[Gallery] [Fashion] [Beauty] [Traduction française]
Bonus:
Thanks Luna.
ENGLISH ROSE
Ten years ago when Warner Bros. were looking for kids to play the Harry Potter characters, they must have wondered, "What can we do to stunt their grownth?" In 19-year-old Emma Watson's case, they have nothing to worry about. The teenager, who plays Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, is one of the most recognisable faces in probably the whole world and like her character, Emma is petite to say the least. Yet she is so sophisticated. A proper lady, one could say. Of course she's also ridiculously smart, sometimes aloof but always forthcoming. In a recent interview in Teen Vogue, Emma said she was not sure if acting was what she plans to do for the rest of her life. Indeed, after the release of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, the main cast of the movie - Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma - were hesitant to sign on to continue their roles for the final two instalments. Daniel and Rupert eventually signed but Emma remained hesitant. Rumours then began to spread that she was looking for a better pay packet; that she was not interested in acting and that she wanted to return to finish her studies.
Eventually, Emma would sign on to return as Hermione saying: "The pluses outweighed the minuses." In return for committing to the final films, Emma's pay was doubled to £2 million per film.
Reputed to be worth in excess of US$10 million and ranked sixth on the Forbes list of Most Valuable Young Stars, Emma is one of the wealthiest young actresses in the United Kingdom. We met up with her in Los Angeles recently and spoke to her about fashion, her future (would she choose academia over acting? In a recent interview she said she could handle both), what's she going to do with all that money and of course, the latest instalment of the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.
How much alike are you and Hermione?
I'd say we're both stubborn, very loyal, bossy, academic and a bit of a feminist.
Were you happy to be back on the Harry Potter film set for Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince?
I was quite keen to get back into the swing of it. Everyone was pleased to see me because it meant that things had really picked up.
How thogh was it to have your character start a romance onscreen with Ron, especially since he's played by an old friend?
I didn't know that it's tough. Rupert (Grint) is a really laidback guy but I was really looking forward to it because I quite like the romantic comedy side of it. Rupert and I end up providing light relief, as the films get darker. It's funny seeing Ron struggling in the romantic stakes. Hermione and Ron are so different yet they have this chemistry, so it's interesting. It was awkward doing those love scenes; there's no other way to put it, but it's all part of the job.
Did you ever have a crush on Daniel Radcliffe?
I've never really had a crush on Dan. There are certainly elements of his personality which are very desirable. I can talk to Dan for hours. He's very witty, very quick, very intelligent, eccentric and different. He says what he thinks. He's a very interesting guy. There are definitely elements that I fancy, but I've never really had a crush on him.
Does working on a Harry Potter film feel different now that all three of you have done different projects?
Yes, and it was really nice to be able to come back, and talk to Dan and Rupert about the projects they had been working on; and how different it was to work on stage and TV. It's given us all the more confidence as actors because we were chosen so young for the Potter films. It was so important to me to do Ballet Shoes. I learnt so much from that experience.
Think back to that day in the Berkeley Hotel in London when you were all playing Monopoly and you were about to be introduced to the world's press. Did you have any inkling of the huge changes in your life that were about to happen?
I think I was too young to realise that, though obviously I was terrified. I wasn't thinking about J.K. Rowling writing seven books. I wasn't doing the maths and I wasn't thinking about the popularity of the series. Nobody had a clue the film would become the most successful film franchise of all time.
What are the big 'wow!' moments for you over the years?
The first was when we were told we had got the parts and we stayed in a fancy hotel for the press conference. I remember sitting on a massive bed jumping around watching myself on the TV evening news. It was mad. We also did a premiere at the Radio City Music Hall in New York and I remember looking up at all the people and saying wow!
What is your sense of fashion?
I love makeup. It's my favourite. I like to mix high street and high fashion. There are a lot of designers I love to wear. I wear a lot of Chanel, Alberta Ferretti. I think Balenciaga is great.
You get a lot of stuff from companies like Chanel.
It's amazing getting sent their dresses because I've always loved their clothing. They are the best. If anyone was going to dress me for a premiere, it was going to be Chanel. I physically don't have time to go out and buy clothes for events so they lend me clothes and it works really well. I also consider it a perk that I get to travel and work with the people I've worked with. What other job would have given me all these opportunities?
