Translations: Womans Day
Woman’s Day
At home with Hermione
Emma Watson – Harry Potter’s feisty heroine and straight A-pupil – puts us under her spell
Has life changed for you?
Obviously – I’m recognised in the street and I have an action figure of myself! Apart from that, I’m just trying to keep my life as normal as possible. I have the same friends [but] now they see me as the most famous with in the world, which is a difficult position to assume!
How do you feel when total strangers call you Hermione?
Sometimes it can be a compliment, but on the other hand, she’s not very fashionable. I like to think I’m a different person. It can be annoying when people don’t realise that.
How much like your Harry Potter character are you?
I’m not as intelligent, booky and school-orientated as Hermione. I’m obsessed with clothes,whereas Hermione has no fashion sense. I hang out with girls more that she does. And I don’t suck up to my teachers the way she does! In real life, I don’t go around saying, “Holy cricket!” too much. Sometimes I find myself using some of the lines from the film, but not much. They’re her lines, not mine.
What’s like having an action-figure doll that looks like you?
It’s pretty funny! I just hate the idea of three-years-old around the world throwing me off cliffs or having me live in their bedrooms.
What’s the best part abour being a famous actress?
When you take away the premieres and the press and all the frilly stuff, you come down to the fact thatit’s just acting. And I think that’s been the best thing for me.
What are your favourite movies?
I really like Shrek. And, of course, any film with a decent hunk in it! I liked Ocean’s Eleven because Brad Pitt was in it – I love him. And I liked A Knight’s Tale because Heath Ledger was in it, and he’s gorgeous! Anything that will make me laugh is good.
What do you think Hermione will do with her life?
She’ll be something really clever – a doctor or something. I think she’ll be really academic.
And what will Emma Watson do?
I have absolutely no idea!I’m just going to go with the flow.
Most of the shooting of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was done in Scotland.
“It was raining all the time,” moans Daniel in typical teenage mode. “And it’s not normal rain up there – it’s horizontal rain. Umbrellas are rendered useless.”
Throughout the rigours of filming Harry’s adventures over the past four years, Daniel and his young co-stars have struck up special friendships. But when cameras stop rolling they all return to their normal lives as ordinary teenagers.
“I don’t really see the other guys between filming,” says Daniel of his fellow junior wizards Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger.
“If you hung around with me for a year, you wouldn’t want to spend much more time with me,” he laughs.
“We are with each other so much of the time that we do need a break from each other.”
It seems the actor actually misses his animal co-stars more then his human counterparts.
“I really love all the animals – especailly the lizards,” he grins broadly. “They’re so cool. And the mice are fantastic. They fight and we take bets on them – who’s going to win or who’s going to escape first.
“The only animal I’ve ever had any trouble with was a bat that landed on my head during one scene.” Daniel’s also appreciative of the galaxy of well-established stars who have no problem playing second fiddle to a kid.
“You are surrounded by some of the most amazing actors… I feel very lucky to be able to learn from them,” he says.
“In fact, in this movie my favourite scene was in the Shrieking Shack when I’m with Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and David Thewlis all at the same time. It was like,’Oh my God! Fantastic!’
“When you are with people like that you can’t help but really go for it.”