Harry Potter alum Emma Watson reflected on her decision to take an acting break, reflecting on the sense of freedom she felt leaving the spotlight.

Emma Watson was simply no longer enchanted by acting.

The Harry Potter alum has largely stepped away from onscreen roles since appearing in 2019’s Little Women—and she has no regrets.

“I’m just so glad that I did,” Emma told British Vogue in an interview posted Dec. 14, “because I have this feeling of having my own voice and creative space and sovereignty in some way that I don’t think I did before—more autonomy.”

She continued, “I’m so glad that I allowed things to be messy for a minute and to really allow myself to not know [what’s next], because the knowing that I’ve come to, I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

After all, the 33-year-old spent much of her life in the spotlight as she made her debut as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films when she was just 11 years old. And when the blockbuster series ended in 2011, she went on to star in movies such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Bling Ring and Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast remake.

While on the outside, Emma was living most actors’ dreams. But on the inside, she was struggling.

“I get a front row seat [with] some of the most successful, beautiful, incredible people in the world,” Emma expressed. “And when you have that seat it becomes very, very clear that there is just absolutely no level of success that will make you in any way happy or content if you do not like who you are or enjoy what you’re doing when no one’s watching.”

Emma Watson, Milan Fashion Week, 2023

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Meanwhile, amid her acting hiatus, Emma has continued to keep her personal life private. In fact, she shared she was “very happy” being single in an interview with British Vogue last year, adding, “I call it being self-partnered.”

Now, reflecting on those remarks, she clarified that those remarks weren’t “necessarily about me celebrating being single.”

“Getting to the point when I was 30,” Emma explained, “I was realizing, ‘Oh, maybe I’ve figured out some things about how to care for myself better—maybe quite well, actually.’ And taking pride in that.”

But these days, the Renais Gin co-founder is not alone: Emma finds support and companionship in her beloved rescue dog Sofia.

“I just look at her and I’m like, ‘Well, I’m happy and you’re happy,’” she noted. “The thing that is so amazing about animals is they’re just so good at being. Food, humans, sleep—they’re very good at the basics. I feel like whenever I get really overwhelmed, I’m like, ‘Emma, just do the basics.’ ”

Look back at Emma through the years below:

Emma Watson, November 2001

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2001

Emma Watson, November 2002

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2002

Emma Watson, November 2002

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2002

Emma Watson, July 2002

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2002

Emma Watson, November 2002

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2002

Emma Watson, November 2003

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2003

Emma Watson, May 2004

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2004

Emma Watson, September 2004

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2004

Emma Watson, November 2005

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2005

Emma Watson, June 2007

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2007

Emma Watson, July 2007

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2007

Emma Watson, September 2008

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2008

Emma Watson, September 2008

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2008

Emma Watson, October 2008

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2008

Emma Watson, July 2009

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2009

 MET GALA 2010, Emma Watson

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2010

Emma Watson, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Premiere, November 2010

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2010

Emma Watson, February 2011

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2011

Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, July 2011

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2011

Emma Watson, Oscar de la Renta, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2, July 2011

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2011

Emma Watson, Coachella, 2012

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2012

 

Emma Watson, September 2012

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2012

 Emma Watson, 2013 GQ Men of the Year Awards

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2013

Emma Watson, June 2013

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2013

 

Emma Watson, 2014 Golden Globes

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2014

Emma Watson, March 2014

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2014

Emma Watson, August 2015

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2015

Emma Watson, October 2016

Dave Benett/Getty Images for Harper’s Bazaar
2016

Emma Watson, MET Gala 2016, Arrivals

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2016

Emma Watson, February 2016

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2016