Harry Potter actress Emma Watson is rumoured to be retiring - here’s why

Harry Potter actress and women’s rights activist, Emma Watson, is rumoured to be giving up her acting career after her agency reported that she was ‘dormant’. Watson has now responded to the comments, so is she departing from the silver screen - and what films has she starred in? This is everything you need to know. What has Emma Watson starred in? Watson first appeared on screens in 2001 as Hermione Granger in the first Harry Potter film, The Philosopher’s Stone, having only appeared in school plays before. In 2010, filming for the final instalment of Harry Potter - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - came to an end and Watson cropped her hair and made her break into more independent roles. Since hanging up her cloak and waving goodbye to Hogwarts, Watson has starred in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), The Bling Ring (2013), Noah (2014), Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Little Women (2019), among others. Alongside her roles, she has spoken openly about her role in supporting women’s rights and her disagreements with author JK Rowling over her views on transgender people. In July 2014, she was appointed a UN Women Goodwill ambassador. However, since 2020 her career and public profile appears to have diminished, and a statement from her agency on 25 February led many to conclude that she had retired from acting. Has she given up acting? Watson’s agent reportedly told the Daily Mail that the 30-year-old is "dormant" and that she "is not taking on new commitments." A source, thought to be close to the actress, then commented: "Emma has gone underground, she is settling down with Leo. They're laying low. Maybe she wants a family." This caused Twitter to go into overdrive, with fans posting tributes to Watson and paying homage to her 20-year-long career. However, dormant does not necessarily mean retired and others have commented on how the coronavirus pandemic has stalled many movies, making it the perfect time for actors to take a career break. Who is Watson’s boyfriend, Leo? Watson has reportedly been with her boyfriend Leo Robinton since October 2019. He is a Californian businessman, and the pair currently live together in London. They were first photographed kissing in October 2019, though he was not identified in the press until April 2020. Though Watson described herself as single in the December 2019 edition of Vogue, the interview had been conducted in the summer, seemingly before she met Robinton. He comes from a family of five siblings - three sisters, an older brother and a twin brother, named Archer, and participated with one of his sisters, Daisy, in the 2017 Women's March in Washington DC. Robinton deleted his Instagram and Twitter accounts after being linked to Watson, the Daily Mail reported at the time that he had done this to protect their privacy. What was Watson’s response to claims she had retired? Following claims that Watson has retired from acting, her representative released a statement which shut down the speculation. United Entertainment manager Jason Weinberg said: "Emma's social media accounts are dormant but her career isn't.” The Harry Potter star’s Instagram currently has a blacked out profile photo and her bio reads: “Emma’s official Instagram page is currently dormant and is not being updated,” her last post is from June 2020. Watson’s Twitter has also not been active since August 2020. While it is unclear what is next for Watson, she has many strings to her bow. Alongside her activism work, she also graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in 2014 with a degree in English Literature. She had been offered to study at Cambridge University, having achieved straight As in her A levels. In 2009, she also commented on how Harry Potter had put her in the position where she would “never have to work again” - at the time she was just 18-years-old. She said: “Let’s be honest, I have enough money to never have to work again but I would never want that. Learning keeps me motivated.” So if she did want to retire from acting, there is no financial necessity for her to continue her on-screen career.