Emma Watson had to go to ‘Belle Bootcamp’ to learn how to ride a horse, sing and dance for her role in ‘Beauty and the Beast’.
The 26-year-old British actress spent three months preparing for the part in Disney’s live action remake of their classic animation and another four months shooting the movie and she admits it was a massive commitment to get her portrayal of Belle right.
In an interview on ITV daytime show ‘Lorraine’, she said: "With a movie like ‘Beauty and the Beast’ it’s like three months prep, it’s like three or four months shooting, it’s in the UK. I had to be there to do that and as I was saying before it’s like you can’t half-arse a project like this, you know, you’re in or you’re out. And I was like I’ve kinda got to be all in and so this was really where my heart was and I knew I had to fully commit and make sure that I did this."
On having to learn new skills for the role of Belle, Emma added: "I’ve never ridden a horse before [making this film] and so I was like, ‘OK.’ This is what I mean about the prep. I mean I really went in to like essentially a ‘Belle Bootcamp’. I was riding three or four times a week, singing four times a week, dancing three or four times a week. I was manic, I was so hectic but I loved it."
Even though she had to learn so many new skills for the part, Emma insists nothing was scarier than having to sing on screen.
The ‘Harry Potter’ star – who stars in the fantasy film with Dan Stevens and Luke Evans, who play the Beast and Gaston respectively – said: "Oh my god I can’t even tell you how nerve wracking it was, there were a few moments when I had a real crisis of confidence … Once I got into it I just loved it. I want to do a musical every day for the rest of my life. There is so much joy in it and like the music is just … I don’t know about you but when I hear that song ‘Beauty and the Beast’ I just melt."
‘Beauty and the Beast’ – which is based on French author Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s 1740 fairy tale ‘La Belle et la Bete’ – is in cinemas worldwide this week.
Emma Watson had Belle Bootcamp for Beauty and the Beast
