Why You Rarely See Emma Watson in Movies Anymore

Emma Watson has not been seen in a movie since Little Women hit theaters nearly five years ago. During a recent interview, the former Harry Potter star finally revealed why, admitting she “wasn’t very happy” with her film career. She did not care to be part of an industry that required her to promote every movie after it was filmed, no matter her involvement level in the project. Watson is now working with her younger brother, Alex Watson, on his new gin Renais.

Watson, who turned 33 in April, has not made a film since Great Gerwig’s Little Women adaptation, which was filmed in early 2018. The movie hit theaters in late 2019 and earned instant critical acclaim. While everyone in the cast, including Watson, earned rave reviews for their performances, it didn’t suddenly change the way Watson felt about her career.

“I wasn’t very happy if I’m being honest,” Watson told The Financial Times. “I think I felt a bit caged. The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn’t have very much control over.”

She said it was “very difficult” for her to be the face or spokesperson for something she wasn’t completely involved with at every stage of the process. It was “really frustrating” to be “held accountable” for someone else’s work, she explained.

“I was held accountable in a way that I began to find really frustrating because I didn’t have a voice, I didn’t have a say,” she said. “I started to realize that I only wanted to stand in front of things where if someone was going to give me flak about it, I could say, in a way that didn’t make me hate myself, ‘Yes, I screwed up, it was my decision, I should have done better,’” Watson told the Financial Times.

Watson feels more invested in Renais. She is overseeing the imagery, design, and art direction for the gin brand, which is Alex’s brainchild. The siblings grew up around wine, as their father, Chris Watson, is a self-described oenophile. They were both born in France, where Chris and their mother, Jacqueline, lived for seven years. They moved back to England when Alex was a toddler, but they continued returning to France.

“I can’t say where the journey will go. I’m sure we’ll make mistakes,” Watson told the Financial Times. “But I can vouch for Alex, I know who he is. I’ve seen what this is. I’ve literally picked the grapes myself.”

Watson recently added writing and directing to her skills, as she oversaw an advertising campaign for Prada. She plans to return to filmmaking with a movie that will start shooting early next year, the Financial Times reports. The details of the project remain under wraps. Watson also plans to study for a master’s degree in creative writing at Oxford University, starting this September.