Emma Watson said she stopped acting 5 years ago because she felt constrained and unable to be creative.

According to Hollywood Reporter, on May 2, the Harry Potter actor talked about the reason for not filming for a long time: “Honestly, I’m not happy. I feel like I’m locked in a cage. The most difficult thing is advertising content that I cannot control. It is difficult to be the representative and spokesperson for a product that I cannot participate in the production process.”

Emma Watson at age 33. Photo: FT

Watson further explained: “I was uncomfortably limited because I didn’t have a voice. I realized I only wanted to participate in projects where I had the right to decide. In other words, a project doesn’t make me hate myself.”

The British star did not act in films after completing filming for the Little Women project at the end of 2018. In recent years, she has challenged herself in the roles of producer and director. Last winter, Watson wrote and directed a promotional video for Prada. She also revealed that she is working on a MV for a famous singer but cannot reveal her identity yet.

Despite not appearing on screen for the past 5 years, Watson left open the opportunity to continue acting: “I’m willing to sit and wait for the right project. I love my job. I’m looking for a way to live true to myself. I don’t want to turn on robot mode anymore.”

Emma Watson was born in 1990 and started acting at a young age as Hermione in the Harry Potter film series. After more than 10 years with the brand, she continued to make her mark in a number of movies such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and Beauty and the Beast (2017).