Emma Watson was born on April 15, 1990 in Paris, France. Both her parents, Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson, are both British lawyers. Her brother, Alex Watson, is three years younger. Emma's parents divorced when she was 5 which led to her moving back to Oxfordshire, England with her mother and brother.

Background

Oxfordshire, England

Emma Watson has been involved in acting since a young age. She attended the Stagecoach Theatre Arts School at Oxford where she studied singing, acting, and dancing. Her natural talent for acting was noticed when she won a poetry competition at age 7.

Early Life

Emma Watson had not acted professionally before auditioning for the role of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter Series. She had not taken the audition seriously at first, but agents saw her potential and natural talent. She was only 9 when she had first auditioned and it took her 8 tries to land the role, but she remained determined.

Above: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint auditioning.

The first Harry Potter movie Emma Watson starred in was a success. It hit a record breaking $33.3 million on its first opening day in the United States. Despite her success in acting, Emma was committed to her education. She remained determined to stay in her studies and some day work to a college degree.

For the next ten years, Emma continued acting in the Harry Potter series and kept busy. She never strayed away from her education. Emma endured five hour a day tutoring sessions off set and took high school equivalency exams. She passed her subjects with flying colors. Emma Watson sets the example that if you remain determined and never stray away from your goals you can accomplish anything.

Adjusting to Adult Life

Though Watson had started a successful career, she struggled with finding who she really was. She had been living in a "bubble". She had been playing Hermione Granger for so long and wanted a change. She wanted her fans to see her no longer as Hermione Granger, but as Emma Watson.

Emma started her journey by cutting her hair for a new, adult look and jumped into the fashion industry. She had already succeeded in catching the eye of many major figures in the fashion industry from previous appearances in the Harry Potter Series.

Watson never strayed from her work ethic or determination. She strived to make an impact in everything she tried. In September 2009, she announced her partnership with People Tree, a company that promoted fair trade. She was later announced the face of Burberry's Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer collections for the 2009-2010 fashion season.

Still continuing her education, Emma Watson enrolled at the ivy league Brown University. She remained eager to stray from her childhood and pursue something more. She enrolled at Brown because she was looking to fit in and to be "normal".