Emma Watson says fame left her 'really afraid' at age 10 as HBO casts new Harry Potter TV trio

Emma Watson says fame catapulted her to superstardom at age 10 and left her feeling 'really afraid' as life in the spotlight proved 'frightening' and 'soul-destroying.' In an interview conducted earlier this year in Cannes with Hollywood Authentic, the 35-year-old star of Hermione Granger described how years of intense work left her life feeling imbalanced, prompting a pause to reassess. She said she eventually needed to step back and 'do some construction work,' acknowledging that she was mostly afraid and quite scared. Watson also said she does not miss the pressure of selling products or projects, but she does miss using her core skills and the art she enjoyed. She stressed that the foundation of life is home, friends, and family.

As filming for the HBO Harry Potter television series moves forward, Watson's father, Chris Watson, warned parents about the 'impact of fame on children' and acknowledged the difficulty of navigating a child's ascent to superstardom. Speaking to Times Radio earlier this year, he described how they tried to keep Emma grounded, noting that normal life continued as far as possible: homework would go back to school on motorbikes, admittedly, but she still had to check in. He added that he didn’t rely on watching films as a way to keep perspective, underscoring the careful balance families often strive for when a child enters the public eye.

The HBO adaptation, announced after months of speculation, has assembled its lead trio: Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton is set to portray Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout will take on Ron Weasley. JK Rowling gave her approval to the casting, following earlier resistance to some fan criticisms of producers’ choices. Online discussion has included backlash labeled as part of a broader debate over a ‘woke’ reinterpretation of the Wizarding World, though Rowling herself publicly supported the selected actors, saying on social media that all three are wonderful and that she couldn’t be happier.

The project is planned to unfold over seven seasons, matching the seven books, though the eight-film arc previously presented a different adaptation structure. The HBO series is reported to have a substantial budget, with estimates around £75 million per episode. Insiders suggest the child actors taking the lead could land incomes larger than those of the original screen stars, reflecting the high-profile nature and sprawling scope of a premium-television production. The creator’s involvement, the scale of the cast, and the series-wide commitment have kept fans attentive as production moves forward, even as Watson’s reflections on growing up in the public eye provide a rare, candid look at the personal costs and hard choices that accompany early fame.