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This is Emma Watson’s life today: away from the movies, pursuing a PhD at Oxford, and running her brother’s gin business

A very different stage of life from that of movie stars.

Update: Jul 25th, 2025 19:08 CEST

Emma Watson is one of the biggest stars in the film industry in recent decades, but she has been away from the cameras since 2019; the last film she appeared in was Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’. What is she doing now? Born on April 15, 1990, the 35-year-old British actress decided to take some time away from the spotlight to focus on her academic pursuits. In fact, in 2023 she enrolled in a master’s degree program in creative writing at Oxford University.

University life fascinated her so much that she even decided to pursue a PhD in Philosophy. It is a way of rediscovering herself. Unlike most people her age, she was unable to go straight to university after finishing high school due to her commitments to the Harry Potter saga. Later, she enrolled at Brown University in the United States, where she studied English literature while continuing her film career. However, in recent years she has devoted herself entirely to her studies, stepping away from the spotlight.

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A movie star away from the spotlight, but with very clear ideas

In statements to Vogue magazine in December 2023, Watson expressed gratitude for the time she had taken, saying, “I have this feeling of having my own voice and creative space and sovereignty in some way that I don’t think I did before – more autonomy.” A time in which she has not been completely absent, as in 2022 she made her directorial debut with a short film for Prada Beauty’s Paradoxe perfume campaign, and in 2024 she was the face of Prada’s Re-Nylon collection.

One of her latest projects is the business venture she has embarked on with her brother Alex: the creation of their own gin, known as Renais, which reflects her family’s French heritage. Emma Watson was born and lived near Paris until her parents divorced when she was five years old. This gin is produced under the banner of sustainability and is deeply rooted in her family’s heritage, as her father, Chris, owns several vineyards in Burgundy, in the Chablis region.

“To me, Renais is a family project; the Chablis region evokes very special memories of growing up. I’ve loved having the opportunity to create something with my brother Alex,” Emma Watson told Wine Spectator.