Emma Watson reveals the heartbreaking reason we don’t see her in movies anymore

Emma Watson has shared the heartbreaking reason why she has been noticeably absent from Hollywood for half a decade.

Emma Watson has shared the heartbreaking reason why she stepped away from acting. Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty

The 34-year-old British star is widely recognized for her iconic portrayal of Hermione Granger in the beloved Harry Potter franchise - allowing fans to witness her character's growth from childhood to adulthood.

Beyond the wizarding world, Watson starred in renowned films such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the live-action Beauty and the Beast, and Noah.

The award-winning actress's last major role was in Greta Gerwig's Little Women - which was released in 2019.

Watson played the role of Margaret 'Meg' March in the coming-of-age movie, starring alongside Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep.

Watson's last major role was in Greta Gerwig's Little Women (2019), starring alongside Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen. Credit: Taylor Hill / Getty

Watson's recent career choices, which include pursuing a creative writing MA at Oxford and directing a Prada commercial, have led fans to question her future acting plans.

In a candid interview with Financial Times, which was published early last year, the Harry Potter star revealed why she stepped away from on-screen work.

She said she "wasn’t very happy," adding: “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.

“To stand in front of a film and have every journalist be able to say, ‘How does this align with your viewpoint?’ It was very difficult to have to be the face and the spokesperson for things where I didn’t get to be involved in the process,” she explained.

The film star grappled with feeling voiceless in interviews about her work. “I only wanted to stand in front of things where if someone was going to give me flak about it, I could say, in a way that didn’t make me hate myself, ‘Yes, I screwed up, it was my decision, I should have done better,'" she concluded.

Emma launched a gin brand with her brother Alex. Credit: Gilbert Flores / Getty

Watson shifted her focus from acting to projects where she could maintain creative control - such as launching Enter Renais, a gin brand with her brother Alex in 2023.

While she has taken a break from Hollywood, she remains connected to the industry and reassured fans that she will "absolutely" return.

"But I’m happy to sit and wait for the next right thing. I love what I do,” she shared. “It’s finding a way to do it where I don’t have to fracture myself into different faces and people. And I just don’t want to switch into robot mode anymore. Does that make sense?"

We hope to see Watson return to the screen in the future!

Featured image credit: Arturo Holmes / Getty