Emma Watson, known for her role in the Harry Potter series, has discussed her experiences with dating and expressed her joy in meeting people unaware of her filmography.
Being a significant figure in one of the most famous movie franchises, finding individuals who haven’t watched any of her films might be a challenging task.
During a recent appearance on the Jay Shetty podcast, the 35-year-old actress, who has distanced herself from acting recently, shared insights on relationships. Shetty highlighted that “dating is hard” in one’s 20s and 30s, even more so when you are a widely recognized actor.
Shetty questioned, “What does it feel like when you’re having a normal conversation and someone goes, ‘Wait a minute, you’re Hermione Granger, Emma Watson…'”
Watson acknowledged that being recognized might alter the interaction, saying: “It does feel like my avatar enters the room unexpectedly, all of a sudden. And then I’m navigating a completely different conversation if someone haven’t figured out that it’s me yet.
“That can feel really dehumanizing and sometimes quite … seeing someone’s behavior completely switch and turn and change can be kind of a jarring experience.”
She acknowledged that dating can be a challenging endeavor for everyone, remarking: “I feel like I’m in good company, in that sense.”
Watson shared her ideal scenario: “It’s funny, occasionally people will apologize to me for the fact they’ve not seen my films. And I will be like, ‘Please don’t apologize. That is bliss to me.’ Like, music to my ears that you’re not going to constantly be navigating it. And me also navigating with you this projection of me, or this Emma Watson avatar-person will not be this ghost in the room.”
“That’s happened a few times where people have been like, ‘I’m really sorry.’ And I’m like, ‘Please don’t apologize. I’m so relieved. I’m so incredibly relieved’…
“But I mean, I guess like I want people to appreciate my work, but I think knowing you don’t have to navigate that extra like degree of weirdness is helpful, a relief.”
Watson admitted that articulating the ‘weirdness’ of being herself can be challenging, but she attempts to convey it through her writing, including a play she authored.
She detailed: “I wrote the play about me transitioning from basically being a full-time actress, an activist, to trying to move home and like be a normal student and attend a normal university as a super famous person.
“I basically kept a journal of what those experiences were like and chronicled them for my friends and family for about a year and then performed it as a one woman show.”