Well, I’d say it’s a good thing that “Harry Potter” actress Emma Watson didn’t have her wand with her; otherwise, I think some employees at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport would be nursing more than their own embarrassment.
Recently, the 22-year-old tweeted that customs officers questioned where her guardian was, believing her to be an unaccompanied minor. Keep in mind, Emma is about to turn 23!
Blame it on the backpack. As the actress tweeted: “Passport control:’unaccompanied minor?’ Me:’sorry?’ Passport control:’where is ur guardian?’ Me:’I’m 22!!!!!!!’ #neverwearingabackpackagain”
Okay, let’s break this down a bit. Watson is pretty small, known for her slender frame and apparently she is of relatively short stature at 5’5. Alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and their other “Potter” series co-stars, she was cast in part because her appearance seemed both youthful and likely to remain that way over multiple films.
So, we can understand her looking a bit younger than she is (which she’ll be thankful for later on in life, to be one of those genetically blessed permanently youthful faces). However, it seems pretty certain that regardless of what she was wearing, she looks older than…um…twelve.
Even if the officers weren’t aware of her international fame and notoriety (seriously?), it seems a little bewildering that the girl who’s looked stunning and fashion-forward in numerous modeling ads the last few years was considered a pre-teen who, required parental guidance. Sorry, but no.
Of course, her Twitter followers seem to agree, voicing their astonishment – but according to Emma, the situation is nothing new. “The really sad thing is that this is not the first time this has happened,” she tweeted not long after. But at least one fan weighed in with an important point, utilizing the hashtag “#youwillbegladwhenyouareforty.”
It seems unlikely that the annoyance fazed the actress that much, considering the stellar year she’s just had. Her first post-“Potter” film debut, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” adapted from the much-loved Stephen Chbosky novel, received stellar reviews (even if the box-office didn’t reflect it) and has garnered rumors of a possible Oscar nomination in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. She’s been keeping busy with other high-profile roles scheduled to hit theaters in the next few years, including the lead in Sofia Coppola’s true-crime tale “The Bling Ring” and part of the ensemble cast in Darren Aronofsky’s ambitious biblical epic “Noah.”
So J.F.K., as you can see, it seems pretty apparent the girl’s capable of taking care of herself, and flying alone for that matter (no broomstick required).