Emma Watson opens up in emotional admission- ‘It broke me’

The 36-year-old actress played Hogwarts witch Hermione Granger in all eight films of the franchise alongside co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint.

Ms Watson has turned her attention to studies after her iconic role in J.K. Rowling’s series, as well as parts in Hollywood films The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Little Women.

She had been studying a master’s degree in creative writing at Oxford University since September 2023.

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Emma Watson reveals Hollywood broke her

“I came to work looking for friendship and that was a very painful experience for me outside of Harry Potter and in Hollywood. Like bone-breakingly painful”

“Most people don’t come to those environments looking for friendships. They’re… pic.twitter.com/YFoYV60fYc

— Jack (@Jackkk) June 1, 2026

It was revealed in February 2025 that Ms Watson had switched to a DPhil, which is Oxford’s version of a PhD.

Quotes from one of Ms Watson’s most recent interviews on her break from Hollywood have resurfaced this week.

Last year, the 36-year-old appeared on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast and spoke about many topics, including her career.

Talking about Harry Potter, she said: “It’s so unusual to make a set of films for 12 years. We were a community; we really were.

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“So I took that as an expectation into my other workplaces, and I got my a– kicked. I really did.”

Speaking on the difference between Harry Potter and other filming projects across Hollywood in the years following, Ms Watson admitted: “It was bone-breakingly painful.

“I’m just not thick-skinned. Maybe I just wasn’t built for those kinds of highly competitive environments. It broke me.”

The Hermione Granger actress’s most recent role was in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women remake, which was released seven years ago.