Emma Watson Discusses New Drama ‘The Colony’ and Playing Belle

Jul 02, 2016

Posted by: Emma Pocock

Films, Watson, Watson Interviews

Emma Watson is currently on a year long hiatus from acting, but she’s starring in two exciting films in the line-up to be released: The Colony (released yesterday in the U.K.) and Beauty and The Beast. The Independent asked her a little more about her character in The Colony, the subject matter of the film, and what it’s like to be playing Belle.

“I think she’s just so brave” Emma says of Lena, her character in The Colony. “It’s such an extraordinary act of courage, so I found that very compelling”

“I think Lena’s very relatable, she’s an air hostess, she’s kind of an everyday woman, so I’d just say the women that I’ve met personally in my life who I’ve seen that kind of resolve and that kind of strength and that kind of thinking which allows them to do extraordinary things … a belief in themselves and a belief in what they’re doing” 

Emma also confirms that she visited Chile to speak to survivors of the sect Colonia Dignidad,  which the film is based around, which operated during the 1973 Chilean Military Coup, and researched the cult to try to understand as much as she could about the way it functioned:

“It was actually not that long ago, and I feel like so little is known about it, which is extraordinary”

“Even just being there, there was an atmosphere which was quite strong and quite pervasive, so even if I’d spoken to no one, just going and being around the buildings and know what each of the different functions of the rooms were … was a pretty intense experience”

She also spoke about how the responsibility being UN Goodwill Ambassador for Women impacts her choice in film roles:

“It is a different dimension – being a ‘child star’ as they call it, or having worked as a minor, you do have to be aware of the kind of trajectory, and also aware that people are viewing your performances through a very different lens”

Emma comments on an article which discussed people who had seen the trailer calling her role in The Colony a ‘scandalous’ move, showing her ‘really trying to push the envelope and really trying to step away from Hermione and Harry Potter‘:

“I’m just kissing someone, you know, and it’s like, a huge deal” 

“You’re aware of that, but I don’t like to try and let all of that that noise effect my choices and decisions, because ultimately if you live like that … it would close me off to a lot of opportunities and experiences”

She also spoke about violence against women (which is a recurring theme in The Colony):

“It’s probably not talked about enough – how pervasive it actually is. I think we’ve got a long way to go – I think it’s also just become socially acceptable or just ‘the norm’ that women should feel afraid walking around alone, whether that’s particularly at night or whenever. I think it’s sad that we live in a society where women don’t feel safe to walk around on their own”

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On what it’s like to play Belle in Disney’s new live-action Beauty and the Beast:

“Amazing, I mean it’s just every girl’s dream, really. I loved her as a child, I love all the music, I knew all the lyrics and I loved that she was just this feisty heroine who’s whole life wasn’t about marrying the most handsome guy in the village …  she wanted to read and go on adventures and she wanted to be her own woman and her own person … she’s probably one of my first tastes of feminism, so pretty cool to be playing her now”

Read more about The Colony and watch the trailer here, and watch the full interview below!





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.