Emma Watson has portrayed Hermione in all the Harry Potter films to date. Watson’s Oxford theatre teacher passed her name on to the casting agents of Philosopher’s Stone, impressed with her school play performances. Though Watson took her audition seriously, she “never really thought she had any chance” of getting the part. The producers were impressed by Watson’s self-confidence and she outperformed the thousands of other girls who had applied.

Rowling herself was supportive of Watson after her first screen test. Prior to the production of Half-Blood Prince, Watson considered not returning, but eventually decided that “the pluses outweighed the minuses” and that she could not bear to see anyone else play Hermione.

Watson has said that Hermione is a character that makes “brain not beauty cool,” and that though Hermione is “slightly socially inept,” she is “not ashamed of herself.” In 2007, prior to the release of Order of the Phoenix, Watson said, “There are too many stupid girls in the media. Hermione’s not scared to be clever. I think sometimes really smart girls dumb themselves down a bit, and that’s bad. When I was nine or ten, I would get really upset when they tried to make me look geeky, but now I absolutely love it. I find it’s so much pressure to be beautiful. Hermione doesn’t care what she looks like. She’s a complete tomboy.”

Screenwriter Steve Kloves revealed in a 2003 interview that Hermione was his favourite character. “There’s something about her fierce intellect coupled with a complete lack of understanding of how she affects people sometimes that I just find charming and irresistible to write.”