Portrait · David Shankbone / CC BY 2.0

Emma Watson

Actor and director

Born 1990

Emma Watson is a British actor and director whose early fame as Hermione Granger grew into a career across literary drama, animation, comedy and musical film. She was born in Paris to lawyer parents and moved to England after their separation. Her childhood combined ordinary school life with a public identity that developed exceptionally early. In Oxford she attended the Dragon School and took Stagecoach performing classes. Casting for Harry Potter began when she was nine. In later interviews she described the unusual pressure of growing up under public observation, alongside a continuing interest in education and storytelling. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone introduced her Hermione in 2001, beginning the screen collaboration with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. The series continued through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011. Alongside Potter, she portrayed Pauline Fossil in the television adaptation Ballet Shoes. Animation brought the voice of Princess Pea in The Tale of Despereaux. My Week with Marilyn cast her as Lucy. Sam in The Perks of Being a Wallflower gave her a contemporary coming-of-age role. Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring cast her as Nicki. This Is the End used her own name for a comic screen persona. Darren Aronofsky’s Noah introduced her Ila. Regression cast her as Angela Gray. Colonia placed her in the role of Lena. Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast cast her as Belle in 2017. The Circle provided the contrasting role of Mae. Greta Gerwig’s Little Women followed with Meg March in 2019. She pursued university education alongside professional acting and graduated from Brown with an English literature degree in May 2014. UN Women appointed her a Goodwill Ambassador that July, linking her public work to young women’s empowerment and HeForShe. Her appointment followed involvement in girls’ education, including visits to Bangladesh and Zambia. She later moved behind the camera for Prada Paradoxe, directing and starring in its 2022 campaign short. This was commercial brand work, distinct from a verified personal fragrance recommendation. Renais is another commercial undertaking: she and her brother Alex co-founded the gin business, which connects their family’s Burgundy winemaking with production in England. In December 2023 she described creative writing study at Oxford. In September 2025 she discussed a new, unnamed pursuit and her wish to stay connected with the filmmaking community. She missed aspects of acting while finding promotional obligations difficult. Pickleball and Brandi Carlile’s music appear in that same personal account. Vogue’s September 2026 report documents her Lucas Museum appearance, where she collaborated on a handmade floral dress. The checked current coverage establishes this public activity without supplying a new acting credit.

Verified identityCore facts checked against named sources.

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Connected people

ConnectionDaniel RadcliffePotter screen collaborator.

ConnectionRupert GrintPotter screen collaborator.

ConnectionSofia CoppolaDirected The Bling Ring.

Selected career chronology

Credits Index

Major screen, stage, music, sport or broadcast work. This is a selected public-career index, not a complete employment history.

Year	Title	Medium	Role	IMDb
2001	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone	film	Hermione Granger	IMDb
2002	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	film	Hermione Granger	IMDb
2004	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	film	Hermione Granger	IMDb
2005	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	film	Hermione Granger	IMDb
2007	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	film	Hermione Granger	IMDb
2007	Ballet Shoes	television-film	Pauline Fossil	IMDb
2008	The Tale of Despereaux	film	Princess Pea (voice)	IMDb
2009	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	film	Hermione Granger	IMDb
2010	One Night Only: Say You Don’t Want It	music-video	Lady	IMDb
2010	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1	film	Hermione Granger	IMDb
2011	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2	film	Hermione Granger	IMDb
2011	My Week with Marilyn	film	Lucy	IMDb
2012	The Perks of Being a Wallflower	film	Sam	IMDb
2013	The Bling Ring	film	Nicki	IMDb
2013	This Is the End	film	Emma Watson	IMDb
2014	Noah	film	Ila	IMDb
2015	Regression	film	Angela Gray	IMDb
2015	Colonia	film	Lena	IMDb
2017	Beauty and the Beast	film	Belle	IMDb
2017	The Circle	film	Mae	IMDb
2019	Little Women	film	Meg March	IMDb
2022	Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts	television-special	Self	IMDb
2022	Prada Paradoxe	campaign-short	The Multi-Dimensional Woman	IMDb
2022	Prada Paradoxe	campaign-short	Director	IMDb