Emma Watson, aka the original Hermione Granger, has passed on the role to Noma Dumezweni, who is currently starring in the London production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. In January, Watson tweeted her support to Dumezweni after senseless haters protested Dumezweni’s casting. But the two had never actually met until Watson stopped by to see the show this week.
Considering she was the first actress to bring Hermione to life and is possibly the nicest celebrity ever, Watson took pictures with members of the cast backstage and gleefully shared them on social media.
3. Blessings Dear @EmWatson and Thank You! xxx pic.twitter.com/SIAqUxLBtm
— MissNoma (@MissDumezweni) July 7, 2016
It was SO lovely to meet you @MissDumezweni. #Hermiones pic.twitter.com/xkh0PQyZEr
— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) July 7, 2016
The talented actress also took time to share her thoughts on the play, posting a passionate review on her Facebook account.
“Yesterday I went to see the Cursed Child. I came in with no idea what to expect and it was AMAZING. Some things about the play were, I think, possibly even more beautiful than the films. Having seen it I felt more connected to Hermione and the stories than I have since Deathly Hallows came out, which was such a gift. Meeting Noma and seeing her on stage was like meeting my older self and have her tell me everything was going to be alright, which as you can imagine was immensely comforting (and emotional)! The cast and crew welcomed me like I was family and Noma was everything I could ever hope she would be. She’s wonderful. The music is beautiful… I could go on…”
This is absolutely adorable. We had no doubt that Watson would love both the play and the cast of actors filling the roles, but we are so glad she shared her enthusiasm with the world.