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5 things you didn't know about Emma Watson
Most people know Emma Watson as a brilliant actress with many prominent roles and accolades. However, few people know she also excels in advocacy and intellectual pursuits. Watson gained global stardom as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise. She became a cultural icon for her role and made herself a name among Hollywood's most respected figures. However, she did not achieve her status with just one role.
Fans will also recognize Watson from movies like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Little Women, and Beauty and the Beast, but many will be surprised to know that she is also an Ivy League graduate. Moreover, she is a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and a passionate advocate for gender equality. Her HeForShe campaign propelled her into the global spotlight as a leading voice for change, and she earned accolades far beyond the screen.
Here are a few facts about Emma Watson that are lesser known to the general public.
5 lesser-known facts about Emma Watson
1) She grew up in Paris
Emma Watson was born on April 15, 1990, in Paris, France, to British parents Chris Watson and Jacqueline Luesby, both lawyers. According to People, she spent her early years in Paris, where her family lived until she was five. Her childhood took a major turn when her parents divorced, which led her to move to England with her mother and younger brother, Alex Watson.
In interviews, Watson occasionally spoke about her early years and described her time in France as formative but distant. She maintained close ties with both parents even after they were separated and credits them for instilling in her a sense of discipline and ambition. Speaking to Metro France in 2015, Watson said,
"My parents helped me a lot. Luckily, they weren't focused on my career. All that mattered to them was that I was happy."
Her bilingual upbringing also allowed her to be fluent in French.
2) She is an Ivy League graduate
Emma Watson had a demanding acting career at the age when she had to go to college, but she did not shy away from consistently prioritizing education. According to People, she enrolled at Brown University in 2009, pursuing a degree in English literature.
She balanced her studies with her acting commitments, so she took a year abroad at Worcester College, Oxford, as part of a study-abroad program in 2011–2012.
Watson graduated from Brown University in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. Her commitment to education was widely praised, and many noted her ability to manage a full-time academic schedule while maintaining an international film career.
3) She is an advocate for sustainable fashion
Emma Watson has emerged as a leading advocate for sustainable fashion. At the 2016 Met Gala, she collaborated with Calvin Klein and Eco-Age to create a groundbreaking ensemble crafted from recycled plastic bottles. Watson stated,
"Plastic is one of the biggest pollutants on the planet. Being able to repurpose this waste and incorporate it into my gown for the #MetGala proves the power that creativity, technology, and fashion can have by working together."
In 2017, Watson launched an Instagram account, @the_press_tour, to document her press tour outfits for films like Beauty and the Beast and The Circle.
Furthering her influence in the fashion industry, Watson guest-edited the March 2018 issue of Vogue Australia, focusing on sustainability and positive change. The edition featured articles by prominent figures such as Malala Yousafzai and Stella McCartney.
4) She took a break from acting
In a 2023 interview with the Financial Times, Emma Watson spoke about her decision to step away from acting after her role in 2019's Little Women. She revealed,
"I wasn't very happy, if I'm being honest. I think I felt a bit caged. The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn't have very much control over. I was held accountable in a way that I began to find really frustrating because I didn't have a voice. I didn't have a say."
Despite her hiatus, Watson confirmed her intention to return to acting and said she is waiting for the next right thing to jump on.
5) She and her brother started a gin brand
In 2023, Emma Watson and her brother, Alex, introduced a premium spirit named Renais Gin, inspired by their family's deep-rooted history in the wine industry. Their father, Chris Watson, has been cultivating vineyards in Chablis, France, for over 30 years.
Renais Gin is crafted using upcycled Grand Cru grape skins from the Watson family vineyard, Domaine Watson, combined with natural botanicals like juniper berries, cubeb berries, and linden flowers. The gin is distilled in England at a solar-powered facility. Packaging further reflects this ethos, with bottles housed in compostable, 100% mycelium-based boxes.
Renais Gin made its US debut in July 2024, initially launching in California before expanding to 40 states. To commemorate this expansion, Emma Watson directed a campaign video exploring the brand's origins and values.
Emma Watson's last film was Little Women, released in 2019. As of now, fans earnestly await her promise to return to acting and see her portray more roles.
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