"It’s one of the things that I struggle with"- When Emma Watson made her feelings clear about the downside of early stardom

Emma Watson, along with Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe, is perhaps one of the most famous young stars in the world. The trio kickstarted their careers playing the iconic front three of the Harry Potter franchise, and have been under the careful watch of audiences ever since. Given that a new remake of Harry Potter is being made by HBO, it really shows how long the three of them have been around.

While starring in Harry Potter and becoming some of the biggest names in the industry even before they were adults was a huge thing for the three actors, Emma Watson brought forth a few issues that were also created because of this.

Speaking about this in a 2017 interview with Interview Magazine, where she sat down with Hollywood legend Jessica Chastain, Emma Watson answered whether she faced some constraints due to her early shot at fame. She said:

"It’s one of the things that I struggle with, because the three of us—Dan[iel Radcliffe], Rupert [Grint], and I—were kids when we got cast in this fairy-tale series, and what happened to us was kind of a fantasy story in itself...So the story of my life has been of public interest, which is why I’ve been so passionate about having a private identity."

She added:

"And not having everyone know every single intimate detail of my entire life is part of me trying to protect my ability to do my job well."

She also spoke in this interview about how she was always under a microscope while doing other projects, which also stemmed from the fame she achieved in the Harry Potter franchise.

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"I know that I’m under a different microscope"- Emma Watson on making mistakes in her other works

Emma Watson has done many different things since her role in the Harry Potter movies, but the actress has had it harder than others who have broken out at an older age. Jessica Chastain told her that she learned so much from making mistakes and asked Emma Watson if she had the same luxury as she was already quite popular before she tried out other projects.

Addressing this question, Watson said:

"I know that I’m under a different microscope, a certain level of scrutiny, which I find really hard at times. And sometimes the fear of doing things is overwhelming. I get incredibly overwhelmed, and sometimes feel hemmed in by that, afraid of that. But I know that if I live in that fear, then my life as an artist, as a human being, really, is over."

The actress further explained what she did to tackle this. She said:

"Essentially, I took five years out to study, doing only a few smaller projects, and, to a lot of people, it seemed like I was passing up a lot of opportunity. I received a lot of angry phone calls. But I needed the space to go and explore who I was, without being under the microscope."

Of course, even under this constant scrutiny, Emma Watson delivered some great performances in some acclaimed pieces of work like Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Little Women (2019).

However, as of now, the actress has stepped away from acting and has not taken any new role since 2019.