Emma Watson

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born April 15, 1990 in Paris, France ) is a English actress whose most notable role is that of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series.

Career
Prior to being cast in the Harry Potter films, Watson had only acted in school plays. At school, she took the lead role in several plays, including Arthur: The Young Years and The Happy Prince. Along with plays, Emma participated in many other school productions, including the Daisy Pratt Poetry Competition, in which she won first place for her year at age seven. At the age of nine, Watson made her professional acting debut in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone playing vulnerable know-it-all Hermione Granger. In 2002, she starred in the Potter sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In 2004 and 2005, she again played the brainy Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In 2007, she returned to the Potter franchise a fifth time in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, reprising her role as Hermione Granger. Following the release of Order of the Phoenix, Watson made her first major forays beyond the Potter franchise, playing Pauline Fossil in the television film Ballet Shoes, and voicing Princess Pea in the animated film The Tale of Desperaux. She returned to the role of Hermione for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which was released in 2009 after originally being scheduled for a Christmas 2008 release. She then went on to perform the character for the final two Harry Potter films, filmed in 2008-2009 and scheduled for release in 2010 and 2011.

The daughter of two lawyers, Watson attended and graduated from Dragon School a renowned British "public" college preparatory school located in Oxford, England. She also attended the prestigious all girls school Headington. An avid sports player, Watson enjoys playing hockey, tennis, and rounders. She is also said to be a gifted singer.

In 2008, Emma was nominated and awarded fourth place in Portrait Magazine's Top 30 Under 30 2008 list. Her Harry Potter co-star Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley in the films, was also nominated and awarded fifth place. She and Wright were the only ones of the cast of Harry Potter to be nominated in the Top 30 Under 30 2008 list by Portrait Magazine.

Watson's post-Potter acting career has been the subject of conflicting media reports, with some saying she plans to quit acting to concentrate on university, and others stating she plans to continue acting. In July 2009 it was announced that she will be attending Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island Her subsequent enrollment in classes in September 2009 was met with considerable paparazzi interest. It has not been confirmed whether she has now concluded her Harry Potter work or if she has any remaining filming still to come.

On September 17, 2009, Emma announced on her official website and as reported in the Guardian that she will be collaborating on a fashion line with People Tree, the sustainable and fair trade fashion brand. Emma will be serving as creative advisor on the spring summer line which will be launched in February 2010. They will be selling organic fashion and fair trade aimed for people ages 16-24.

In December 2009, Watson was nominated and voted in eighth place in Portrait Magazine, Top 30 Under 30 2009 List. Emma's fellow Harry Potter's co-stars was also nominated Bonnie Wright who plays Ginny Weasley was second place, Evanna Lynch who play Luna Lovegood was third place, Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley was fifth place, Tom Felton who plays Draco Malfoy was fourteenth place, and Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry Potter was eighteenth place in Portrait Magazine, Top 30 Under 30 2009 List.

Behind the scenes

 * Watson shares a birthday (April 15) with her Harry Potter co-star Emma Thompson (who portrays Sybill Trelawney).
 * Controversy arose shortly before the release of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film when it was discovered that Watson's breast size had been digitally enhanced on a poster advertising the film's IMAX release. This image gave Melissa Anelli, webmistress of fansite The Leaky Cauldron, "the full heebie jeebies," since Watson was playing a fifteen-year-old, and was herself under eighteen.
 * At the age of thirteen, Watson was placed tenth in "The Hottest Female Stars", in February 2004.
 * She became the youngest person ever to appear on the front cover of Teen Vogue magazine, at the age of fifteen.
 * She achieved eight A* and two A passes in her GSCEs (United Kingdom exams pupils sit in their last compulsary year of education). She jokingly compared this to her portrayal of Hermione Granger, a self-conscious know-it-all.
 * Watson passed her driving test on her first attempt, on January 28, 2008.
 * At twenty, Watson is the youngest of the Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger actors. Ironically, in the books, Hermione is the oldest of the three; her birthday is in September while Ron and Harry's are the following year in March and July, respectively.
 * Emma Watson is a huge fan of Nutella.
 * Like Hermione, Watson was born to two parents of the same occupation; Hermione's are both dentists, and Emma's are both lawyers.
 * Watson nearly did not return for Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows filming, but ultimately decided to because she "couldn't bear seeing anyone else playing Hermione".

Awards and Honours

 * Saturn Awards - Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Philosopher's Stone) - Nominated
 * Phoenix Film Critics Awards - Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role - Female (Chamber of Secrets) - Won
 * Critic's Choice Award - Best Young Actress (Prisoner of Azkaban) - Nominated
 * Empire Award - Best Début (Philosopher's Stone) - Shared with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint - Nominated
 * National Movie Award - Female Performance (Order of the Phoenix) - Won
 * Portrait Magazine, Top 30 Under 30 2008 List - Nominated and Awarded Fourth Place
 * Portrait Magazine, Top 30 Under 30 2009 List - Nominated and Voted in Eighth Place

Filmography

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
 * The Tales of Desperaux (2008)
 * Ballet Shoes (2007)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
 * The Queen's Handbag (Harry Potter short film) (2006)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)