Why did you delay signing for the last two Harry Potter films? Was it a question of money?
The reason for the delay was because Dan and Rupert had already signed, and I was still sorting out other things - it had nothing to with money or anything stupid like that. There were two big things I really wanted to do, get my A levels and go to university. I was just working out the logistics.
There have been rumours you didn't want to act anymore.
At one point I wasn't sure it was the right thing for me, but I've fallen in love with the film world. I'm very inspired by film. But you have to understand my background in no way is related to film or acting. I come from a very academic background. Film wasn't something my family was interested in, but it's something I've come to know and love. It really came from nowhere.
What have you been doing in between filming the Potter movies?
I'm hoping to go university this August. The wonderful thing about doing a degree in the United States is, if you do a B.A., you don't have to decide your major until much later on, but it would probably be English Literature.
You have quite a bit saved up. Have you splurged on anything?
I'm really boring. Clothes are pretty much my biggest expenditure. I also have an Apple laptop and I also got myself a charcoal grey Toyota Prius.
Now that we all know what happens to Harry Potter, what did you think of the ending? Was it what you hoped for?
It was everything that I hoped. I always thought Ron and Hermione should be together, and I was really happy with that. And I was very happy that Hermione and Ron stick with Harry until the end.
Did you ever think Robert Pattinson would become a teenage heartthrob?
Of course, I mean, he's incredibly handsome, and there was a lot of buzz about him when Harry Potter first came out. Everyone was, 'Ooh, who's that guy? You know, he's the guy who plays Cedric?' So I think there was a lot of interest about him then. I'm not surprised. He's always going to be a heartthrob.
What's on your iPod?
Everything. I'm downloading everything from Rihanna to Kings of Leon. Joni Mitchell's Blue is my favourite album. I listen to everything. I really love music.
What's in your dressing room at the studio?
Rupert has darts, pool, table tennis and all these games consoles. Dan's room is full of books and music. I was so bored one summer that I painted a big mural in my dressing room. Otherwise, it's all very girly with candles and soft furnishings.
THE END IS NIGH
The international journalists gathered at Claridge's Hotel at the swanky area of Mayfair in London, are getting restless. We have been waiting for an hour for the cast of Harry Potter to take their seats in front of the stage to talk about the latest saga of the boy wizard, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.
Fans of the movie are also restless, considering they had to wait eight months for the release of the movie. Scheduled to open last November, the release was pushed mid-June this year so as to profit from the lucrative summer movie market positioning.
When the cast step on stage (Emma Watson looks sweet in a knee-length dress by Proenza Schouler, Rupert Grint, recovering from Swine Flu, looks pale, Daniel Radcliffe has too much grease on his hair and Tom Felton is, gasp!, smiling!), most questions directed at them are not about The Half-Blood Prince but about their feelings now that the series is almost coming to an end with the upcoming release of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows in 2010 and 2011.
Daniel professes that he will feel sad when the time comes for him to say goodbye to the cast and crew of the franchise. "Every time I look back at the films, it will forever be linked to a memory of what happened that day, or something that happened in my life around that time. To work with such an amazing crew of people for the past nine years, has been a real privilege and something I would never get again in my life."
Tom, who plays Harry's arch-nemesis, Draco Malfoy, feels the same way but is glad he doesn't need to bleach his hair anymore.
"I will cry my eyes out the day we leave. It is exciting that some project will come along and you are free and available to do without the beach blond hair. This is not my natural hair, in case you didn't know. So yes, I won't miss the hair dye," says Tom who is surprisingly good looking in person.
For Emma, study will be top priority as she enters a new phase in her life - college. She will move to America to start university though she is playing coy with the media by not revealing which Ivy League school she has chosen. But don't worry, Harry Potter will not be the last you see of Emma. She will just be more selective of the roles she picks from then on.
However, all of them are excited that with this chapter coming to and end, new opportunities will present itself. Dan sums it up best when he says, "There's another sense of excitement. Like a script would come along and I don't have to go, 'Oh sorry, I am kinda busy for the next four years.' The idea of that is quite exciting."
There you have it. Though the end of Harry Potter is nigh, the careers of these actors are far from over. With hard work and persistence and with good heads on their shoulders, the sky is the limit for this bunch of actors.
