Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia was considered to be one of the first feminist icons in cinema back when she debuted in Star Wars in 1977. Emma Watson, most famous for playing Harry Potter's girl genius, Hermione Granger, compares here character to Leia and talks about getting more female role models on the silver screen.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Watson was asked to compare Hermione to Princess Leia, and she says:
"Hermione was that perfect example of turning on its head this initial prejudice that she gets… Hermione finds a way to wield her intelligence and becomes really the leader in this group of two other boys and that's kind of the role that she assumes. Harry is much more intuitive. Ron is just along for the ride. Hermione is the one with the plan. She's in control."
The "girl in control" description is also very reminiscent of Leia in the movies. Leia is known to have taken charge when Luke and Han attempt to save her from the detention block on the Death Star, and she's a far cry from the usual damsel in distress. Hermione, on the other hand, is always very handy on every situation, and has been known to be on top of things whenever the trio is in a bind. God knows what they would've done in Deathly Hallows had Hermione not prepared their things beforehand.
Hermione is probably one of the more memorable female role models in pop-culture, and her character joins the ranks of femmes like Sarah Connor (Terminator), Wonder Woman, and of course, Princess Leia when it comes to women who kick ass. Watson, however, believes that women role models shouldn't be exclusively for girls as well and thinks that even boys can look up to strong female figures. She explains:
"If I asked a young boy what superhero they looked up to, I feel a lot fewer would say a female one than in reverse, which is a shame because I feel like we need to live in a culture that values and respects and looks up to and idolizes women as much as men."
Watson will be starring as Belle in the live-action adaptation of Disney's Beauty and the Beast which comes out on March 17.
See Also: LeFou and Gaston Sing 'Gaston' in New Beauty and the Beast Clip
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Fandoms