Teen People Magazine ~ December 2002/ January 2003
Girl Powers
As Harry Potter's Brainy Buddy Hermione, Emma Watson Proves That Every Boy's Club Needs A Girl In Charge
It's not easy being the only female in a roomful of teenage wizards, but 12-year-old Emma Watson seems to handle it just fine. "I stay on my toes," says Emma, who plays Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second movie based on the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. "Dan (aka Harry) and Rupert (aka Ron) make funny faces when I'm shooting. But I keep them in line. I'm very bossy."
That's the only thing Emma has in common with her Harry Potter alter ego. For starters, she doesn't suck up to her teachers. "I'm not obsessed with my schoolwork," says the Oxford, England, native, who enjoys English class but despises Latin. "And I hang out with girls more than Hermione does."
While shooting throughout the U.K., Emma - who had only acted in school plays before beating out thousands of girls for the role - keeps in touch with her pals by e-mail and phone. "I love talking, as you can probably tell," she says.
One subject that's come among Emma's friend is who Hermione might hook up with down the road. "Their prediction is Ron," says Emma. "I was like, 'Of all the people!'" Who should it be? "That," says Emma, sounding flustered for the first time, "is a big question mark."
MAGIC MEN
They Do More Than Cast Spells
Name: Daniel Radcliffe
Age: 13
Hometown: London
Plays: Harry Potter, the orphan boy wizard
Side Projects: Reading, going to the movies and competing with Rupert Grint (see below) in Medal of Honour on Playstation. "Rupert's beating me horribly," Daniel admits.
Name: Rupert Grint
Age: 14
Hometown: Hertfordshire, England
Plays: Ron Weasley, Harry's trusted best friend
Side Project: For his birthday, Rupert asked for a unicycle. So far, he can peddle up to six times without falling off. "I've always wanted to learn because it looks really good on TV."
Name: Christian Coulson
Age: 23
Hometown: The London area
Plays: The mysterious Tom Riddle
Side Project: When Christian was 17, he performed in a musical about King Arthur here in the U.S. "Kids were screaming as if they were at a Michael Jackson concert," he says.
Name: Tom Felton
Age: 14
Hometown: London
Plays: Draco Malfoy, Harry's nemesis. "He's a stuffy rich little [kid]," Tom says. "I think he'd be fun to be around - if you were that lonely."
Side Project: On Sundays, he works at a lake as a cook and tries to catch cod during his breaks.