Emma Watson celebrated her 34th birthday with nostalgic black-and-white photos. Fans lamented the Harry Potter star’s departure from acting and her apparent distancing from Hollywood glamour.

Emma Watson is known around the world as an activist for women’s rights, gender equality, and the environment for her famous role in the 8-part Harry Potter film series.

Despite having over 75 million followers on her personal Instagram, which she seldom uses, Watson’s recent post featuring two black-and-white photos with the number 34 and her Aries zodiac symbol quickly garnered over 2.6 million likes in a short time. Friends and fans flooded her with countless birthday wishes accompanied by images from her past films.

Emma Watson (as Hermione Granger) and Daniel Radcliffe (as Harry Potter) in the Harry Potter movies

According to Popculture, Emma Watson’s recent activism and advocacy for transgender rights have placed her at odds with J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series adapted into an 8-part film series. While the renowned writer has increasingly voiced opposition to transgender rights, Emma, one of the Harry Potter film actors, has spoken out against these views.

However, Hermione’s “witch” has never directly criticized J.K. Rowling. She has only publicly supported transgender individuals, aligning with Rowling’s method of condemning them. In a recent development, the author targeted Emma and Daniel Radcliffe (who portrayed Harry Potter) through social media comments, hinting that both should apologize. Neither actor responded to the writer’s call, and they have shown no intention of apologizing to the author from the outset.

Emma Watson was born on April 15, 1990. A series of black and white photos in an old photo collection taken by Mack Breeden. The photographer first posted photos of Emma last June

Emma Watson began her professional acting career at the age of 9, taking on the role of the beautiful, intelligent, and determined Hermione Granger, one of Harry Potter’s closest friends. Her role in the 8-part film series released from 2001 to 2011 brought Emma worldwide fame, numerous awards, and substantial wealth—approximately $60 million in 2017 and about $80 million in 2020.

In addition to portraying Hermione, the actress born in 1990 also starred in the 2008 film ‘The Tale of Despereaux’ during her time filming Harry Potter. Afterward, she quickly became a global star and went on to lead roles in films such as ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ (2012), ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (2017), and ‘Little Women’ (2019).

Since ‘Little Women’ in 2019, Emma Watson has completely stepped away from acting. She previously revealed a preference for business over acting. Shortly after, she was invited to the board of directors of the fashion conglomerate Kering. However, after a three-year term, she no longer holds this position, according to WWD. Last year, there were reports of Emma returning to school and starting her own business.

At the Sohohouse Award 2023, the Watson sisters won the entrepreneur of the year award

Hello reported that the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ actress began pursuing a Master’s degree in Creative Writing at Oxford University in the fall of 2023. Previously, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Brown University in 2014. Additionally, Emma has returned to her family’s vineyard in France, where she and her younger brother have founded a craft gin brand called Renais.

The Watson family owns Domaine Watson vineyard in Chablis and has a tradition of winemaking. This new label is a venture the Watson siblings have built on family resources—using byproducts from their parents’ winemaking process as ingredients.

Alex Watson shared his experience working with his famous sister with Hello, saying, “Sharing a passion and working with family is a great blessing and something truly special!”