Harry Potter almost seems, at first glance, to be one of those franchises that should exist without any drama.
Sure, there’s plenty in the story itself, but there’s something pure and wholesome about the whole idea that feels as though it should just exist in the world with no caveats.
Unfortunately, author J.K. Rowling herself demolished that idea rather spectacularly with her hateful views on trans people.
But based on Emma Watson’s comments, it also looks like the series has even more of its share of hangups.
The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special has finally premiered on HBO Max.
But while it certainly seems to have captured the magic many fans have been hoping for,
it has also unveiled some interesting secrets that have been floating around backstage all these years. One such newly-revealed bombshell involves Watson in her breakout role as Hermione Granger. As prestigious a role as it may have seemed, it looks as though Watson herself suffered through some inner turmoil at the time.
According to David Yates, who directed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, he was told early in production about Watson’s uncertainty. “When I started,” Yates said, “one thing that [the producer] and the studio spoke to me about was Emma is not sure she wants to come back and do another Potter.” Watson and her costars also weighed in, offering their own perspectives on the matter and how that brief drama seemed to stem from her loneliness and the overwhelming feeling that comes with becoming a household name overnight. It seems that even playing a character many see as absolutely perfect isn’t enough on its own.
“People definitely forget what she took on and how gracefully she did it,” said Tom Felton, who famously played the eternally punchable Draco Malfoy. “Dan [Radcliffe] and Rupert [Grint], they had each other. I had my cronies, whereas Emma was not only younger, she was by herself.” Watson herself even said she uncovered an old diary of hers that described that feeling of separation, and she remembers those feelings well. “I think I was scared,” Watson said while speaking with Grint (Ron Weasley). “I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point when you were like, ‘This is kind of forever now.’”
Grint and Radcliffe (Harry) both admitted that they all felt similarly, but it was difficult to talk about with everything going on. “I would say I had kind of similar feelings to Emma. Kind of contemplating what life would be like if I called it a day, but we never really spoke about it,” Grint said. “At the time, it just didn’t really occur to us that we were all kind of having similar feelings.” Ironically, even Grint had similar thoughts of leaving Harry Potter. Meanwhile, Radcliffe lamented how teenagers aren’t exactly adept at being the emotional support systems they themselves need. “We never talked about it on the film, because we were all just kids,” he said. “As a 14-year-old boy, I was never gonna turn around to another 14-year-old and be like, ‘Hey, how are you doing? Like, is everything okay?’”
Luckily, Watson did figure things out and decide to stay, as fans well know. It seems even the biggest stars have times of uncertainty, and she was strong enough to work through it. “The fame thing had finally hit home in a big way, no one had to convince me to see it through,” Watson said. “The fans genuinely wanted us to succeed, and we all genuinely had each other’s backs. How great is that?”
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Source: CNN
