Like Belle in “Beauty and the Beast”, Emma Watson is not only beautiful but also has a kind heart.
When Disney invited her to participate in the Beauty and the Beast project as the main character Belle, Emma Watson could not refuse. The 1991 animated version of Beauty and the Beast is one of her favorite movies. The character Belle herself embodies the values that Watson pursues: a smart, studious, progressive girl with a kind heart and no less strong.
She excitedly shared with the Independent: “I think I am extremely lucky. Belle is my childhood hero and I probably watched the movie a thousand times despite my parents’ discomfort. Wearing the yellow dress, riding Philippe, walking through the castle… is like a dream. It is also a big responsibility, because Belle is an icon, representing all girls. If I do my job well, every girl will see Belle inside them.” Emma Watson has achieved exactly the goal she set out to achieve, as Total Film commented: “Watson’s natural sweetness and bravery were born for Belle.” The fact that Beauty and the Beast earned $350 million worldwide in just three days of release further solidified Emma Watson’s star power.
Having been famous since childhood, Emma did not follow the lost path of Lindsay Lohan but is following in the footsteps of her seniors like Jodie Foster or Natalie Portman – stars admired not only for their talent but also for their lifestyle. Emma was once recognized by Guinness as “The highest-grossing actress of the decade” with a huge figure – 5.4 billion USD at the box office from 2001 to 2009, and was also on the list of 100 most influential people on the planet voted by TIME magazine.
However, instead of enjoying a lavish life, Emma Watson chose to actively volunteer and use her fame to contribute to the feminist movement. Emma Watson was elected as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Women (UN Women) in 2014. Her mission is to speak out to call for equality for women, with a typical campaign called #HeForShe. Her speech of more than 10 minutes at the United Nations in 2014 brought the whole hall to a standing ovation and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon became the first member of the campaign. Many male entertainment stars such as Hugh Jackman, Tom Hiddleston, Jared Leto or Eddie Redmayne… later joined this movement.
Since then, Emma Watson has continued to fight for women’s rights and has traveled to impoverished areas in Bangladesh and Zambia to help raise awareness. She founded the Our Shared Shelf Book Club on her personal Twitter page with 24 million followers, so that users can share good books. In her free time, Emma even disguises herself to go to the train station and hand out good books to passersby in the hope of helping them realize the meaning of reading.
One of the female writers who met Emma Watson, Bell Hooks, shared: “Watson is not at all like the way we imagine movie stars. She wants to live a meaningful life and bring good things, instead of just being remembered for her fame and wealth.”
The actress affirmed: “I cannot just talk but must live positively to set an example. The battles I participate in make me know more about what I have to do. Everything is not easy, but I will always follow my heart.
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