When rumors of Emma Watson's imminent retirement first broke last month, many were quick to believe them. The young actress has been in the public eye for so long now that it's easy to understand why she might want to take a step back from it all. As is so often the case though, the whispers turned out to be false.
This bodes well for fans of Watson's work, especially considering some of the accomplished performances that she's delivered in recent years. She really has come a long way since Harry Potter and could potentially go further still if she continues to progress at the same rate. Of course, it certainly helps that she's played so many wonderful characters over the years as well.
Updated June 26, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Given how early her acting career began and how much of her childhood was ultimately consumed by it, that Emma Watson would want to take a break from Hollywood is certainly understandable. Her last movie was 2019's Little Women, with no new on-screen projects having been announced since then. Those looking to reminisce about the best Emma Watson movies and characters still have plenty to choose from, however, with the talented actress having played 13 unique characters across 20 different movies in the 18 years in which she was active.
13 Angela Gray (Regression)
Regression is an incredibly underwhelming affair that fails to bring the best out of its leads. Much of this is down to the movie's flimsy premise and ham-fisted writing. When it comes to Watson though, it is simply a case of her not being given enough to do.
There are times when it feels like Angela is included simply for the sake of being there and while she is given one or two moments to shine, they are few and far between. In the creators' defense, psychological thrillers aren't at all easy to get right, but the team behind this one didn't even come close.
12 Emma Watson (This is the End)
There have been plenty of end-of-the-world comedies over the past decade or two, but This is the End is one of the more successful. Its cast includes Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco, and Emma Watson; all of whom play fictionalized versions of themselves as civilization collapses around them. It pulled in more than $125 million at the box office and holds a very respectable 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Like her character in the movie, Watson was at times made to feel uncomfortable by some of the sexual elements of the movie and ended up leaving the set. Rogen, who co-wrote and co-directed the movie with Evan Goldberg has since apologized for this, revealing that he wished he had done more to prevent this. To be clear, it's still a funny movie in spite of this, though one in which Watson doesn't shine quite as brightly as she's capable of.
11 Lucy (My Week With Marilyn)
My Week With Marilyn is a movie that derives much of its excellence from its well-polished visuals and excellent acting performances rather than its narrative. There's nothing wrong with that, but it does feel a little hollow in places as a result. As for Watson, her performance is solid but is completely overshadowed by the brilliance of Michelle Williams.
It probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that the titular character steals the show, but it would have been nice to have seen Lucy given a bit more time in the spotlight. Perhaps had the opportunity arrived a little later on in Watson's career, she may well have been.
10 Princess Pea (The Tale Of Despereaux)
Not all actors are cut out for animated movies, although Watson does a decent enough job in The Tale of Despereaux. There are times, however, when her Princess Pea character gets a little lost; both in the narrative itself and the imposing shadows of her esteemed co-stars.
In her defense, the likes of Matthew Broderick and Robbie Coltrane each have a lot more experience than Watson when it comes to voicing animated characters. The writing doesn't do her any favors either, with the poor dialogue and disjointed storytelling making it difficult for anyone to come out of this movie smelling of roses.
9 Mae Holland (The Circle)
Flawed though it may be, The Circle does a fairly competent job of utilizing its star-studded cast. Watson is just one of many big names to feature, although her character is at the center of everything meaningful that happens throughout the movie.
The growth exhibited by Mae as events unfold is interesting enough to watch, but it's not always as believable as it perhaps should be. This is more a case of the writing being at fault than the young actress herself, but it detracts quite a bit from what would otherwise be a strong character and a decent movie.
8 Meg March (Little Women)
With six Academy Award nominations, Watson's most recent film, Little Women, is also her most critically successful. While her performance in it is a solid one though, it is largely overshadowed by that of the excellent Florence Pugh. The young Brit completely steals the show and earned herself an Oscar nomination in the process.
