Emma Watson explains why she wasn't in La La Land
It could have been Watson instead of Stone
La La Land may have earned Emma Stone the Oscar for best actress, but there was originally another Emma who was rumoured to be in the running for the role: Emma Watson.
However, the Harry Potter star instead chose to concentrate on her latest role, Belle in Beauty and the Beast.
Asked on ITV’s Lorraine whether she had turned down La La Land, Watson explained: “With a movie like Beauty and The Beast it’s like three months prep, it’s like three or four months shooting, it’s in the UK. I had to be there to do that and as I was saying before it’s like you can’t half-arse a project like this, you know, you’re in or you’re out.
“And I was like, I’ve kinda got to be all in and so this was really where my heart was and I knew I had to fully commit and make sure that I did this.”
And her Belle Bootcamp was more intense than you’d think. “I’ve never ridden a horse before and so I was like, ok,” said Watson. “This is what I mean about the prep – I was riding three or four times a week, singing four times a week, dancing three or four times a week. I was manic, I was so hectic but I loved it.”
The worst part? The singing, which made Watson VERY nervous: “Oh my god I can’t even tell you how nerve-wracking it was, there were a few moments when I had a real crisis of confidence.”
However, the anxiety soon ebbed away: “Once I got into it I just loved it. I want to do a musical every day for the rest of my life. There is so much joy in it and like the music is just… I don’t know about you but when I hear that song Beauty and The Beast I just melt.”
That we do, Emma. In fact, that gives us a perfect excuse to watch the new version of that song again…
Beauty and the Beast is out in UK cinemas on Friday 17 March 2017
