SteveCarell #HeForShe @MONIQUEPEAN #OscarsCufflinks pic.twitter.com/W5TcnteQwK
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) February 22, 2015
5. When she responded to a Turkish politician who proclaimed that “woman should have chastity… she should not laugh in front of everyone and not be inviting in her behavior; she should protect her honor” by laughing in his stupid, sexist face.
6. When she gave an impassioned speech at the United Nations about gender equality, telling the assembled crowd, “I want men to take up this mantle. So their daughters, sisters, and mothers can be free from prejudice, but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human, too. Reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned, and in doing so, be a more true and complete version of themselves.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-xqeTvD3as
7. When she inspired this 15-year-old boy to write into the Telegraph.
A magnificent letter in the Telegraph from 15-year-old @EdHoltom. pic.twitter.com/68Bzkq0GhB
— Nicholas Pegg (@NicholasPegg) September 28, 2014
8. When she shed her skin to become Sofia Vergara.
Accio JAYYYYYY.