ACTOR · BORN 1990
Emma Watson
- Born
- 15 April 1990, Paris, France
- Known for
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
63 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
All facts (63)
- #001
Emma Watson's favourite Harry Potter book is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
- #002
Since her film career began, Watson has kept a meticulously detailed record of her daily life, amounting to around 30 diaries in total.
- #003
Watson acted alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, Harry Potter's best friends, having essentially grown up with them on the Harry Potter set. She calls them her 'brothers'.
- #004
Both of Watson's parents are English, and they were living in Paris when she was born. Watson lived in France until she was five, when her family returned to the United Kingdom.
- #005
At fifteen, she became the youngest person to appear on the cover of Teen Vogue.
- #006
She was offered the lead role in Cinderella (2015) but turned it down.
- #007
According to the Guinness World Records book, she was named the 'Highest-Grossing Actress of the Decade'. Her film work over the previous decade grossed more than $5.4 billion worldwide (2009).
- #008
Watson auditioned eight times for the role of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, starting at age nine, and read opposite five potential Harrys before winning the part.
- #009
She earned passing grades of eight A*s and two As in her GCSEs (the exams English school students take in the final compulsory year of secondary school).
- #010
Both of her parents are lawyers.
- #011
She prefers signing autographs to posing for photos with fans.
- #012
She enjoys playing hockey, netball and tennis, skiing, painting, cooking, singing and dancing (she competed twice in the Rock Challenge for her school, in 2006 and 2007).
- #013
She has said she would like to work with directors Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro.
- #014
Watson's favourite films include Notting Hill (1999), Love Actually (2003), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), About Time (2013), Giant (1956), Breathless (2008), Amélie (2001), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), The Fountain (2006), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Gladiator (2000), Braveheart (1995), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Philomena (2013), Blue Jasmine (2013), Rush (2013), 12 Years a Slave (2013), The Great Beauty (2013), The Woodmans (2010), Closer (2004), Pretty Woman (1990), Chicago (2002), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Dirty Dancing (1987), Grease (1978), Shrek (2001), Ice Age (2002) and Finding Nemo (2003).
- #015
Watson's favourite actresses are Julia Roberts, Renée Zellweger, Sandra Bullock, Rebel Wilson, Goldie Hawn, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Portman and Meryl Streep.
- #016
Watson's favourite actors are Johnny Depp and Russell Crowe.
- #017
She is a certified yoga and meditation instructor.
- #018
Her parents divorced in 1995, and each has since remarried. Through her father she has a younger half-brother, Toby, born in 2003, and half-sisters (identical twins) Lucy and Nina, born in 2004. Lucy and Nina played the young version of the character Pauline in Ballet Shoes (2007). She also has two stepbrothers through her mother's remarriage.
- #019
On 25 May 2014, she graduated from Brown University with a bachelor's degree in English literature.
- #020
Emma Watson is a fan of The Golden Compass (2007) and the rest of Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials.
- #021
Between September 1995 and July 2001, Emma Watson attended the Oxford Dragon School, a preparatory day and boarding school. She then attended Headington School, a private girls' school, until July 2006.
- #022
In the summer of 2008, Emma Watson enrolled in a Shakespeare course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
- #023
Emma Watson was named after her grandmother Freda Emma Duerre, who became Freda Emma Duerre Watson after marrying.
- #024
When Emma Watson appeared on a Dutch TV talk show to promote Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), the interview ended with her taking part in the Dutch illusion act Magic Unlimited, which sawed her in half.
- #025
Emma Watson shares the same birthday with her Beauty and the Beast co-star Luke Evans and with her Harry Potter collaborator Emma Thompson.
- #026
Emma Watson's favorite television programs include Friends (1994), Sex and the City (1998), Girls (2012), Gossip Girl (2007), America's Next Top Model (2003), Mad Men (2007), House of Cards (2013), Pride and Prejudice (1995) and The Crown (2016).
- #027
After private photos in which she tried on various outfits were stolen and published online, Emma Watson began legal proceedings.
- #028
Emma Watson ranked 3rd on Empire Magazine's list of the '100 Sexiest Movie Stars'.
- #029
Emma Watson was rated as having one of the most beautiful famous faces by 'The Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces From Around the World.' She ranked 2nd in 2010, 12th in 2009, 27th in 2008, 30th in 2007 and 54th in 2006.
