Harry Potter stands as one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, boasting a worldwide collection of more than $7 billion at the box office through its eight movies between 2001 to 2011.
Not only did it make a massive difference to writer J. K. Rowling’s bank account, but also changed the lives of its young cast. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint all became overnight sensations by bringing the magical powers of Hogwarts to life on the big screen through their characters Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley respectively.
However, as we learned throughout the series, just because one possesses magical powers it doesn’t mean they don’t endure hard times. Similarly, despite enjoying a lot of success and fame after the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the cast had to face some hurdles during their wizardry journey.
Why Emma Watson and Her Harry Potter Co-stars Had to Put Plugs in Their Ears
Emma Watson, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, was the most popular actor in the series, winning over hearts with her portrayal of Hermione Granger, who was academically very smart. Much like her character’s brilliant performance in Hogwarts, Watson handled most challenges on the set pretty well, but one scene, right at the very end of the series, ended up terrifying her.
Talking about the climax of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, wherein an intense battle takes place between Harry and his Hogwarts cohorts against Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters, Watson said (NZ Herald):
“They put plugs in our ears to protect our eardrums, but you can still hear because you’re so close to the bangs. There’s this one scene where they detonated all of these bombs, like, right next to us. I was absolutely, genuinely terrified.”
Rupert Grint compared the scene to a war film, adding how seeing the castle on fire with rubble and bodies littered everywhere was shocking. If Watson had half of Hermione’s magical prowess, she would’ve certainly tried to do something to either cancel the scene or undo it.
Emma Watson Once Considered Quitting Harry Potter
From Grint’s fear of spiders to Watson finding the detonation of bombs scary on the set, there are plenty of stories about different challenges the cast and crew faced throughout the filming of the epic franchise.
It’s easier to document visible hurdles actors face during the shooting, however, what’s going on inside their minds and how much pressure they are enduring is seldom ignored or not seen at all. A similar situation occurred with the young cast of Harry Potter, who at times got overwhelmed by the unimaginable level of attention their success attracted.
However, this all snowballed into something much more serious, and there came a time when Watson considered quitting.
During a segment for Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts in 2022, David Yates, who directed the fifth installment of Harry Potter, said (via Variety):
“When I started, one thing that [the producer] and the studio spoke to me about was Emma is not sure she wants to come back and do another Potter.”
The actress added that at times she felt lonely. Radcliffe pitched in by admitting that since they were all just kids, they never talked about their feelings.
