I think women are scared of feeling powerful and strong and brave sometimes.

As a younger woman, that pressure got me down, but I've made my peace with it. With airbrushing and digital manipulation, fashion can project an unobtainable image that's dangerously unhealthy. I'm excited about the ageing process. I'm more interested in women who aren't perfect. They're more compelling.

The character is everything that I felt really strongly against - she's superficial, materialistic, vain, amoral. She's all of these things, and I realised that I really hated her. How do you play someone that you hate? But I found it really interesting and it gave me a whole new insight into what my job, or my role as an actress, could be.

Young girls are told you have to be the delicate princess. Hermione taught them that you can be the warrior.

I've never wanted to grow up too fast. I wanted to wear a sports bra until I was 22! ... The allure of being sexy never really held any excitement for me. I've never been in a terrible rush to be seen as a woman.

I don't really buy designer stuff. I have a few nice things, but I don't really have the occasion to wear couture too often.

And I always keep cards people send me. I have a whole wall covered with them.