Emma Watson says fame forced her to pause acting and rebuild her life

Emma Watson said in a recent interview that while she still loves the craft of acting, the promotional demands and public scrutiny that came with global fame drove her to step back from film and rebuild her life. Speaking to Hollywood Authentic, the actress — who rose to worldwide prominence as a child playing Hermione Granger — described the pressure of selling projects and maintaining a public persona as "soul-destroying" and said she does not miss that aspect of the work.

Watson, described in reports as 35 years old, has not taken an onscreen acting role since 2019's Little Women. In the interview she said she misses the creative focus of being on set, calling the moment the camera rolls "such an intense form of meditation," but added that the relentless cycle of promotion and public attention outweighed the rewards. "I think Ill be honest and straightforward, and say I do not miss selling things," she said. "I found that to be quite soul-destroying. But I do very much miss using my skillset, and I very much miss the art."

The actress traced her decision to step away to a long period of intense work that left her life unsteady. "I think I worked so hard for so long that my...