Friday, December 23, 2011

Emma Watson, the unassuming Oxford student ... with the £24m fortune

Freshman: Emma Watson poses with her thumb up as she attends first term at Oxford University


Harry Potter, which came to an end with the final film over the summer with the screening of Deathly Hallows - Part 2, was an incredible money-spinner for all involved.
Now, 14 years after the first of seven books was published one of the biggest beneficiaries, has moved on - pictured this week on her first day at Oxford University.
The 21-year-old star, who played the bookish Hermione Granger in the films, put her education on hold at America's Brown University earlier this year to focus on her acting.
She has since made My Week With Marilyn, due out later this year, and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
But Emma has said she will return to Brown to complete her degree.
She remains enrolled at Brown, even though she will study at Oxford, believed to be Worcester College, this autumn as part of an exchange programme, and intends to return to Providence, Rhode Island, next year to complete her studies at the Ivy League school.
She wrote on her blog: 'Have a great term and good luck with all your work. You might not hear from me for a while because I will be really busy studying, but I wanted to just say hi and goodbye.'
Getting an education really is academic for Watson, given that she has made an estimated £24m already, is a global star and has a glittering acting career ahead of her.
The journey began with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in the US), which was released by Warner Bros in 2001, and ended 10 years later with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.
School daze: Emma stars alongside Logan Lerman in The Perks of Being a Wallflower
School daze: Emma stars alongside Logan Lerman in The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The buzz surrounding the final two installments, this year and last year, appears to have helped top up the earnings of all involved. Author JK Rowling, 45, increased her wealth by £11m to £530m between 2010 and 2011, according to the Sunday Times Rich List published in early summer.
But the franchise has also charmed the fortunes of the lead actors, including . Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry in the films, secured fifth place in the rich list of people under 30, worth £48m, while Watson, 21, and Rupert Grint, 22, are worth £24m apiece.

For Watson, that was a £4m top-up from £20m in the 2010 Rich List.
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born to Jacqueline and Chris, both lawyers, in 1990 in Paris. The family, including younger brother Alex, moved back to England when Watson was five to grow up in Oxfordshire.

She then started at Lynams School, the nursery for the prestigious Dragon School, a £24,000-a-year prep school in Oxford. In 1999 at the age of nine, she auditioned for a role in the upcoming Harry Potter movie. Filming began in 2000 and she shot to fame as the bookish but adventurous trainee wizard, Hermione Granger.
Fame and fortune: Emma in 2010
Fame and fortune: Emma in 2010
Since then, she has evolved to become an in-demand fashion icon and model. She has even been feted with helping to transform the fortunes of Burberry. To underline that status, she was named, by Britons, as the world's best dressed woman earlier this month, beating stars including Cheryl Cole and Kate Moss to the top of a Glamour magazine survey.

At age 18, in 2008, Watson was given access to a £10.5m fortune, a result of her fees from the early Potter films. But despite her riches she apparently kept her feet on the ground, often spotted on London public transport.

Her earnings peak was in 2009 when she picked up £10m for the final two instalments of the Harry Potter film series. She was subsequently named Hollywood's highest paid actress for the year by Vanity Fair, toppling established actresses such as Angelina Jolie and Cameron Diaz. The magazine estimated her earnings for 2009 at $30m (£19m).
A substantial part of her fortune has come from elsewhere, particularly the fashion industry.

Money-making magic: Emma at the New York premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Money-making magic: Emma at the New York premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 2
She was the youngest actress to grace both the covers of Teen Vogue (2005) and Tatler magazine (2007) and has since appeared on covers and in magazines such as V, Italian Vogue and Elle.

The deal with British fashion house Burberry was signed in 2009 after she was noticed by their creative director, Christopher Bailey. He claimed Watson was the 'obvious choice' for their campaign. She described it as the 'biggest ego boost of my life'.

The deal was said to have increased her already impressive wealth by around six figures.

And in February this year, she secured a six-figure deal from make-up firm Lancome. She will be shot by celebrated fashion photographer Mario Testino for a TV and magazine advertising campaign.
Despite the growth of the brand, serious acting awards have alluded her. Her accolades run only to AOL Moviegoer's Award for Best Actress, which she has won twice.

Watson has finished filming of The Perks of Being a Wallflower in the US. Written and directed by American novelist Stephen Chbosky, it is due for release in 2012. It could mark a rebirth of the Watson brand as a more serious actor, and usher in a new set of money-making opportunities.