Harry Potter Actor Banned From Getting Behind the Wheel

Emma Watson, best known for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, apparently didn't have her magic wand handy when she was caught exceeding the speed limit in Oxford last July, reports the BBC. The 35-year-old actor has been handed a six-month driving ban after being pulled over for driving 38mph in a 30mph zone in Oxford, according to court proceedings at High Wycombe Magistrates' Court. Watson, who's currently a student, already had nine points on her license prior to that incident. The Independent notes that drivers in the UK can see their licenses suspended, usually for six months like Watson, if they rack up 12 or more points within a three-year span.

The Daily Mail reports this was Watson's fourth driving offense in two years, with the latest infraction costing her three more points. Watson was ordered to pay about $1,400 in fines and costs, though she didn't attend the brief five-minute hearing for her case. The actor's career took off in 2001 with the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Watson went on to appear in all eight Harry Potter films, later branching out into movies such as Beauty and the Beast, The Bling Ring, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Her most recent film appearance was in the 2019 adaptation of Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig.