Emma Watson is without a doubt one of the most recognizable actresses in Hollywood, having gained international recognition from portraying Hermione Granger in the astronomically successful Harry Potter franchise. Starring in one of the most renowned film franchises in history opened up a world of incredible opportunities for Watson, ultimately landing her among the highest paid actors in Tinsel Town.
Unfortunately, along with its overwhelming perks, such as getting to star in high grossing films like Beauty and the Beast and Noah, Watson’s meteoritic rise to fame also evoked intense fascination with her private life.
To maintain a semblance of privacy, the Harry Potter star has erected strict boundaries between her private and personal life; one of which is never taking photographs with fans. Here’s why, rather than pose for selfies, Watson would rather spend hours discussing Harry Potter with fans.
Emma Watson Prefers To Keep Her Private Life Under Wraps
Despite living in the limelight for over two decades, Emma Watson is incredibly passionate about maintaining a private identity. Speaking to Interview in 2017, Watson disclosed that keeping her private life under wraps is not only a strategy to ward off unnecessary media scrutiny, but also a key part of her acting process.
“The story of my life has been of public interest, which is why I’ve been so passionate about having a private identity,” she said. “When I step into a character, people have to be able to suspend their disbelief; they have to be able to divorce me from that girl. 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.”
With privacy becoming an incredibly elusive ideal in recent times, mainly due to the increased popularity of social media, Emma Watson has had to erect strict boundaries between her private and public life just to maintain a semblance or privacy.
“I set even more boundaries than I had before between my public and my private lives,” she told Interview in 2017. “I love social media, and I love what it can do and how it brings people together, but used in the wrong way, it’s incredibly dangerous.”
Emma Watson Has Had Scary Altercations With Stalkers
Unfortunately, enabling a suspension of disbelief is not the only reason that motivates Emma Watson’s intense desire for privacy. The Beauty and the Beast star’s pivotal role in the Harry Potter franchise has granted her icon status around the world, rendering her private life a subject of intense fascination.
“I have met fans that have my face tattooed on their body. I’ve met people who used the Harry Potter books to get through cancer,” she told Vanity Fair in 2017. “I don’t know how to explain it, but the Harry Potter phenomenon steps into a different zone. It crosses into obsession. A big part of me coming to terms with it was accepting that this is not your average circumstances.”
This fanaticism-turned-obsession has jeopardized the 32-year-old’s safety on more than one occasion. In fact, after one particularly harrowing incident, where a strange man sneaked onto a movie set and approached her, Watson decided to hire a personal bodyguard for a whopping $150,000 a year.
“Emma has had problems with stalkers in the past and, because of her wealth, there is always the threat of kidnap,” an inside source disclosed to The Daily Mail in 2012. “She pays for her bodyguard out of her own pocket, and Denise accompanies her everywhere, even when Emma is out for dinner. Denise is always there, making sure she is safe.”
Emma Watson Would Rather Discuss Harry Potter For Hours Than Take Selfies With Fans
With her safety increasingly at stake, Emma Watson has had to take additional drastic measures to protect her private identity. Aside from treading with extreme caution when it comes to social media and hiring a bodyguard, Watson has also resolved to forgo taking selfies with fans, preferring to discuss Harry Potter for as long as necessary.
“I’ll say, ‘I will sit here and answer every single Harry Potter fandom question you have, but I just can’t do a picture,”” she told Vanity Fair in 2017. “For me, it’s the difference between being able to have a life and not. If someone takes a photograph of me and posts it, within two seconds they’ve created a marker of exactly where I am within 10 meters. They can see what I’m wearing and who I’m with. I just can’t give that tracking data.”
That said, Watson does make exceptions on occasion, especially when children are involved. “I have to carefully pick and choose my moment to interact,” she said. “When am I a celebrity sighting versus when am I going to make someone’s freakin’ week? Children I don’t say no to, for example.”