Emma Watson has celebrated her 33rd birthday by looking back at the last year of her life - after retreating from the limelight.
She has reflected on her time away where she made gin, surfed, started therapy and started a women’s environmental investment fund.
The actress, who is well-known for playing Hermione Granger in all eight of the Harry Potter films, said she "learned more about love and being a woman" over the last year.
The star, who was born on April 15 1990, has been taking a break on social media since a previous post seen on Instagram in December 2022.
But in a post about her birthday, Watson wrote: "I stepped away from my life – I learned to surf (badly), I rode some horses (that went better), I did a lot of therapy (YESS therapy!).
"My brother and I figured out how to make a gin using recycled wine grapes!?"
Emma has also had quite a career away from Harry Potter, appearing in 2019’s period drama Little Women, 2017’s Disney live action musical Beauty And The Beast and 2012’s coming-of-age story The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
She also said: "I felt really sad and really pissed off about a lot of things. I learned more about love and being a woman."
She added: "It took me three years but I have finally figured out a daily practice and can actually keep it for more than a few days in a row. I burned some things down. I eat green things now!"
Emma went on to talk about the filming of the reunion show Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts, which was broadcast in January 2022.
The HBO special saw her admit that she had a crush on co-star Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, and reunite with Daniel Radcliffe, who starred as Harry Potter, and Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley.
The actors filmed the movies, based on JK Rowling’s books, from Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone which came out in 2001 to 2011’s Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Away from acting, Watson is also known for her activism for women’s rights and was appointed a UN Women goodwill ambassador in 2014 and helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which promotes gender equality.
She added: "I said goodbye to my Grandma and Grandpa. I retraced my steps. I started a women’s environmental investment fund."
In August, she made her directorial debut with a short film marking the launch of Prada’s new women’s fragrance – which she also mentioned in her round-up of her year.
Emma also said: "I cut my thumb nail off on both hands trying to cook for myself and then was only able to do things one handed for months."
She went on to say she "thanked" her "witches" in her coven, who she described as her "avengers", for helping her become who she is.
She also mentioned her brother Alex Watson and also said she is "obsessed" with stylist and creative director Jessica Diehl.
Watson said: "It takes a village, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise."