- #030
Emma Watson and her Harry Potter co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint ranked 9th on Entertainment Weekly's 2005 list of the year's best entertainers.
- #031
Radio One film critic James King named 'Ron Weasley' and 'Hermione Granger', played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, number 4 on The Colin and Edith Show's (2006) list of the Top 5 Film Couples.
- #032
Emma Watson was chosen as the face of the Autumn/Winter 2009 Burberry campaign.
- #033
In 2004, Emma Watson served as a juror at the First Light Film Awards for young filmmakers. The ceremony was held in Leicester Square, London. Other jurors included Pierce Brosnan, Kenneth Branagh and Samantha Morton.
- #034
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated Emma Watson's earnings for the year at 4 million dollars.
- #035
In 2008, Emma Watson passed her driving test in the US and drives a Toyota Prius.
- #036
Emma Watson's style icons include Jean Seberg, Mia Farrow, Kate Bosworth, Diane Kruger, Jane Birkin, Edie Sedgwick, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, Sofia Coppola, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Françoise Hardy, Charlotte Rampling and Michelle Obama.
- #037
Emma Watson announced that she would collaborate with the fair trade fashion company People Tree as creative consultant for its new Spring/Summer collection.
- #038
Emma Watson's favorite producers are Richard Curtis, Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, Sofia Coppola, Darren Aronofsky, Danny Boyle, David Fincher, Lynne Ramsay, Ang Lee and Tom Hooper.
- #039
Emma Watson ranked 8th on Portrait Magazine's 'Top 30 Under 30' list (2009). Her 'Harry Potter' co-stars Evanna Lynch, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton and Daniel Radcliffe also appeared on the list, at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th and 18th place respectively.
- #040
Emma Watson spoke in favor of women's rights, including abortion, at the United Nations.
- #041
Emma Watson ranked 15th on Forbes' list of the 20 Top-Earning Young Superstars.
- #042
Emma Watson was a frontrunner for the role of Yelena Belova in Black Widow (2021), but the part went to Florence Pugh.
- #043
Emma Watson ranked 4th among the most-liked celebrities according to fan votes compiled by Portrait Magazine. Bonnie Wright, her co-star in Harry Potter, ranked 5th.
- #044
Emma Watson's favorite singers include Justin Timberlake and Alanis Morissette.
- #045
Emma Watson ranked 3rd on Moviefone's list of the '25 Hottest Actors Under 25.'.
- #046
Emma Watson ranked 3rd on Yahoo's list of the Top 10 Most Popular Stars of 2007.
- #047
Emma Watson ranked 69th on Maxim magazine's list of the 100 hottest women of 2011.
- #048
Emma Watson once accidentally confused Jimmy Fallon with Jimmy Kimmel.
- #049
Emma Watson ranked 17th on AskMen's 2012 list of the 99 most desirable women.
- #050
Emma Watson was Entertainment Weekly's 'Entertainer of the Month' for July 2009.
- #051
Emma Watson ranked 8th on Portrait Magazine's 'Top 30 Under 30' list.
- #052
Emma Watson ranked 94th on Maxim magazine's 2008 Hot 100 list.
- #053
Emma Watson was considered to voice Coraline Jones in Coraline, a role that later went to Dakota Fanning.
- #054
Emma Watson ranked 97th on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list.
- #055
Emma Watson ranked 3rd on Teen Vogue's list of the Best Dressed Celebrities of 2009.
- #056
Emma Watson ranked 29th on AskMen's 2013 list of the 99 most desirable women.
- #057
Emma Watson ranked 28th on Entertainment Weekly's list of the '30 Actors Under 30.'.
- #058
Emma Watson ranked 15th in FHM Australia's 2011 '100 Sexiest Women' ranking.
- #059
Emma Watson ranked 23rd on FHM's 2011 list of the '100 Sexiest Women in the World.'.
- #060
Emma Watson ranked 6th on MSN's list of the Best Dressed Stars of 2009.
- #061
Emma Watson ranked 29th on FHM UK's 2010 list of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World.
- #062
Emma Watson ranked 1st in Empire Magazine's poll of the Sexiest Movie Stars, which was voted on by more than 50,000 people worldwide.
- #063
Emma Watson ranked 26th in Empire Magazine's list of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars (2007).
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