Emma Watson reveals why she avoids drugs and nude scenes in films: ‘Don’t want my identity as Hermione to…’ | Hollywood

In a recent interview, Watson opened up about her decision to not take drugs or have nude scenes in movies.

“I’m not going to take off my outfit or snort cocaine in a movie, just to leave Hermione behind. I can’t play another part convincingly because I’m too nervous or paranoid to do something surprising. I don’t want my identity as Hermione to be forgotten. I’m rather pleased with her,” Watson said in an interview with The Times.

In a separate interview with The Scotsman, the actress did acknowledge that she would be open to portraying a nude character, but only if the role was essential for the development of the character or the story. “I’ve been saying since I was sixteen that I’ll do it because I’m an actress and that’s really it, if it’s an interesting character and important for the character development, and of course if it’s important to the story,” she explained.

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The challenge of moving beyond a character as iconic as Hermione Granger is not lost on Watson. For any actor, it can be difficult to break free from a role that defines their career—especially when that role is part of a global phenomenon like Harry Potter. Watson has been open about the doubts she faced as she navigated her acting career beyond the magic of Hogwarts.

“I didn’t know if I believed in myself yet as an actress, outside the role of Hermione, which I knew I could do, and I did for a long time,” Watson confessed in a 2012 interview with Jonathan Ross. “I didn’t know if I had other people in me or not. I did doubt myself a little bit. I think I’d just played one person, who in many ways was similar to my own personality, and I played her for ten years and I got so comfortable doing that, that the idea of coming out and playing somebody else was terrifying.”