The world watched Emma Watson grow up during her run as Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise, so it’s easy to understand the familiarity fans feel with the actress. Emma is fighting hard against this, though, and her logic makes sense.

The star sat down and chatted with Jessica Chastain for Interview magazine, and opened up about why she is so protective of her personal life. She said:

“Dan[iel Radcliffe], Rupert [Grint], and I were kids when we got cast in this fairy-tale series, and what happened to us was kind of a fantasy story in itself. So the story of my life has been of public interest, which is why I’ve been so passionate about having a private identity. When I step into a character, people have to be able to suspend their disbelief; they have to be able to divorce me from that girl. And not having everyone know every single intimate detail of my entire life is part of me trying to protect my ability to do my job well.”

The 27-year-old struggles with how much attention she receives sometimes, and works hard to not let it shut her down and keep her from reaching her potential. She said:

“I know that I’m under a different microscope, a certain level of scrutiny, which I find really hard at times. And sometimes the fear of doing things is overwhelming. I get incredibly overwhelmed, and sometimes feel hemmed in by that, afraid of that. But I know that if I live in that fear, then my life as an artist, as a human being, really, is over. Ultimately, it will silence me, and it will silence what is in me — which I have yet to explore and uncover.”

The actress shared that as a kid, that fear was non-existent, but her increased self-awareness is an on-going challenge for her as an adult. She revealed that before her 2014 U.N. address on women’s rights, her nerves almost got the best of her. She said:

“The night before I gave my speech at the U.N., I was an emotional wreck. I thought I was going to hyperventilate. No one likes feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable and weak. But I really have found that it’s in those moments when I go there that there’s a kind of magic.”

We agree, Emma!