anna pillet

full name anna mellie pil nicknames ann date of birth & age / sign 21 july, 1990 (25) born & raised in paris, france / hove, united kingdom currently resides in new york city, ny occupation actress status alone but not lonely pets

From the time Anna Pillet was a teenager, she struggled with whether she wanted a career as an actor. She had become an international star at age 11, playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, and while she was grateful for it, she fantasized about a normal life. So as the Potter films wound down, Anna decided to start taking roles that were not so Hermione-esque. Here, she spoke with EW about her change of ways.

EW: During the last few years of the Harry Potter franchise you seemed really unsure of what you wanted to do. I’m kind of surprised that you decided you didn't drop at all.

I know! I think my agent was pretty surprised, too. [Laughs] I was really unsure, but then I read the script for The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and falling in love with that and then having such a great experience on that movie kind of sealed the deal for me. I stopped intellectualizing it, and it became much more instinctual. I just got the bug and got very driven all of a sudden, which I really wasn’t before. But I’m so happy. It’s all felt very new to me, really.

How affected were you by all the hand-wringing in the press about whether you and Daniel Radcliffe could have post-Potter careers?

For a while I kind of bought into the hype of, ‘Will they ever be able to play anything else?’ It gave me a sense of paralysis and stage fright for a while. And then a professor told me that they didn’t think I should act, either. So I was really grappling with it and wasn’t feeling good about it. And then, I don’t know … it got so bad and people had put me in a box so much that it started pissing me off. I suddenly wanted to prove them wrong. It gave me fuel, in a way. I’m not sure why that shift happened.

Well, you hadn’t had a chance to make an adult decision about being an actor and suddenly other people were making it for you.

That’s exactly what it was. I wanted to make a conscious adult decision that this was what I wanted to pursue, because that decision was made for me as a nine-year-old. I had no idea what I wanted. I had no idea who I was really. So I wanted to step away and make sure this is what I wanted to pour my life and my energy and my blood, sweat, and tears into.

discography

God Help the Girl (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Act of the Apostle. Pretty When the Wind Blows. God Help the Girl. The Psychiatrist Is In. If You Could Speak. Perfection as a Hipster. Come Monday Night. I'm Not Rich. I'll Have to Dance with Cassie. Musician, Please Take Heed. Down and Dusky Blonde.

music video appearances "Say You Don't Want It" (2010) by One Night Only "Light Surrouning You" (2006) by Evermore

movie credits

God Help the Girl (2014) ... Eve The Bling Ring (2013) ... Nicki Moore This Is the End (2013) ... Herself Sleeping Beauty (2011) ... Lucy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011) ... Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) ... Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (2010) [Short] ... Hermione Ganger Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) ... Hermione Ganger Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) ... Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) ... Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) ... Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) ... Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) ... Hermione Granger

personal

Although she considers herself to be bisexual due to her past and having various flings with men and women, she actually prefers to date and be with women. Her only "real relationship" with a guy was when she was 17 years old, though it was not a real relationship by any means and only lasted a few months. She just was never really interested in that sort of thing with men.

Came out to her parents soon after her first and only relationship with a guy ended. They took it better than she had ever expected, though it took a while for them to come to terms and realize she's still their daughter. Holli never held anything against them at all.

Reconnected with one of her first loves (and the one that she always had hoped would be forever) in March, 2015. Since then, the two have been completely inseperable, which hasn't at all been a bad thing in her eyes - she always knew, deep down, that things would end up on the good side and that, above all else, there would be something someday (or so she hoped).

personality

tends to be somewhat talkative, open with herself and friendly in general to most people. she does tend to be a little weird at times, but it is something that she does not fully realize she does. she would talk a tree into a corner if she could. she isn't at all shy, and doesn't believe in keeping things to herself so she'll announce things openly. she was a very private, shy and quiet girl when she was growing up but has since grown out of that feeling and does not shy off as often as she used to when she was growing up (especially with being on stage because that means she's in her element). she can hold her own and enjoys being herself with people, even if she barely knows them. there are days when she does feel the need to be shy, quiet and the girl that she always was growing up instead of being the open and happy-go-lucky girl that would jump on someone if she were happy enough. she's basically very in-your-face without even realizing it, though not always in a bad way. she'll express herself and her opinions without a second thought and, though it tends to get her into trouble, she has a little bit of a problem keeping it under wraps since not everyone needs or wants to know her opinions/feelings on everything.

connections