Emma Watson to take a year off from acting to focus on ‘personal development’ and activism

Taking time out: Emma Watson is taking a year out from acting
Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images
Jennifer Ruby19 February 2016
The Weekender

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Emma Watson has announced that she will be taking a year off from acting.

The Harry Potter actress, who stars in the forthcoming Beauty and the Beast, will take a sabbatical to focus on ‘personal development’.

The 25-year-old will be taking a break from the day job in order to spend time studying feminist literature, focusing on activism and working on self-growth.

In an interview with Paper magazine, she said: “I'm taking a year away from acting to focus on two things, really.

“My own personal development is one. We are organising a HeForShe arts week, a university tour, and launching the HeForShe website. It's a lot. There's a lot to do.”

She added: “I'm reading so much and exposing myself to so many new ideas. It almost feels like the chemistry and the structure of my brain is changing so rapidly sometimes.

“It feels as if sometimes I'm struggling to keep up with myself. 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.”

The actress continued: “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.”

Watson has a number of films coming out this year, including Colonia, Regression and The Circle.

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