Emma Watson’s role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise is timeless. Being one of the most iconic film series of all time, her character brought a specific kind of energy that Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliff simply couldn’t. Where Ron and Harry were playful together, being the perfect balance of humor and looking for trouble, Granger almost took on the role of a maternal figure.
What made Watson’s performance all the more beloved was the fact that she was quite similar to her character. While many have sung praise for her acting in all the films, not everyone feels the same way.
Many fans have voiced their dislike of how Hermione was played throughout the years, especially towards the end.
Emma Watson—The Weakest Link?
Many Harry Potter fans took to Reddit to express their hot takes on the franchise. The entire series is not perfect in any way, and many fans have a lot to say about things that could have been better executed. At the same time, there is an unsaid agreement among the fandom that the golden trio is perfect in every way.
Hot take: I didn’t like Emma’s acting in HP movies esp in the later ones
byu/fire-lord-momo inharrypotter
However, many think that one of the main three characters of the series was almost insufferable. Some fans do not think that Emma Watson did a good job playing Hermione Granger. The account that started the conversation mentioned that in the first three movies, she was excellent. However, as the story progressed and the actors grew up, they believed that Watson’s acting quality took a decline.
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byu/fire-lord-momo from discussion
inharrypotter
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byu/fire-lord-momo from discussion
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Others joined the conversation, mentioning how she was unable to provide the chemistry needed for her character’s relationship with Ron. They believe Waston is to blame for the lack of a spark between the two. They even went as far as to call her the worst actress out of the main three actors.
Was Emma Watson Really That Bad?
In the final few films, Hermione Granger’s character goes through a lot. She is forced to lose parts of herself and her family. She sees death, is almost killed on several occasions, and is treated like an outcast by the elitist population of Hogwarts. Having experienced so much, it is not surprising that she changed a lot.
While her character in the first film is almost unrecognizable from who she becomes by the end, that is a product of her arc in the books.
Emma Watson is also an extremely talented actress who was constantly surrounded by some of the most respected and critically acclaimed actors Hollywood had to offer, like Alan Rickman and Gary Oldman. With this in mind, it is safe to assume that she learned a lot about her profession at a very young age.
Knowing just how much was riding on the franchise and how much money it was pulling in, bad acting is something they would not have let pass through. Although the earlier films are certainly not the best examples, since most of the cast was full of child actors, acting for the first time. By the third film, all the actors had enough experience and talent to know how they were supposed to act.
Knowing just how much contributed to her performance throughout the series, chalking Watson’s acting in a specific scene as bad from an objective standpoint does not seem fair.
All of the Harry Potter films are available for streaming on Peacock.
