Emma Watson has openly advocated for various causes, notably speaking out against the prevalent injustices women endure daily, which encompasses issues like body shaming and fat shaming. Interestingly, Jessie Cave, Watson’s co-star in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the two Deathly Hallows movies, found herself living out Watson’s most dreaded nightmare on the sets of Harry Potter itself.
Jessie Cave Was Living Emma Watson’s Worst Nightmare on the Harry Potter Sets!
Jessie Cave, now thriving as a successful author, and comedian, portrayed the character of Lavender Brown in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the two Deathly Hallows films. During an interview with The Independent, she openly shared the challenging and distressing experiences she encountered while working on the sets of the Harry Potter movies specifically the Deathly Hallows films. She said,
“I gained a lot of weight after doing Harry Potter,–I wasn’t starving myself. I was growing up and people tend to gain weight as they get older. That’s just what happens. So I did. And so going back to the last film[s], I was treated like a different species. It was horrible. It was probably more me and my insecurity, knowing that I wasn’t fitting into the same size jeans, but it wasn’t a time where actresses were any bigger than a size eight. And in the previous film I had been, and now I was a size 12. So that was horrible. It was a really uncomfortable experience.”
She continued,
“But you get a bit bigger, or you’re not as relevant, and it goes off, and you have to make your way in the dark. I definitely felt invisible when I gained a little bit of weight. And since then, it’s made me have weird issues with weight and work. And it’s so f***ed up, but it’s just how it is. Women have to deal with that all the time.”
The actress disclosed the prevalent bias against actresses perceived as being of a “bigger” size in the entertainment industry. The immense pressure placed on young actresses, like herself, painted a distressing picture of societal expectations. Cave highlighted the detrimental impact of the treatment she received, which led to struggles with food-related issues and becoming body weight conscious.
The Harry Potter Experience Made Jessie Cave Change Her Careers
Choosing not to conform to societal norms regarding body shape, the Emma Watson co-star, Jessie Cave opted to alter her career path to pursue the life she desires. Now, she finds herself happier than ever, embracing the choices. She revealed,
“If I’d stayed thin – unnaturally thin, unhappily thin – I would have probably got more acting roles, and then I wouldn’t have started writing. And then I don’t know who I would be now because writing is who I am. I’m almost grateful that I gained all that weight.”
Her aspiration was to serve as an inspiration not only for her sister but also for all the young girls out there. She further continued, saying,
“I’m somebody who makes things and really puts myself out there, even though I’m not the most talented person,” she says. “I wanted to show Bebe [her sister, who’s 10 years younger and an actor] that you just have to be brave sometimes and put your work out there.”
And undoubtedly, she stands as a beacon of inspiration for many, especially young girls.
