Emma Watson has opened up during the Harry Potter cast reunion about how she seriously considered quitting her role as Hermione Granger.
In one of the more serious moments from the 20th anniversary special reuniting the core cast of the Potter movies, Order of the Phoenix director David Yates recalled how Watson had initially wanted to back out as she transitioned into her teenage years.
"I can see that. At times, I was lonely," she acknowledged.
Related: Harry Potter star Tom Felton shares sweet throwback video of Emma Watson on set
Her co-star Rupert Grint was surprised by Emma's candid recollection, admitting that he'd "never really spoken" to her about that period in her life.
"I think I was scared," she explained in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. "I don't know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point when you were like... 'This is kind of forever now'."
What to Read Next
Emma later added: "The fame thing had finally hit home – in a big way. No-one had to convince me to see it through. The fans genuinely wanted me to succeed and they all genuinely have each other's backs. How great is that?"
Rupert revealed he felt the pressure of being in Harry Potter too: "I also had kind of similar feelings to Emma, kind of contemplating what life would be like if I called it a day.
“But we never really spoke about it, I guess we were just kind of going through it at our own pace, and we were kind of in the moment at the time. It just didn't really occur to us that we were all probably having similar feelings."
Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton credited Emma with showing "grace" in spite of the tremendous responsibility she carried at such a young age.
"Dan and Rupert, they had each other, I had my cronies, whereas Emma was not only younger, she was by herself," he pointed out.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts features Watson, Grint, Felton, Daniel Radcliffe and others from the films getting back together to reflect on memorable moments from the franchise.
This feature-length special will premiere on New Year's Day at 8pm on Sky Max and in the US on HBO Max.
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
