Emma Watson says it wasn't until aged 25 that she found real happiness

She accrued a £33million fortune after her role as Hermione Granger launched her to global fame.

But it is only now, at 25, that Emma Watson has found happiness after years of self-doubt.

The former child star, launched to fame in the Harry Potter films, has opened up about the constant pressure she felt during her teenage years and how moving to America helped her overcome long-term feelings of inadequacy.

In a candid interview, the actress admitted to being ‘terrified’ by the global interest in her life from the age of 10, when she was cast in the global franchise.

She also said she was jealous of friends who could lead normal teenage lives and was only able to cope during red carpet appearances by going ‘numb’ and closing herself off.

The star also spoke about how her parents’ divorce when she was five has affected her own relationships, saying the biggest lesson it taught her was that ‘there aren’t any rules’ in love.

She said in the most recent issue of Porter magazine: ‘Now at 25 for the first time in my life I feel like I have a sense of self that I’m comfortable with.’

‘I actually do have things that I want to say and I want to be my most authentic self. I don’t want there to be a big separation between the public and the private person.

‘It’s definitely the harder road to tread, but without a doubt, ultimately the most rewarding.’

Despite being known for her composure and maturity, the feminist activist said she struggled to keep up with her friends who seemed to know more about themselves than she did.

‘The level of questioning I was under, coming at such a young age. People asking me ‘What do you think of this? Who are you, who are you, who are you?’

‘I felt so inadequate because I just didn’t have answers yet. I had so many friends who had a clear sense of self.

‘Who knew that they liked certain things, like the smell of grass, or what their favourite colour was. I envied those girls because I was so unsure of myself.’

‘I questioned everything. I was terrified by the level of interest in me.’

She went on to say that enrolling at Brown University in 2009 was one of the best things she ever did, as it allowed her the space to become more comfortable in her own skin.

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The actress admitted to being ‘terrified’ by the global interest in her life from the age of 10, when she was cast in the global Harry Potter franchise

‘There were times when it felt very lonely, moving to the other side of the world, to where I had no support, when I was on the side of buses everywhere,’ she said.

‘But I’m so glad I did, it was the best thing I could have done, putting myself in that furnace.

‘It gave me this place of refuge, this space where I could negotiate for myself, and time to figure out who I was.

‘I’d spent more than half of my life pretending to be someone else. While my contemporaries were dying their hair and figuring out who they were, I was figuring out who Hermione was and how best to portray her.’

Now at 25 for the first time in my life I feel like I have a sense of self that I’m comfortable with  Emma Watson 

Miss Watson also admitted she altered her personality in front of the media to try to reduce the public’s focus on her life.

Miss Watson has accrued a £33million fortune after her role as Hermione Granger launched her to global fame

‘I spent most of my time trying to convince everyone I was incredibly boring because I needed privacy and a minute to figure myself out,’ she said.

‘I used to have to go numb and close myself off, for example on the red carpet, just to get through it.’

Following the divorce of her lawyer parents Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson, Miss Watson says she has always sought perfection in her relationships.

‘As a child of divorce I am endlessly fascinated with finding the perfect formula for making it work,’ she said.

‘I think the biggest lesson I learnt is that there aren’t any rules. Sit with the discomfort. Don’t run away from it.’

She had two well-publicised relationships recently with Oxford University students – one with Will Adamowicz lasting three years and later with rugby player Matt Janney which ended in 2014.

In October last year, a lunch date with close friend Roberto Aguire sparked rumours the pair might be romantically linked, but Miss Watson has remained coy about her love life since splitting with Mr Janney.

Her entry into the world of activism came after she delivered a powerful ‘HeForShe’ speech about gender inequality in September 2014, as a UN Goodwill Ambassador. It has been watched by millions around the world.

She confirmed she has plans to develop the campaign further, alongside her acting work.

This year she plays the lead role Lena in Colonia, a thriller about a Chilean cult, and stars as Belle in an adaptation of Beauty and the Beast directed by Bill Condon. 

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