Emma

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson - born Jacqueline Luesby to Chris Watson and Jacqueline Luesby, two British lawyers - was born on July 8, 1989 in Paris. As a child she was enrolled in her school, the Dragon School in Oxfordshire. At the age of six, Emma was aware she would like to be an actress and for a number of years she was a student at the Oxford Branch of Stagecoach Theatre Arts a part-time theater school, where she learned singing dancing and acting. She had already performed in a variety of Stagecoach as well as school plays by the time she was ten years old. The casting process began in 1999 in the production of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (2001) the movie adaptation of British writer J.K. Rowling's bestselling novel. Emma was spotted by Emma's Oxford Theater instructor. After eight consecutive auditions, producer David Heyman told Emma and fellow applicants Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint that they were cast as the three main characters Hermione Granger Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Emma's first screen appearance came with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's premiere in the year 2001. The film set records for beginning-day and weekend-opening sales and was the highest-grossing film in 2001. Critics have praised both the film, as well as the performances by the three young actors. The Daily Telegraph, an influential British newspaper, called Emma's performances "amazing". Later Emma was nominated for five awards for her performance in the film and was awarded an award called the Young Artist Award for Leading Young Actress in an Feature Film.