19 PERFECT Emma Watson Quotes On Feminism, Daniel Radcliffe & Beauty
She just GETS us.
From her seductress dance in The Bling Ring to her very grown-up red carpet fashion to her romantic vacation with boyfriend Matthew Janney, Emma Watson has proven that she has fully shed her witchy robes and become a full-fledged adult.
As a 24-year-old woman, Emma is no longer frizzy-haired Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter films — a role she played for nearly a decade. Having studied at both Oxford and Brown universities, Emma is a talented actress and dedicated student, but also, her thoughtful interviews with media outlets show that she's got a level head and a sense of humor in regard to her dating life, confidence as a woman, and romantic entanglements with costars.
And how can we forget her epic speech at the UN? As the UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, she's proven herself to be a feminist icon to a younger generation. Check out some of our favorite self-love quotes from the smart and sweet Emma Watson below.
1. On labeling herself a feminist.
"When, at 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of their sports teams because they didn't want to appear 'muscley.' When, at 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings. I decided that I was a feminist." - 2014 Speech at the UN
2. On how her pixie haircut made her feel sexy.
"To be honest, I felt more myself with that haircut. I felt bold, and it felt empowering because it was my choice. It felt sexy too. Maybe it was the bare neck, but for some reason I felt super-, supersexy." - 2014 Interview
3. On having a first kiss as someone else.
"I remember reading this thing that Elizabeth Taylor wrote. She had her first kiss in character. On a movie set. It really struck me. I don't know how or why, but I had this sense that if I wasn't really careful, that could be me: that my first kiss could be in somebody else's clothes. And my experiences could all belong to someone else." - 2014 Interview
4. On not wanting to rush into being sexy.
"I've never wanted to grow up too fast. I wanted to wear a sports bra until I was 22! ... The allure of being sexy never really held any excitement for me. I've never been in a terrible rush to be seen as a woman." - 2013 Interview
5. On the Fifty Shades of Grey Rumor.
"Who here actually thinks I would do Fifty Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life... ? ... Good. Well that's that sorted then." - 2013 Tweets.
6. On the one thing she won't do.
"Really I was open-minded about doing anything, but the one thing I didn't want to do was get myself into a corset, because I was worried I'd never get out again." - 2013 Interview
7. On if Hermione would have been better off with Harry.
"I don't know. I think there are fans out there who know that too and who wonder whether Ron would have really been able to make her happy." - 2014 Interview
8. On her role in the Bling Ring.
"The character is everything that I felt strongly against - she's superficial, materialistic, vain, amoral. She's all of these things and I realized that I hated her. How do you play someone you hate? But I found it really interesting, and it gave me a whole new insight into what my job, or my role as an actress, could be." - 2013 Interview
9. On her girl crush.
"I am literally obsessed with [Girls creator and star] Lena Dunham. She's, like, my favorite person in the world. I follow her on Twitter; I read her every day. And, yes, Girls is an example of something so refreshing because it feels real." -2012 Interview
10. On kissing Rupert Grint.
"Yeah, it was horrible! I mean really horrible. I felt incredibly awkward. It was not something I was [looking forward to]. I don't know, but it looked good. We somehow managed to make it look realistic. I was proud of myself that I managed to power through and be professional." - 2011 Interview
11. On being like Hermione.
"I try and intellectualize a lot, which she does as well obviously. She's very determined, I am as well. I like to think that I am very loyal in the same way that she is. Bit of a feminist in the same way that she is. I will speak my mind in the same way that she does." - 2011 Interview
12. On kissing Daniel Radcliffe.
"He is a good kisser. I can definitely vouch for that." - 2010 Interview
13. On guys' opinions of her short hair.
"If I had it my way, I would have just kept it short forever. Of course, men like long hair. There's no two ways about it. The majority of the boys around me were like, 'Why did you do that? That's such an error.' And I was like, 'Well, honestly, I don't really care what you think!' I've never felt so confident as I did with short hair — I felt really good in my own skin." - 2012 Interview
14. On dating in the public eye. "It's difficult
"It's difficult on my dating life, because anyone I get photographed with is automatically my boyfriend. So it just makes it look as if I've had, like, 6,000 boyfriends!" - 2012 Interview
15. On whether she's out of Rupert Grint's league.
"Oh, I think Rupert's gorgeous. He is, he's totally gorgeous! Very handsome, very handsome indeed." - 2009 Interview
16. On her generation's hesitance about feminism.
"I'm a feminist, but I think that romance has been taken away a bit for my generation. I think what people connect with in novels is this idea of an overpowering, encompassing love — and it being more important and special than anything and everything else. I would love to not date someone in the same industry as me. Otherwise it becomes what it means to everyone else." - 2011 Interview
17. On her Harry Potter crush.
"For the first two movies, I had a huge crush on Tom Felton. He was my first crush. He totally knows. We talked about it - we still laugh about it. We are really good friends now, and that's cool." - 2011 Interview
18. On Daniel Radcliffe saying she kisses "like an animal".
"I guess I should just take it as a compliment. ... Well I said to him last night, I was like, 'You've been telling everyone I pounced on you!' He's like, 'I didn't use those words. I didn't use those words.' I'm was like, 'Whatever, Dan.' It could be [a good thing], that's why I'm taking it like a compliment. He's said, 'No, no! I gave you 10 out of 10 for kissing.' I was like, 'All right, as long as it's positive I guess it's fine.'"
19. On playing hard to get.
"If I want to see someone, I want to see them, and if I don't, then I don't. My friends are always telling me I have to play hard to get because I'll pretty much say to a guy, 'I like you — let's go hang out.' But my friends are like, 'You can't do that! You have to string this guy along.' And I'm just like, 'No! I won't! I just want to go on the date!' It's a nightmare — I definitely haven't figured it out yet." - 2011 Interview
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