Emma Watson to Attend Brown University

British actress Emma Watson may be attending Brown University in fall 2009. According to Just Jared, Emma Watson had wanted her college choice to remain a secret for now. She explained that she wanted the process to be normal, and that she didn't want to walk in an see Harry Potter posters everywhere. Daniel Radcliffe, however, spilled the beans, also mentioning her GCSE scores which had three A's and seven A*'s. Daniel Radcliffe described Emma Watson as "incredibly academic."

Emma Watson to Attend Brown University: Life and Career

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born in 1990 in Paris to British lawyer parents. As a child she trained at Stagecoach Theater Arts where she performed in various plays and productions. In 1999, Emma Watson was discovered by producers of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. They were impressed with her confidence and cast her, along with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint for the roles of Hermoine Granger, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley, respectively. J.K. Rowling had supported Emma Watson from the first screen test.

Although most famous for her work in the Harry Potter movies, Emma Watson also starred in the 2007 TV film adaptation of Ballet Shoes and provided the voice of Princess Pea in the 2008 animated film The Tale of Despereaux.

Emma Watson to Attend Brown University: Other Brown Alumni

As an actress, Brown University is a bit of an unusual choice, as many academically-inclined entertainers such as Kellie Martin, Meryl Streep, and Jodie Foster attended Yale University. Kellie Martin even left her role on E.R. to finish her education at Yale.

Yet Emma joins a list of prominent Brown University alumni including Lincoln Chafee, Richard Holbrooke, Senator William Hunter, Gov. Bobby Jindal, John F. Kennedy Jr., Lois Lowry, Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark, Ted Turner, and Lady Gabriella Windsor.

Media personalities from Brown University include singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, who graduated in 1990 with a major in comparative literature. Film director Angela Robinson holds degrees from Brown University and NYU. CNN founder Ted Turner attended Brown and was vice-president of the Brown Debating Union, but was expelled from the university for having a female in his dorm room. Emmy nominee JoBeth Williams entered Brown University with the intention of becoming a child psychologist, but turned to theater instead.

Sources:

Emma Watson to Attend Brown University, Just Jared