Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, has been absent from the big screen for a while. The 33-year-old actress recently opened up about her decision to take a step back from acting, revealing that she “wasn’t very happy” and felt “caged.”

Watson explained in an interview with Financial Times that she found it difficult to promote films that she had little control over. She felt like she didn’t have a voice and couldn’t fully align herself with the projects she was representing. She wanted to be involved in the process and have the freedom to make decisions.

“I only wanted to stand in front of things where if someone was going to give me flak about it, I could say, in a way that didn’t make me hate myself, ‘Yes, I screwed up, it was my decision, I should have done better,’” Watson stated.

Instead of acting, Watson has been focusing on other ventures. She launched a wine-inspired gin called Renais with her brother Alex and has shown a keen interest in directing. Last year, she directed and starred in a short film for Prada’s fragrance promotion and expressed plans to direct a music video for a well-known artist.

Fans of Watson need not worry, though. She assured that she will definitely return to acting in the future. She wants to wait for the right projects and find a way to balance her career without feeling like she’s compromising herself.

“I love what I do,” Watson said. “It’s finding a way to do it where I don’t have to fracture myself into different faces and people. And I just don’t want to switch into robot mode anymore.”

So, while we may not see Watson in films at the moment, she is exploring new avenues and taking control of her own narrative. And when she does finally make a comeback, it’s sure to be worth the wait.