Emma Watson Is Taking A Year Off From Acting

Published on19th February 2016 at 10.02am

What with her work on the #HeForShe campaign as a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador and her newly announced position as a visiting fellow at Oxford University, not to mention her upcoming star turn as Belle in Disney’s live-action re-made of Beauty and the Beast, it’s safe to say that Emma Watson is one busy woman.

It’s completely understandable, then, that the 25-year-old (who has packed more into her fifteen year career than most of us will manage, well, ever…) has decided to take a year-long hiatus from acting. Emma confirmed her decision in an interview with feminist author and activist bell hooks, as part of Paper magazine’s ‘Girl Crush’ interview series.

But Watson’s year off is far from the standard gap year. Instead of taking an extended vacation, the Harry Potter star will be focussing on her ‘own personal development.’ Emma explained: ‘My own personal task is to read a book a week, and also to read a book a month as part of my book club. I’m doing a huge amount of reading and study just on my own […] I’m reading a lot this year, and I want to do a lot of listening.’ Can we share book recommendations please, Emma?

The actress added, ‘It’s a really cool period of time for me. My work that I do for the UN is all very clearly outlined, but my personal views and opinions are still being defined, really.’

Watson fans needn’t worry, though, as Emma won’t be vanishing from our screens completely. Her latest film Colonia, in which she stars as a young revolutionary who infiltrates a Chilean cult, will be released this spring, and she’ll be starring opposite John Boyega in The Circle later this year.

Check out Emma Watson's style file in the gallery below...