Emma Watson measures her success

Actress Emma Watson is one of the most recognised actresses of her generation thanks to her role as Hermione Granger in the worldwide hit Harry Potter series.

However the 21-year-old star has other ways of measuring success – namely, the ability to use a washing machine.

Emma admits it has been a “challenge” learning how to function away from the “bubble” of the franchise.

“Doing the Potters was such a bubble and then having to figure out how to function in the real world has been a challenge,” she says.

“But it’s been the small successes for me. I know how to use a washing machine. I can cook. It’s worth it for me not to feel disconnected from everything, feeling like I’m in touch with people who do other things than acting or being in the entertainment industry.

The actress – who is in her final year studying at Oxford University in the UK after transferring from Brown University in the US – credits her solid group of friends with helping her cope with normal life and showbiz events.

“I think humour has been a help. I have schoolfriends, a group of people around me, who have carried me through this whole experience and aren’t fazed if I ask, ‘Oh what are you doing tomorrow?’ and I say, ‘I’m going up to see Mario Testino in Notting Hill, he’s shooting me for the new Lancome campaign,” she added in an interview with the Independent newspaper.

“I don’t know – it is mad, and some days I feel a bit mad, but it’s the balance that keeps me sane.”