A Most Peculiar Mademoiselle

Actress. Activist. Real-life Disney Princess. Feminist icon. CLEO counts the ways Emma Watson is one of the best role models of our generation.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Actress. Activist. Real-life Disney Princess. Feminist icon. CLEO counts the ways Emma Watson is one of the best role models of our generation. 

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I f we were to pinpoint the exact moment when the whole world stood up and really noticed Emma, it would be when she delivered that impassioned #HeForShe speech in September 2014 as UN Women’s newly-appointed Goodwill Ambassador. It wasn’t the first speech a public figure gave about feminism, nor will it be the last, but there’s no denying its impact.
Not only that, the 27-yearold actress is also a huge advocate for sustainable fashion and beauty. When sourcing for outfits for her Beauty and the Beast press tour, Emma questioned designers on how their garments were produced, the impact on the environment, and the moral reason why she should wear them on the red carpet.
As for those of us who want to (and should!) make our life more eco-friendly, here’s something we can learn from our generation’s Audrey Hepburn: don’t stress yourself out. “Most of my routine keeps to an 80/20 philosophy because it’s very difficult to be a complete purist... You can end up driving yourself a bit mad and make it more stressful than it should be,” she said in an interview with Into the Gloss. “Sometimes, you just need a mascara to be waterproof.”
So what’s next for Emma? The lead role in The Circle, which will hit the screens here in July. Emma plays a new hire in the world’s largest tech and social media company. Things soon take a dark turn when she gets involved in a trial that pushes the boundaries of privacy, ethics, and personal freedom. In the meantime, she’s riding high on the success of Beauty and the Beast.
What is it about Beauty and the Beast that has fascinated a generation of readers and audiences?
I think the reason that this story has been told in so many different formats and in so many different ways, and is still such an important part of our larger cultural imagination is it runs really deep... When we watch it, we see ourselves in both Belle and the Beast. In my mind, Belle and the Beast symbolise the two sides within all of us, and how we reconcile those different parts of ourselves. We balance our masculine and feminine energies, which we all have. It’s also a story about seeing beyond the superficial and the exterior, and I think that really resonates with people.
How does your work as a human rights activist reflect in your character of Belle?
I think Belle really inspired me as a young woman… I mean, if you listen to lyrics of “Belle”, the whole song is about a woman saying: I want more. I want more than people expect me to want; I want to do more than is expected of me; I can’t and don’t know how to accept the status quo; I want more. That kind of selfbelief, defiance and inner strength is definitely something that, as a young woman, I remember watching her sing that song and feeling really kind of, “Oh, this woman is for me. She’s speaking for me.” I see something there that resonates. She is definitely a part of who I have become now, I’m sure. 
My Reading Room
My Reading Room

Some headlines have said that you’ve turned Belle into a “power woman”.

I don’t think there’s a need to turn Belle into anything. Obviously, an animated film is an animated film, but a film set in a real-life setting requires something different. So Belle is a horse rider, and Belle works in her father’s garden and Belle is a mentor; and if you’re going to get on a stallion in the mud and ride through an entire forest to get to a haunted castle that’s x number of hours away, you can’t really do it in ballet shoes. So you have to be wearing something that you can get on and off a horse in, and I wanted to make sure that what Belle’s wearing was real, authentic and practical – and something in which you could believe Belle was doing what she was doing.

So you gave input into Belle’s costumes?

Yeah, I always have input into my costumes. They’re a very important part of me creating sure, we’ll see. my character. That’s always a really important part of the preparation process for me to understand my character.

Since acting is only a side job now, are you going to continue with your college studies?

And are you a certified yoga teacher now? Yeah, I have been doing that – more specifically the meditation side of things. I’ve also been doing my book club, which has been wonderful, so I’ve been doing lots of reading, which has been great.

Are you going to pursue your Masters now, Dr Watson? I might consider it. I’m not 

Images Getty Images
Text Compiled By Sophie Hong.