Emma Watson aspires to be like Belle from 'Beauty and the Beast'

She explained: "I didn't know they were going to make 'Beauty And The Beast' at the time I turned down 'Cinderella'.

"But when they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did. 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."

Emma was initially reluctant to accept the part, but agreed to do so after she was afforded the opportunity to shape Belle in her own way.

She told Total Film magazine: "In a strange way, she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring."

Emma previously admitted to changing her character's backstory to make her a more empowering figure.

The actress - who is a vocal campaigner for equal rights for women - said: "I was like, 'Well, there was never very much information or detail at the beginning of the story as to why Belle didn't fit in, other than she liked books.

"Also, what is she doing with her time?' So we created a backstory for her, which was that she had invented a kind of washing machine, so that, instead of doing laundry, she could sit and use that time to read instead. So, yeah, we made Belle an inventor."

Emma stars alongside the likes of Dan Stevens, Emma Thompson, Luke Evans and Josh Gad in the Bill Condon-directed movie.