3.17.2007
Harry Potter's Emma Watson Victim of Stalking
POLICE have quizzed a man in his 20s who stalked Harry Potter star Emma Watson. The terrified 16-year-old was confronted by the fan when he gatecrashed her school.
Police were called after the man got into some of the open lectures she attends.
And in the meantime, Emma was given a private Bodyguard until the stalker was warned off by officers.
The actress — who has played Hermione Granger in all five Potter movies so far — has continued her studies despite her acting fame.
She is in her first year of A-Levels after a string of GCSE successes.
A source said last night: “The man was an admirer who was over-zealous.
“He found out there were some open lectures at the school and attended them.
“He left Emma alarmed when he approached her and started talking to her about the Potter films.
“The school was informed and so were Emma’s parents. The decision was made to call in the police as the man was not known to her.
“A minder was also hired to be with her.
“The police spoke to the man and he was warned off in no uncertain terms. There have been further incidents since they spoke to him.”
A pal of Emma’s said: “Not only was this worrying for Emma but also very frustrating.
“She and all the other young actors on Harry Potter have made great efforts to lead normal lives.”
“They have schooled as normally as possible around the acting roles, have lots of school friends and hobbies and are just young people growing up.
“Considering how they could have let fame affect them they are all incredibly grounded, none so more than Emma.”
The friend added: “She will try not to let this change the way she has to live her day to day life, but obviously the priority is her safety.”
The Sun knows the name and location of the school, but is keeping the information secret to protect her.
Emma has said her celebrity has been responsible for her not having a boyfriend.
She has said: “Guys are either intimidated by me, or they have defences up, or they like to take the p**s out of me.”
Emma, who is reported to be worth £2million, makes her fifth appearance alongside Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which has just finished filming.
Sources at studio Warner Brothers say she has just signed a deal to star in the last two adaptations of the JK Rowling books.
But her movie role — which began when she was just 11 — has also brought her recognition outside the film world.
Last year she became the youngest person to appear on the cover of Teen Vogue magazine, at the age of 15.
She also joined Pierce Brosnan and Kenneth Branagh on a jury to select the 2004 teenage filmmakers’ prize for the Film Award ceremony in London’s Leicester Square.
Emma has a legion of fans, with a number of websites set up in her honour.
She passes her time on movie sets by playing video games and table tennis.
But she has not let the films interrupt her studies, scoring top grades in her GCSEs last summer.
She won eight A* grades and two As in the ten subjects she sat.
The sixth Potter movie — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — begins shooting later this year. Emma will once again star with Daniel, 17, and Rupert Grint, 18, who plays Ron Weasley.
A spokesman for the film series refused to comment on Emma’s security scare.
Emma was born in France and grew up in Paris with her lawyer parents Chris and Jacqueline until she was five.
Her mother moved back to England with Emma and her brother when the star’s parents divorced.
The actress entered a top prep school where she acted in class productions — until being spotted for the role that has made her famous.
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