Emma Watson was at risk of being typecast after playing Hermione Granger, but an unexpected role in a true-crime movie was the perfect next step in her career. It’s not always easy for child stars to transition to more mature roles, especially when they’re so closely associated with one character like Watson was.
Watson grew up with the world watching in the Harry Potter franchise. While Daniel Radcliffe is a good example of a child star who has succeeded after rising to fame, there are countless young actors from big franchises who struggled to shed people’s expectations and move on to different projects.
Since leaving Hogwarts, Watson has started the next phase of her acting career. Although she has taken a few years away from acting while pursuing her education, Watson proved with movies like Little Women, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Beauty and the Beast that she had considerable talent. She now has fans waiting on her return, and not just because of her role in Harry Potter.
The Bling Ring Was Exactly What Emma Watson Needed To Leave Harry Potter Behind
Sofia Coppola’s Unorthodox Heist Movie Showed A New Side To Watson
Emma Watson’s starring role in 2013’s The Bling Ring was the perfect way to differentiate herself from the role of Hermione Granger. It was only her third live-action movie that wasn’t in the Harry Potter franchise, and it represented uncharted territory for her.
Working with a big-name director like Sofia Coppola took some of the focus off of Watson, while playing a spoiled Los Angeles teenager was also a huge step away from her previous work. The Bling Ring is a completely different kind of movie to Potter, made for a completely different kind of audience.
The Bling Ring Deserves A Second Look
Coppola Explores Some Interesting Ideas In The Bling Ring
Although The Bling Ring isn’t often ranked as one of Sofia Coppola’s best movies, it’s a fascinating take on a real-life crime story. Eschewing the typical thrills and glamor of the heist genre, Coppola presents an intentionally ugly and mundane story of entitled rich kids thinking that they can get away with anything.
The Bling Ring is a darkly satirical look at the society that emboldened the Hollywood Hills Burglars to stroll into the homes of the rich and famous, looting their closets for designer clothes and expensive jewelry. In Coppola’s estimation, the perpetrators and the victims are two sides of the same image-obsessed coin.
There aren’t many heist movies based on real life, because the heist genre is often about outsized fantasy and glamor. The Bling Ring shows a group of teenagers who aspire to fame without desiring any substantial work or talent. In a way, this is just as much of a ludicrous fantasy, but Coppola makes it seem pitiful and ignorant rather than heroic.
Unexpected Team-Up: Prince William and Emma Watson Unite for Change
Prince William had plenty to celebrate this weekend, but his latest public appearance quickly turned heads for a very different reason. After marking his 44th birthday and Father's Day with his family, the future king returned to royal duties—and made a surprisingly personal confession about the emotional toll of climate change.
William joined Hollywood stars Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch at a United for Wildlife forum in London, an initiative he launched with the Royal Foundation in 2013. The organization works around the world to combat wildlife trafficking, environmental crime, and the destruction of endangered species.
But it was William's candid admission about his own fears that stole the spotlight.
The Prince of Wales revealed that climate change has caused him "sleepless nights," admitting he has struggled with anxiety about what the future could look like. Yet instead of allowing those fears to overwhelm him, William said seeing real progress through conservation efforts has helped keep his environmental anxiety under control.
He also delivered a powerful message to business leaders, urging them to become the kind of leaders they admired when they were children. With technology and innovation transforming the world at an incredible pace, William challenged CEOs to use their influence to create meaningful change.
The event launched London Climate Action Week, with more royal appearances expected, including the Earthshot Prize assembly.
Emma Watson also delivered a surprising revelation of her own. The Harry Potter star highlighted the fashion industry's enormous environmental impact, pointing out that it produces more emissions than aviation and ranks behind only oil among major polluting industries.
Watson, who is also pursuing a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford, shared a hilarious story about mistakenly believing paparazzi were following her. After spotting photographers with telephoto lenses, she arranged a distraction and escaped through another exit. The twist? They weren't photographing her at all. They were waiting to capture a red kite.
Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch praised William as "a great guy" and urged businesses and individuals to recognize that they can still make a difference, even when global environmental challenges appear overwhelming.
With William, Watson, and Cumberbatch joining forces on the issue, the London forum delivered a clear message: the fight against environmental destruction is becoming impossible for the world's biggest names to ignore.
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