By comparison, Meg can at times feel a little flat despite being given just as much time in the spotlight; if not more. This isn't necessarily through any fault of Watson though, but instead a combination of the way that the character is written and the near-perfect performance from Pugh.
7 Lena (Colonia)
Colonia really isn't a good movie. In fact, it might just be the worst one that Watson has ever appeared in. That said, her performance as Lena is one of its only saving graces despite it often being at odds with the clunky dialogue and clumsy storytelling.
The wonderful on-screen chemistry between Watson and her co-star Daniel Bruhl makes the relationship between their characters incredibly believable and this, in turn, makes their struggles all the more gripping. Sadly, however, this relationship can at times detract and distract from the very serious subject matter.
6 Ila (Noah)
Darren Aronofsky knows how to make a great movie and has a strong track record when it comes to bringing the best out of his cast. Noah serves as yet another example of his brilliance in this regard, particularly when it comes to Watson's character, Ila.
At this point in her career, Watson remained something of an unknown quantity and defied a lot of expectations with her commanding and surprisingly mature performance. For as good as Ila is though, the character just isn't quite as interesting as some of the female leads in Aronofsky's earlier flicks.
5 Belle (Beauty And The Beast)
While there are one or two problems with Disney's live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, Emma Watson definitely isn't one of them. The rest of the cast deserve a share of the credit too, but it's Watson's portrayal of Belle that really makes the movie tick. Well. That and Cogsworth.
It's a performance that hits all the right notes; much like Watson's singing. She's certainly no Mariah Carey or anything, but she does a perfectly serviceable job with each of the movie's musical numbers. Few actresses could have brought Belle to life quite as effectively, nor could many do so with the grace and charm that Watson brings to the table.
4 Pauline Fossil (Ballet Shoes)
Ballet Shoes is surprisingly good for a made-for-TV movie. So much so, in fact, that it currently holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A big part of this is down to the excellent performances turned in by Watson and her fellow co-stars, with Lucy Boynton and Yasmin Paige worthy of just as much praise as the young Harry Potter actress.
Watson plays Pauline: an orphan rescued from the wreckage of the Titanic and adopted by an eccentric explorer. Together with her adoptive sisters, Petrova (Paige) and Posy (Boynton), she sets out to write her name in the history books after being inspired by some of the distinguished lodgers who share their home. As time passes, however, the trio learns that life is full of difficulties that require both grit and determination to overcome.
3 Sam (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower)
In many ways, The Perks of Being a Wallflower served as a coming-of-age not just for Charlie, Sam and Patrick, but also Watson herself. It arrived just one year on from the release of the final Harry Potter movie and allowed her to demonstrate her growth and talent as an actress outside of the wizarding world.
Sam is a fairly complex character but is expertly brought to life by Watson's assured performance. She's not only able to capture the character's insecurities, but also portray her inner strength in a believable and relatable manner. It is an eye-catching performance and ultimately proved to be a sign of what was still to come from this talented actress.
2 Nicki (The Bling Ring)
Watson's post-Potter career began with her picking up quite a few interesting roles, but none more so than that of Nicki in The Bling Ring. She is, in many ways, the polar opposite of Hermione Granger and therefore allowed audiences to see a completely different side of Watson's acting abilities.
Despite the character's narcissism and complete lack of morals, Watson manages to make Nicki quite likable and also provides one or two funny moments as well. While the movie itself is a fairly forgettable one, Watson's performance will linger long in the memory even after the finer details of the plot have faded.
1 Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
One of the great things about a series like Harry Potter is being able to watch the cast grow and mature with each new movie as well as the characters themselves. In that respect, there are actually quite a few parallels between Watson and her two co-stars and their on-screen personas.
While they each start out young and inexperienced, by the time that the final battle with Voldemort is over, they find themselves completely changed and ready for what lies ahead. Hermione, in particular, is almost unrecognizable from the young girl who Harry first meets on the Hogwarts express - and so too is Watson.