Let’s be real, we all already know that Emma Watson will be THE most perfect Belle to ever grace the Disney screen. But little did we know, the actress was already offered another Disney princess role before she decided to play Belle. Turns out, the shoe just didn’t fit (hint, hint).
According to Cosmopolitan, Emma was offered the role of Cinderella in the 2015 live-action remake but turned it down. The HeForShe advocate and U.N. Goodwill Ambassador recently revealed that Cinderella wasn’t a role model that resonated with her.
Emma told Total Film magazine, “I didn’t know they were going to make Beauty and the Beast at the time I turned down Cinderella, but when they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did.”
Emma has said before that she’s been in love with Belle and her “feisty” character ever since she was four years old. “She remains curious, compassionate and open-minded. And that’s the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice,” Watson said.
Emma took matters into her own hands when creating a more feminist and active Belle. In the live-action remake, the princess will be an inventor and even her wardrobe will get a reboot, as per Emma’s suggestions. Watson said about her character to Vogue, “She’s very practical, she’s a very good horse rider. In the movie, she wears these little ballet shoes, and I knew that they had to go because if you’re going to ride a horse, and tend your garden, and fix machinery, then you need to be in proper boots.”
Emma’s Belle is seriously the Disney princess we all need.