Starting her career with the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Emma Watson made a name for herself by playing Hermione Granger. Followed by the last film in the franchise, she took a break from acting to finish her studies. However, it doesn’t mean she lost her passion for acting. The Harry Potter star dreamed of becoming an actress since she was six years old. She even attended a part-time theatre school, the Oxford branch of Stagecoach Theatre Arts, where she learned singing, dancing, and acting.
And this would all come in handy for the English actress for her role in the 2017 Disney film Beauty and the Beast. While she rejected the offer to portray Cinderella, Watson was excited to play Belle. And this could be the reason she even declined an offer which could have been her first Oscar win.
Emma Watson Rejected to Star in La La Land
The 2016 film La La Land, featuring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, became a massive hit, grossing $447 million at the box office. It became one of the films to receive the most nominations at the Oscars, with 14 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress. Emma Stone won Best Actress at the 89th Academy Awards for La La Land.
La La Land (2016)
However, Emma Stone’s role was initially offered to Emma Watson. During her interview with Vanity Fair, The Bling Ring star shared that she had to reject the part due to a scheduling conflict as she was busy with her Disney film, Beauty and the Beast.
“With a movie like Beauty and the Beast, it’s like three months prep, it’s like three or four months shooting, it’s in the UK,” she said. The Regression actress shared that she knew she had to fully commit and contribute to the film. So, she chose the Disney film over La La Land. And the 32-year-old actress doesn’t seem to regret her decision.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Beauty and the Beast grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide and became one of the highest-grossing musical films. However, seems like a scheduling conflict was not the only reason Watson declined the offer for La La Land.
Emma Watson Couldn’t Pass the Opportunity to Play Belle
Before taking the role of the Disney princess Belle, Emma Watson rejected the offer to play Cinderella. During an interview, the Little Women star shared the reason she rejected the offer for Cinderella and took the opportunity to portray Belle.
Emma Watson as Belle
She said, “When they offered me Belle I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did.” She shared that she was able to relate to Belle, who is “curious, compassionate, and open-minded.”
The Circle star shared that Belle was the type of woman she would like to portray. “And that’s the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model,” Watson said. She also shared that the film made some necessary changes to the Disney princess to highlight her backstory as an inventor.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is available to stream on Disney+.
Source: The Things