Ten years ago when Warner Bros. were looking for kids to play the Harry Potter characters, they must have wondered, "What can we do to stunt their grownth?" In 19-year-old Emma Watson's case, they have nothing to worry about. The teenager, who plays Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, is one of the most recognisable faces in probably the whole world and like her character, Emma is petite to say the least. Yet she is so sophisticated. A proper lady, one could say. Of course she's also ridiculously smart, sometimes aloof but always forthcoming. In a recent interview in Teen Vogue, Emma said she was not sure if acting was what she plans to do for the rest of her life. Indeed, after the release of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, the main cast of the movie - Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma - were hesitant to sign on to continue their roles for the final two instalments. Daniel and Rupert eventually signed but Emma remained hesitant. Rumours then began to spread that she was looking for a better pay packet; that she was not interested in acting and that she wanted to return to finish her studies.
Eventually, Emma would sign on to return as Hermione saying: "The pluses outweighed the minuses." In return for committing to the final films, Emma's pay was doubled to £2 million per film.
Reputed to be worth in excess of US$10 million and ranked sixth on the Forbes list of Most Valuable Young Stars, Emma is one of the wealthiest young actresses in the United Kingdom. We met up with her in Los Angeles recently and spoke to her about fashion, her future (would she choose academia over acting? In a recent interview she said she could handle both), what's she going to do with all that money and of course, the latest instalment of the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.
How much alike are you and Hermione?
I'd say we're both stubborn, very loyal, bossy, academic and a bit of a feminist.
Were you happy to be back on the Harry Potter film set for Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince?
I was quite keen to get back into the swing of it. Everyone was pleased to see me because it meant that things had really picked up.
How thogh was it to have your character start a romance onscreen with Ron, especially since he's played by an old friend?
I didn't know that it's tough. Rupert (Grint) is a really laidback guy but I was really looking forward to it because I quite like the romantic comedy side of it. Rupert and I end up providing light relief, as the films get darker. It's funny seeing Ron struggling in the romantic stakes. Hermione and Ron are so different yet they have this chemistry, so it's interesting. It was awkward doing those love scenes; there's no other way to put it, but it's all part of the job.
Did you ever have a crush on Daniel Radcliffe?
I've never really had a crush on Dan. There are certainly elements of his personality which are very desirable. I can talk to Dan for hours. He's very witty, very quick, very intelligent, eccentric and different. He says what he thinks. He's a very interesting guy. There are definitely elements that I fancy, but I've never really had a crush on him.
Does working on a Harry Potter film feel different now that all three of you have done different projects?
Yes, and it was really nice to be able to come back, and talk to Dan and Rupert about the projects they had been working on; and how different it was to work on stage and TV. It's given us all the more confidence as actors because we were chosen so young for the Potter films. It was so important to me to do Ballet Shoes. I learnt so much from that experience.
Think back to that day in the Berkeley Hotel in London when you were all playing Monopoly and you were about to be introduced to the world's press. Did you have any inkling of the huge changes in your life that were about to happen?
I think I was too young to realise that, though obviously I was terrified. I wasn't thinking about J.K. Rowling writing seven books. I wasn't doing the maths and I wasn't thinking about the popularity of the series. Nobody had a clue the film would become the most successful film franchise of all time.
What are the big 'wow!' moments for you over the years?
The first was when we were told we had got the parts and we stayed in a fancy hotel for the press conference. I remember sitting on a massive bed jumping around watching myself on the TV evening news. It was mad. We also did a premiere at the Radio City Music Hall in New York and I remember looking up at all the people and saying wow!
What is your sense of fashion?
I love makeup. It's my favourite. I like to mix high street and high fashion. There are a lot of designers I love to wear. I wear a lot of Chanel, Alberta Ferretti. I think Balenciaga is great.
You get a lot of stuff from companies like Chanel.
It's amazing getting sent their dresses because I've always loved their clothing. They are the best. If anyone was going to dress me for a premiere, it was going to be Chanel. I physically don't have time to go out and buy clothes for events so they lend me clothes and it works really well. I also consider it a perk that I get to travel and work with the people I've worked with. What other job would have given me all these opportunities?
