Emma Watson, the star known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, caused a surprise when she appeared at Oxford University to attend the commencement ceremony of her master’s program.
The 33-year-old actress attended the ceremony at the city’s Sheldonian Theatre on the weekend, which officially marked the students’ admission to the school.
Dressed in a long black dress with a black bow tie and white shirt, Emma chatted with her future classmates. One student, who saw her in the crowded ceremony, said he was surprised to see the star, one of the country’s most famous actresses.
Reflecting on seeing Emma Watson, he joked: “It was the first time I’d seen her since the Harry Potter series.”
Emma Watson’s plans to study creative writing were revealed in an interview with the Financial Times in April, in which she revealed she had started writing poetry during the Covid-19 lockdown, along with writing essays on love, friendship and relationships.
Further details were published in The Sun last month, which revealed that her master’s programme would be part-time and largely online. A source said: “The course is for adults and can be done part-time, which suits Emma’s schedule. She only needs to be on campus four or five days a year as the rest of the course can be done online from home. As she’s a famous actress, she’ll have a security team looking after her when she’s in class.”
Emma Watson spent a year at Worcester College, Oxford University in 2011/12 while studying English literature at Brown University in Rhode Island, where she graduated in 2014.
In 2023, Emma Watson spoke about her decision to step back from the spotlight and her feelings after becoming famous in the Harry Potter series. As she celebrated her 33rd birthday in April, she looked back on her year since stepping back. She learned to surf, ride horses, took up mental gymnastics and started an environmental investment fund for women.