Interview Qa Format

Q: Jay Shetty opens by asking why Emma has decided to return to the public eye for an interview after a long hiatus. [00:01:23]

Interviewer: I wanted to ask from an intention point almost, why now? Why today? Why here?

Interviewee: I don't spend much time on Instagram anymore, but when I did, I just felt like you were having a different conversation. It's not that I have stopped doing interviews because I want to hide myself away; I think it's because I wanted to be able to have a certain type of conversation that I didn't seem able to find a space for. I reached out to you, and here I am.

Q: Emma reflects on why she stepped away from her career and the "chess game" of traditional media interviews. [00:03:19]

Interviewer: You stopped for a moment and said, "It's easier to be honest." I wanted to understand what that meant to you and how that feels.

Interviewee: A big part of my job was trying to think three steps ahead of how everything I said could negatively impact the film I was trying to do justice to. Interviews to me felt a lot like chess and required so much energy. I think what's nice about the way I'm showing up today is I'm just showing up for myself—I'm not here to speak on behalf of anyone else.

Q: The conversation turns to Emma’s recent life, including her transition into independent adulthood and learning how to handle everyday tasks. [00:06:55]

Interviewer: What does your day-to-day life look like right now?

Interviewee: It’s been a discovery and a journey that’s been humbling. On a movie set, I'm able to do complex things like stunts, sing, and dance. Then I get home and I'm like, "Okay, Emma, you seem unable to remember keys, money, or how to keep yourself at 30 miles an hour in a 30-mile speed limit." I had days where I just wanted to turn around to people and say, "I used to be good at things!"

Q: Emma discusses her return to academics and the importance of deep, immersive learning. [00:11:47]

Interviewer: How are you still managing to study and learn? Cause that seems like it's important to you.

Interviewee: I need quiet, and I hyper-focus. I cannot just sit for 30 minutes and look at something. I need a week on holiday, and then I'll start to deeply get into something. I think if you did 90% of what you wanted to do at 50% of the speed, life would be so much better.

Q: Addressing her childhood, Emma speaks to the challenges of growing up in a non-traditional family structure. [00:20:07]

Interviewer: When you think about little Emma, what was a childhood memory that you have that you feel has defined who you are today?

Interviewee: I think my family structure has not been a traditional one. That feeling of knowing that I'm from a situation where we just don't quite fit the nuclear family mold... I think that's probably where it started. It made me a slightly serious child because I was aware of those dynamics.

Q: Emma explains why she felt compelled to pause her acting career in 2019. [00:23:45]

Interviewer: Was your reason [for stepping away] that you want to heal and work on yourself, or was it that you don't feel a compulsion anymore?

Interviewee: I realized I was drawing on painful stuff in my life that I was actually trying to heal, and I didn't want to keep revisiting it in order to do some of the more intense, scarier, sadder things I had to do. Also, I came to work looking for friendship, and that was a very painful experience for me in Hollywood. Most people don't come to those environments looking for friendships; they're looking for their career.

Q: Regarding her public image, Emma shares how she has navigated the "avatar" of Emma Watson. [00:32:02]

Interviewer: How do you help people get to know the real you at this stage in your life?

Interviewee: I wrote a play, and I find that trying to explain how weird it is to be me is difficult, so I sometimes read parts of it to people. That creative writing has been the best therapy I've ever done. It helped me get clarity and be able to laugh at myself.

Q: The discussion shifts to love, partnership, and how Emma’s perspective has changed as she has matured. [00:35:19]

Interviewer: How do you see love today?

Interviewee: I had a very limited understanding of it for a long time, fueled by Disney movies. I think falling in love might be quite easy. The hard part is finding someone who actually wants to be in a dance with you—someone who can argue well, make conflict generative, and make the other person feel safe.

Q: Emma and Jay discuss their views on JK Rowling and the importance of nuance in public debates. [00:43:24]

Interviewer: How do you think about the difficult situation with JK Rowling?

Interviewee: I really don't believe that having had that experience and holding the love and support and views that I have means that I can't and don't treasure Joe as the person I had personal experiences with. I will never believe that one negates the other. My deepest wish is that people who don't agree with my opinion will still love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don't necessarily share the same opinion with.

Q: Emma offers her "final five" advice, emphasizing the importance of "truth with kindness." [00:49:57]

Interviewer: What is the best advice you've ever heard or received?

Interviewee: Truth without kindness is brutality, and kindness without truth is manipulation. If you are mindful enough about how you speak your truth, it can go straight to the heart rather than hitting the ego along the way. That is the philosophy I try to live by now.