Emma Watson Biography

Birth Name: Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson

Birth Place: Paris, France

Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 04/15/1990, Aries

Height : 5' 6" (1.68 m)

Profession: Actress

Education:

The Dragon School, 2003

Headington School, 2007

Brown University, Providence , Rhode Island, 2009

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born to Jacqueline and Chris at 6.00pm on 15th April, 1990 in Paris, France. Jacqueline and Chris both work as lawyers. Emma, her parents and her brother Alex (three years Emma’s junior) moved back to England when Emma was five years old. Emma grew up in Oxfordshire but now lives in London during her university holidays.

In 2000 when she was ten, Emma began filming for the first time with 11 year old Daniel Radcliffe and 12 year old Rupert Grint. She was extremely nervous! But, she had no reason to fear as, on its opening day, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone broke records all over the world and Emma won great critical acclaim for her performance as Hermione Granger.

From the age of six, Emma knew that she wanted to be an actress and, for a number of years, she trained at the Oxford branch of Stagecoach Theatre Arts, a part-time theatre school where she studied singing, dancing and acting. By the age of ten, she had performed and taken the lead in various Stagecoach productions and school plays, including "Arthur: The Young Years" and "The Happy Prince". In 1999, casting began for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), the film adaptation of British author J.K. Rowling's bestselling novel. Casting agents found Emma through her Oxford theatre teacher, and the producers of the film were impressed by her confidence and her natural acting abilities. After eight consistent auditions, producer David Heyman told Emma and fellow applicants, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, that they had been cast for the roles of the three leads, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. It has even been said that Rowling had Emma as her first choice for Hermione Granger since her first screen test.

The fifth adaptation of the Potter franchise, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007) was another mega-hit, setting an opening weekend gross of almost $333 million worldwide. Watson's star kept shining brighter - in the same year, she and fellow wizards Radcliffe and Grint left imprints of their hands, feet and wands in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. In spite of the financial success of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," all three teen stars expressed hesitation in continuing their roles for the final two adaptations. The media speculated that she played hard-to-get in an attempt to increase her paycheck, rumored to be in the $4 million-a picture-range. Watson quickly explained that she hesitated because signing on for two more films represented another four-year commitment on her part. She eventually signed for the role after conceding that she loved Hermione's character so much that she couldn't bear someone else playing it.

Like many child superstars, Watson grew up on the film set and under the scrutinizing glare of the media spotlight. But unlike many of her contemporaries who became infamous for partying, drinking, and drug use, Watson managed to keep her life balanced and private. She credited strong family ties for keeping her grounded, as well as the support she received from her co-stars Radcliffe and Grint, both of whom she said had grown to be like her siblings. More notably, she shared a love of learning with her on-screen alter ego. She was a serious student, maintaining top grades while filming the Potter series. In the fall of 2009, Watson headed off to study at Columbia University in New York City

She is of course now studying for a Liberal Arts degree in Ivy League Brown University in the United States and she is about to complete her first year which she describes as “the most fantastic experience”. Emma has fully immersed herself in all aspects of university life and in March of this year she appeared in the role of Irina in the University production of Chekhov’s Three Sisters.

Emma has also worked closely with organic and fair trade pioneer People Tree, helping founder Safia Minney develop a teenage range for Spring/Summer 2010. As well as promoting fair trade and organic fashion, Emma has been heavily involved in the design and look of the company’s Spring/Summer range 2010 and is credited as Creative Adviser. Her relationship with People Tree continues as she collaborates with the company on their Spring/Summer collection for 2011.