Emma Watson: I miss acting profoundly, but I don’t miss selling films

Emma Watson has said she misses acting profoundly, nearly seven years after her final on-screen role, but she does not miss the publicity machine that accompanies films, describing promoting and selling movies as soul-destroying. The 35-year-old star, best known for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, has not appeared in a feature film since 2018.

Watson spoke candidly about the craft of acting, saying she misses using her skill set and the art, while acknowledging that the on-set process can be intense and pressurized. "I do not miss selling things. I found that to be quite soul-destroying. But I do very much miss using my skill set, and I very much miss the art. I just found I got to do so little of the bit that I actually enjoyed." She described the on-set experience as "the moment you get on a film set, you don't get very long for rehearsal. But the moment you get to talk through a scene — or I got to prepare and think about how I wanted to do something — and then the minute the camera rolls, and getting to just completely forget about everything else in the world other than that one moment — it's such an intense form of meditation. Because you just cannot be anywhere else. It's so freeing. I miss that profoundly. But I don’t miss the pressure. I forgot it was a lot of pressure."

Watson rose to fame as Hermione Granger in the eight-film Harry Potter franchise, which ran from 2001 to 2011. Her last screen credit before her hiatus was Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Little Women, a coming-of-age period drama released in 2019. During her years away from the camera, she pursued higher education at Oxford University, studying Creative Writing, a move she said helped her explore different facets of storytelling outside of box office context.

Watson’s film work in the years prior to her break included The Circle (2017) with Tom Hanks, the live-action Beauty and the Beast remake (2017), and the thriller Regression (2015). Since leaving acting, she has kept a lower profile in terms of film projects, while continuing to attend public events and appearances that keep her in the cultural conversation.

Her personal life has also drawn headlines. In July, she was banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding in an Audi valued at £30,000. Court records show she was sentenced at High Wycombe Magistrates' Court after admitting driving at 38 mph in a 30 mph zone — her third speeding offence in roughly two years — and she was ordered to pay £1,044 in fines, including £660 for a guilty plea, plus a surcharge and costs. Emma has previously discussed the pressures of public life and the balance she seeks between work and personal life.

Last year, Watson split from Brandon Green, son of former British retailer Sir Philip Green, following an 18-month romance. The couple's separation was reported amid a period in which Watson continued to step back from film work and focus on other interests. Last month, she appeared in public in Oxford, including a red polka-dot maxi dress during a casual outing described by observers as a picnic and painting date, underscoring that she remains active in her personal life even as she contemplates future creative projects.

The interview and reflections come as Watson remains among Hollywood's most recognizable figures, with a career that began in childhood and evolved through major franchise fame into a broader, off-screen public persona. While she has not announced plans to return to film, the star has not ruled out future acting roles and continues to engage with storytelling in ways that suit her current priorities.