A Star in the Making On August 23 2000 when she was 10 years old Emma Watson’s life changed forever Emma Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint sat in front of more than 50 journalists in London England as they were introduced to the world as the stars of the highly anticipated first Harry Potter film Emma needed cushions added to her seat in order to reach the microphone She later admitted to being terrified when she walked into the room and saw all the flashing cameras but no one would have guessed She answered all of the journalists questions clearly and confidently By the end of the press conference Emma and her costars had become three of the most famous people on the planet Emma has grown up in front of the world’s media 4 She Said It I’m afraid I’m really going to bore you all but I’m going to stick it in a bank until I’m 21 Emma on her first paycheck at the first Harry Potter press conference August 23 2000
A Mind of Her Own Emma Watson has not followed the typical path of an international superstar She has made millions of dollars for movie roles and dabbled in the fashion world but higher education became her main focus after the Harry Potter films came to an end Today the work she is most passionate about is her role as an ambassador for UN Women her advancement of girls education and her involvement in HeForShe HeForShe is a campaign that invites men and boys to join in the conversation and work toward gender equality As she appears less frequently on the big screen and devotes more of her time to working for women’s rights Emma is proving herself an admirable role model for young women around the world Emma at the ELLE Style Awards in 2014 5
A Star Is Born Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born in Paris France on April 15 1990 Her parents met at Oxford University in England After both became lawyers Emma’s parents decided to move to France where Emma’s mother has family Emma’s little brother Alex was born in 1992 and the family lived in Paris until she was five when her parents separated Emma has described her parents divorce as friendly and she is close with both her mother and father They have both since remarried and Emma now has six younger brothers and sisters Even after many years Emma says Paris still feels like home to her Bonjour Emma speaks some French but not nearly as well as she did when living in Paris as a child She is now working toward becoming fluent Emma and her family at the 2007 premiere of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in Hollywood California 6
Star Light Star Bright In 1995 Emma her mother and little brother Alex moved from Paris to Oxford England while her father moved to London just over an hour away She and her brother lived with their mother during the week and traveled to London to see their father every other weekend Emma has described this living situation as sometimes hectic and stressful In 1996 Emma experienced the thrill of her life Her father took her to London’s Oxford Street to watch The Spice Girls the British band famous for their message of girl power switch on the street’s Christmas lights Emma had no way of knowing that eight years later she would be representing girl power and switching on those same lights Emma at the Oxford Street Christmas show in 2004 The Spice Girls were the biggest-selling female group of all time 7
