Emma Watson will be playing the lead in Beauty and the Beast, and judging by its trailer it’s going to be another epic win for Disney. But before she thought about lacing up her iconic yellow dress, Emma was asked to play another legend: Cinderella.

Emma says she rejected the role in Kenneth Branagh’s remake (which eventually went to Lily James) because she didn’t think she’d be enough of a role model: “When they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did,” she said to Total Film magazine. “She remains curious, compassionate and open-minded. And that’s the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice.”

The actress worked with Beauty director Bill Condon to mold Belle into a woman with empowering defiance. “In a strange way,” Emma continued, “she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring.”

Girl power!