Emma Watson On The ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Scene That Left Her A Nervous Wreck

There must have been numerous elements to consider before Emma Watson took on the iconic role of Belle in Beauty And The Beast. Let’s not forget that the original version of the romantic fantasy was one of the most successful Disney adaptations ever released, and it was even nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award.

But Emma Watson had the confidence and wherewithal to realize that she’d be perfect for the part, which she finally signed up to take in January 2015. There was one particular moment during production on Beauty And The Beast, though, that left the English actress more than a little nervous. This was the sequence that saw Emma Watson donning the famous yellow dress for Belle’s dance with the Beast, who in the film is played by Dan Stevens.

Emma Watson made this admission during her recent discussion with E! Online to promote Beauty And The Beast, confessing that preparing for this specific scene left her riddled with nerves.

“It was kind of nerve-wracking. That yellow dress is beloved in the imagination of girls all over the world you want it to be perfect.”

There was more to it than just nerves, though, because Emma Watson also realized at this point that this was probably going to be the most romantic moment of her life. Which was a little depressing for the actress to take because she is still just 26-years-old.

“I was like, ‘I am probably never in my life gonna have a more romantic moment than this! I’m peaking at 26! My most romantic moment! It’s never gonna get better than this!”

Emma Watson is clearly overjoyed with both portraying Belle, and the released version of Beauty And The Beast, which she referred to as “pure joy” and “unapologetically romantic,” before explaining why she believes the film is particularly relevant.

“Sometimes we need that. And I think particularly now we need that. You come out fuller than when you went in.”

Emma Watson doesn’t believe that she has taken on a typical Disney princess role with Belle, though, as she also went into details about what makes Belle such a “progressive” individual. Especially now that, with this version, they have been able to flex out the character with more detail and back story.

“That’s the wonderful thing about Belle. I feel like even in the original she was very progressive – she was kind of a departure from a lot of the other Disney princess characters – and so I think it was really just where, in the moments I can fill in a bit more of her back story, I can pad her out a little bit more. It was really fun to be able to do that.”

Things could have gone a much different way, though. That’s because before taking on the role of Belle in Beauty And The Beast Emma Watson was actually offered the part of Cinderella.

She turned down that role because, as she explained during her interview with Total Film magazine, via the Telegraph, the character just didn’t resonate with her. A problem that she didn’t have with Belle.

“I didn’t know they were going to make Beauty And The Beast at the time I turned down Cinderella. But when they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did. She remains curious, compassionate and open-minded. And that’s the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice.”

During the same interview, Emma Watson detailed exactly what makes Belle such an important character to her, explaining the personal connection that she has with her.

“I don’t feel like I particularly fitted in when I was younger. There’s this kind of outsider quality that Belle had, and the fact she had this really empowering defiance of what was expected of her. In a strange way, she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring. She manages to keep her integrity and have a completely independent point of view. She’s not easily swayed by other people’s perspective—not swayed by fear-mongering or scapegoating.”

[Featured Image by Disney]