Emma Watson is the December cover girl for Vogue UK, to promote the first part of Harry Potter and the WhatsIt (whatever). Even though we only have a couple of lower-quality photos from the Vogue shoot (by Mario Testino), there are a few interesting interview excerpts already out. Emma talks about being one of the richest young women in the UK, and how she couldn’t cut her hair until she’d been released from her Potter contract:
She may play Harry Potter’s bookish sidekick Hermione Granger, but there are some books that caught Emma Watson by surprise – her financial ledgers.
Throughout her early career, Watson, 20, had been given a small weekly allowance of about $75, having no idea of the fortune she was amassing from the hit movie series until she had a “money conversation” with her father, Chris Watson, when she was around 17, the actress – and Brown University student in Rhode Island – tells December’s edition of British Vogue.
Watson is now said to be worth $32 million, give or take a few pounds sterling.
“By the third or fourth film, the money was starting to get serious,” she told Vogue, according to published reports in the U.K. “I had no idea. I felt sick, very emotional.”
She has barely touched her fortune, for which she was named Hollywood’s highest paid female in Vanity Fair earlier this year. She chose instead to live in student digs while studying at Brown University in Rhode Island.
It is such stoic self control that led her to ban herself from reading the tabloids.
“There’s tons that’s not very nice and I’m very, very self critical, so it was like a drug for me,” she said.
Watson told how she decided to experiment with her new elfin hairdo after being released from her contract, which banned her from wearing heavy make-up or getting her ears pierced during the Harry Potter shooting schedule.
[From People & The Telegraph]
I’m always impressed with Watson – she really does seem to have a good head on her shoulders, and she seems like an intelligent, classy young woman. It will be interesting to see how much promotional work she does for these last Potter films – that’s got to be rough on her university schedule, and I can’t imagine every one of her professors accepts “I had to do the Today Show” as an excuse for missing an exam.
Vogue UK photos courtesy of The Fashion Spot.
When I was in college, I had no time for photo shoots or movie promoting. I wonder how much time she actually spends on campus.
Great girl!I appreciate her, she seems smart, intelligent, many young celebrities should take notes from her.
Very pretty
She’s so cute, I <3 her. I really hope she has a really long, interesting career, and people don’t have trouble seeing her as characters other than Hermione.
She is either going to go the way of Claire Danes– smart, beautiful, but not quite as successful in film/television as she was when she was younger, or Jodie Foster– smart, beautiful, and even more successful as an adult actress than as a child actress. I could see her doing some directing of indie British flicks. She also gives the vibe that she could donate most of her fortune to some kind of charity and live a very low key existence in almost total seclusion.
Oh yes, it really sucks to be beautiful, rich and famous.
Awwww….poor Emma! Tell you what, I’ll take some of that money off your hands.
Man, I so wish I was her. If she has 32 mil I can only imagine what Dan Radcliff makes.
An article ages ago said her parents sent her to money-management courses before she turned 18. She made excellent grades in school even with time spent filming. Her parents guided her well.
She seems sweet. I <3 her. And I am pumped for the next HP movie.
She just seems so normal.
Love that her cardie isn’t buttoned up correctly and she probably wouldn’t care less even if it was pointed out.
I’ll relieve her illness and take it. I’d like to see what it feels like to have a 32 million dollar stomach ache.
I love her. She’s my girl crush.
She looks like Twiggy. And not in a generic, starlet channeling Twiggy kind of way, but an actual, wow she resembles Twiggy kind of way.
Her parents need to adopt Lindsay Lohan!
Why the snarky comments?
I think it is quite refreshing that a young woman who happens to be a movie star, can actually have a good head on her shoulders.
Have we been so brainwashed with the likes of Lohan, that instead of celebrating a smart girl, we make snide comments like “gee wish I had that problem”
*pay no attention to moi, it is a Monday in every sense of the word and I am a little cranky.. and not directed at anyone personally, just shocked by some of the comments*
I don’t know what she’s afraid about reading in the tabloids, I’m pretty snarky but I can’t think of a thing to say about her. She’s stunning, charming, and exudes grace and poise beyond her years. She is a great example of young stardom, and so talented! They really struck gold with their cast, and I wish them a long, successful career.
There’s my nice Monday comment. 🙂
Just a poster: if that’s all it takes to shock you well…. and since when did Lohan become the standard by which we judge all young stars. Please. Lohan’s not even a star, just a sad celebrity. And saying “I’d love to have her problem” is not snide, just true. What a problem to have. And it does smell a little like, gee I’m too pretty, rich, popular. Comments made by many self-absorbed young celebrities.
She’ll probably just take a lighter course load for the semester when she will be promoting Potter and then go back to full time in the following semester. It’s possible, just like working, raising kids and taking classes is done by millions of women. I love that she values her education, even though she never needs to work a day in her life. She’s one of the few celebrities that I actually think is a good role model for young girls. Love her.
I think I remember reading that her parents having nothing to do with the business and are lawyers and have no interest in leeching off of her like the Lohan/Spears/Cyrus clans. She comes from a smart hard working educated family and that makes all the difference it seems. I think she will be the only one of the Potter kids who will be successful in film.