Why did you delay signing for the last two Harry Potter films? Was it a question of money?
The reason for the delay was because Dan and Rupert had already signed, and I was still sorting out other things - it had nothing to with money or anything stupid like that. There were two big things I really wanted to do, get my A levels and go to university. I was just working out the logistics.
There have been rumours you didn't want to act anymore.
At one point I wasn't sure it was the right thing for me, but I've fallen in love with the film world. I'm very inspired by film. But you have to understand my background in no way is related to film or acting. I come from a very academic background. Film wasn't something my family was interested in, but it's something I've come to know and love. It really came from nowhere.
What have you been doing in between filming the Potter movies?
I'm hoping to go university this August. The wonderful thing about doing a degree in the United States is, if you do a B.A., you don't have to decide your major until much later on, but it would probably be English Literature.
You have quite a bit saved up. Have you splurged on anything?
I'm really boring. Clothes are pretty much my biggest expenditure. I also have an Apple laptop and I also got myself a charcoal grey Toyota Prius.
Now that we all know what happens to Harry Potter, what did you think of the ending? Was it what you hoped for?
It was everything that I hoped. I always thought Ron and Hermione should be together, and I was really happy with that. And I was very happy that Hermione and Ron stick with Harry until the end.
Did you ever think Robert Pattinson would become a teenage heartthrob?
Of course, I mean, he's incredibly handsome, and there was a lot of buzz about him when Harry Potter first came out. Everyone was, 'Ooh, who's that guy? You know, he's the guy who plays Cedric?' So I think there was a lot of interest about him then. I'm not surprised. He's always going to be a heartthrob.
What's on your iPod?
Everything. I'm downloading everything from Rihanna to Kings of Leon. Joni Mitchell's Blue is my favourite album. I listen to everything. I really love music.
What's in your dressing room at the studio?
Rupert has darts, pool, table tennis and all these games consoles. Dan's room is full of books and music. I was so bored one summer that I painted a big mural in my dressing room. Otherwise, it's all very girly with candles and soft furnishings.
THE END IS NIGH
The international journalists gathered at Claridge's Hotel at the swanky area of Mayfair in London, are getting restless. We have been waiting for an hour for the cast of Harry Potter to take their seats in front of the stage to talk about the latest saga of the boy wizard, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.
Fans of the movie are also restless, considering they had to wait eight months for the release of the movie. Scheduled to open last November, the release was pushed mid-June this year so as to profit from the lucrative summer movie market positioning.
When the cast step on stage (Emma Watson looks sweet in a knee-length dress by Proenza Schouler, Rupert Grint, recovering from Swine Flu, looks pale, Daniel Radcliffe has too much grease on his hair and Tom Felton is, gasp!, smiling!), most questions directed at them are not about The Half-Blood Prince but about their feelings now that the series is almost coming to an end with the upcoming release of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows in 2010 and 2011.
Daniel professes that he will feel sad when the time comes for him to say goodbye to the cast and crew of the franchise. "Every time I look back at the films, it will forever be linked to a memory of what happened that day, or something that happened in my life around that time. To work with such an amazing crew of people for the past nine years, has been a real privilege and something I would never get again in my life."
Tom, who plays Harry's arch-nemesis, Draco Malfoy, feels the same way but is glad he doesn't need to bleach his hair anymore.
"I will cry my eyes out the day we leave. It is exciting that some project will come along and you are free and available to do without the beach blond hair. This is not my natural hair, in case you didn't know. So yes, I won't miss the hair dye," says Tom who is surprisingly good looking in person.
For Emma, study will be top priority as she enters a new phase in her life - college. She will move to America to start university though she is playing coy with the media by not revealing which Ivy League school she has chosen. But don't worry, Harry Potter will not be the last you see of Emma. She will just be more selective of the roles she picks from then on.
However, all of them are excited that with this chapter coming to and end, new opportunities will present itself. Dan sums it up best when he says, "There's another sense of excitement. Like a script would come along and I don't have to go, 'Oh sorry, I am kinda busy for the next four years.' The idea of that is quite exciting."
There you have it. Though the end of Harry Potter is nigh, the careers of these actors are far from over. With hard work and persistence and with good heads on their shoulders, the sky is the limit for this bunch of actors.
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