Emma Watson has openly criticized the “insane” beauty expectations in Hollywood, calling them impossible to live up to, while praising Pamela Anderson for courageously defying industry norms.
Speaking on the September 24 episode of Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, the Harry Potter star revealed how the glamorized image of women in the public eye often leaves her struggling to meet impossible standards.
“I don’t know how to live up to what I look like on the cover of a magazine,” Watson admitted. “There’s such a glamorization that comes with being a public, famous person, especially if you’re a woman. I envy my male co-stars who can just wear a T-shirt and show up without all this pressure to be acceptable enough on camera.”
The 35-year-old actress went on to describe Hollywood’s expectations as a relentless cycle. “The beauty expectations are so difficult to reach, and the bar gets raised all the time, so you’re constantly stuck in this survivor-style nightmare,” she explained.
During the podcast, Watson applauded Pamela Anderson for taking a bold stand against beauty norms. “Kudos to Pamela Anderson recently doing the thing. The amount of courage it takes to reject those standards is incredible, and I cannot begin to express how powerful that is,” she said.
Emma also reflected on her decision to step back from acting after her 2019 role in Little Women. In a separate interview with Hollywood Authentic on September 21, she shared that she does not miss the constant cycle of commercial promotions. “I’ll be honest: I do not miss selling things,” she confessed.
She added that her time away from the spotlight allowed her to focus on personal growth and stability. “The most important foundation in life is your home, your friends, and your family. I worked so hard for so long that my life bottomed out. I needed to step back and rebuild,” Watson explained.
Her candid remarks highlight the ongoing conversation about beauty pressures in the entertainment industry, while her support for Pamela Anderson underscores a growing movement toward authenticity and self-acceptance.
