Emma Watson Had The Best Response To That Major Harry Potter Reunion Mistake
She *always* knows what to say.
Mistaken identity is something that happens regularly in the celebrity world. Whether it’s a fan thinking Ian McKellen played Dumbledore instead of Gandalf, or a reporter using a photo of Michael Jordan when they needed a picture of Michael B. Jordan (or Michael P. Jordan), mistakes happen. Of course, one would hope the fact-checkers for a documentary would do a little better, but even there, mix-ups are common. One such mistake recently slid by in HBO Max’s Harry Potter reunion feature, but thankfully, Emma Watson’s response to being mistaken for Emma Roberts wasn’t just understanding — it was gracious as heck.
The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts reunion special started with director Christopher Columbus discussing how the production initially discovered the lead children for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. For example, Columbus first saw Daniel Radcliffe on television in David Copperfield, costarring with Maggie Smith. But Rupert Grint and Emma Watsons were total unknowns and had never acted before in front of a camera. Both were discovered as part of a massive cattle call, during which they stood out as being so like their characters that it was impossible to ignore.
For photos of Radcliffe, the documentary used stills from David Copperfield. But Grint and Watson only had a few childhood photos flash on the screen. One was a photo of a young girl sitting at a table with a pair of giant Minnie Mouse ears on her head. It stands out because, as a British child, Minnie Mouse ears would be an uncommon thing for Watson to own. It’s also odd because her hair is all wrong. It’s straight and auburn instead of the bushy blonde curls everyone knows Watson to sport.
This is because it’s not a photo of British actor Emma Watson as a child. It’s a photo of American actor Emma Roberts as a child, seen on her Instagram in 2012.
Eagle-eyed viewers alerted HBO Max to the error when the special landed on New Year’s Day, and the documentary has since been edited to correct the mistake. But Watson apparently couldn’t help but have a little bit of fun with it. On Jan. 5, she posted the incorrect photo on Instagram with the caption “I was NOT this cute” and tagged Emma Roberts. She then hashtagged it “#EmmaSistersForever.”
This sort of mix-up is probably pretty standard for anyone who is blessed with a popular name. It’s also not the first time Watson has been mixed up with other Emmas, as she not only shares a first name but also a birthday with fellow British actor Emma Thompson. And Emma herself has made this sort of mistake with others, mixing up American talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. Of course, she has a sense of humor about it and the grace to smooth it over.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts is streaming on HBO Max, along with all eight original Harry Potter films.
