Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Arts & Entertainment

Emma Watson Does Her Best L.A. Impression For 'The Bling Ring'

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

Emma Watson is L.A.-ifying herself in order to play the lead character in Sofia Coppola's upcoming movie about the Bling Ring, the group of teenagers who burglarized a number of local celebrity homes. In the first official photo from the film, Watson, sporting stick straight hair, a giant fur vest, and towering high heels, sort of unfortunately nails the look.

The picture, which features the "Harry Potter" alongside a gaggle of her co-stars, was first released by EW.com. In describing to the website how she prepared for the role, Watson painted a bleak portrait of young Los Angeles:

I just watched a ton of reality TV...I was doing an English course [at Brown University]. So I would go from reading Virginia Woolf to [watching] Kim Kardashian. I kind of loved it, this mix of super-high and super-low culture. I think it was a nice balance.

Ouch.

Anyway, Watson's character, Nicki, is based on Alexis Neiers, a 20-year-old member of the Bling Ring who hails from Westlake Village. In real life, Neiers served 30 days in jail following the ring's untoward activities, and went on to star in a short-lived reality show.

Earlier this month, Watson tweeted an unofficial picture of herself wearing a pink tracksuit and Uggs, writing, "Twitterers meet Nicki, Nicki meet twitterers :)," then "Nicki likes Lip Gloss, Purses, Yoga, Pole Dancing, Uggs, Louboutins, Juice Cleanses, Iced coffee and Tattoos."

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today