She’s adorable, but raise your hand if you’re ever felt “sick and emotional” when you balance your checkbook a week before payday.
She is a role model for young girls. Good for her parents and their influence on her upbringing.
Young. Lovely. Mindful. Intelligent. Truly, a rare bird.
wow she couldn’t even pierce her ears!!well now she can do whatever she wants…now about the money problem that she didn’t know that she was rich until she was 17 i don’t buy it cause personally i’m not that smart or an excellent student but when it came to money ever since the sweet age of 11 i really knew what was going on around me.and the congrats here doesn’t go only to her family but to warner brothers and the harry potter people that made sure that she will stay out of trouble 😉
I like Emma and wish her well but, really, is it smart to openly talk about what you are worth while studying at a large university in the States? Rhode Island is not exactly the safest state in the union and apparently she doesn’t have bodyguards. Better to not talk about money, IMO!! Just saying.
Yay!
A celebrity that actually deserves to be one, (beautiful, intelligent, grounded) and is also a positive role model.
I wish her all the best and hope she grows into an amazing woman.
Sounds like her parents have done a wonderful job keeping her grounded. Are you listening Dina Lohan?
I wish more people would talk more openly about money. It’s weird how so many celebs will happily blab on and on about their sex lives or flash their privates to papps, but still believe that speaking frankly about money and the issues that surround it is somehow vulgar. I’d love it if someone like Britney or Madonna or Pitt would talk frankly about money: how it’s changed their lives, what about being rich surprised them, etc.
My aunt left me a lot of money (no, not like Watson’s money – or even 1% of that – but waaay more than I expected) when she passed away and I was surprised by how much it messed with my head for a few months to suddenly have this big (for me) chunk of money.
awww, she seems so adorable… it’s so refreshing to see actors be so down to earth…
#25 Really, considering how much money the Potter movies have made, I’m not surprised at the numbers quoted here. So I’m not sure it matters whether she says it or not, it isn’t that hard to figure out!
(Plus, unless I can’t read stats at all, the violent crime rate per 100,000 residents in RI is about 1/5 that in DC and 1/2 that in California, so it’s hardly the most dangerous place in the world.)
omg that face..too adorable. that haircut really suits her. vogue cover is gorgeous.
She seems down to earth and doesnt seem to be out partying all night long with her money. I hope she manages it well, invests it, treats herself a little but doesnt go Paris Hilton crazy/wastes it.
As far as her having a career outside of HP, shouldn’t be too hard, most people over the age of 30 haven’t been fanatical about HP, prob haven’t seen it at all unless escorting children.
She will just be a fresh face, hopefully a convincing actress.
She is cute, smart, humble, and who wouldn’t have a visceral reaction to such a huge sum of money? Too bad she didn’t put it in words that appeased all of the haters out there.
I think it’s great that she has remained so grounded. At the same time I cannot understand working and having no idea whatsoever what you are being paid. Isn’t that kind of simple minded? Again, I admire her, I just do not understand that she did not have any idea what she was being paid. Did her and her co-stars never discuss money? I don’t mean they had to confide what each made but in general terms?
Discovering I had that kind of money would me happy not sick, it’s a huge responsibility though. She’s seems like a level headed down to earth kind of person, good for her getting a college education even though she really doesn’t need one because it’s not like she needs it to go out and get a job when she graduates college.
I agree 100% with all the positive comments about this young actress…and yes isnt it refreshing to have a young celeb who’s actually EARNED her status and is actually talented. I sincerely hope her family is able to keep her grounded and from becoming another young Hollywood statistic.
I kind of get what she means, and though it doesn’t come off 100% perfectly, it is better than hearing her brag about it and say how awesome it is to be so loaded, and how she’s going to throw herself a big party or something.
She seems like a very down to earth and responsible young woman, and she’s smart to be getting an education and trying to keep her life balanced. Her parents sound very wise in how they dealt with all this too.
now that’s just annoying!!!i really don’t like her!and every single time a new interview comes out she seems even more down to earth and normal!c’mon girl!gimme something to hate you!lol
::When I was in college, I had no time for photo shoots or movie promoting. I wonder how much time she actually spends on campus.::
You don’t have to be on campus to do assignments and go to class, this is the digital age. E-classes are a reality. Not to mention, you can carry books and laptops with you anywhere and do work.
Love her.
Well, I imagine I’d feel sick to my stomach, too, if I was given $75 a week to find out later that I could’ve been given a grand and not made a dent in my earnings. Good on her parents for not indulging her.
I can totally understand her reaction . i was left a 6 figure amount after the death of my fiance. My reaction was to hang up the phone then go and throw up.
Beautiful girl, inside and out! Breath of fresh air. 🙂
I totally agree wz u Miz…..
I think she’s lovely…in many ways. There is no way she could have worded any response to any question about her money that would’ve appeased those who are envious of wealth.
She’s rich. She knew she was making bank but was shocked when the actual numbers were shown to her. Totally honest and natural reaction to be physically affected by such a revelation.
She’s absolutely lovely, and I wish her well.