Actor Bonnie Wright
lonDon-BoRn Bonnie Wright, 31, is an actor, director, climate advocate and author who rose to fame as Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter films. She lives in San Diego with her husband, Andrew.
PERFECTION IS THE ENEMY OF ACTION
I’ve always been self-driven. I was nine years old when I auditioned for Harry Potter. My older brother, Lewis, had read the first few books and said, ‘you could be Ginny Weasley’.
It was on the news that they were holding auditions, so when my parents came home I asked if I could go. I never expected to get it — I just thought: let’s go along and see what the audition is like. I was that kid who put themselves forward for everything.
I was exposed to incredibly talented people from such a young age. It inspired me to go to film school and become a director, which I wouldn’t have done otherwise. A set feels like home to me.
I had to juggle a lot as a teenager, balancing my schoolwork with filming. I would go to my teachers and get all the work for the entire term so I didn’t miss anything. That taught me to be organised but also made me feel that I had to be on top of everything.
There’s still a bit of that perfectionism in me. I wish I could say I was totally gowith-the-flow now but I’m only human. I guess I would call myself a recovering perfectionist. When I care about something — whether that’s making a film, writing a book or maintaining a friendship — I’ll always go above and beyond.
In 2017, I went on an expedition with Greenpeace. The trip was eye-opening as I saw the devastating impact microplastics are having on our environment. It made me so angry. It can be good to feel anger — we all need a fire to drive us.
When I came home, I put pressure on myself to live a completely green lifestyle. eventually, I realised I was going to burn out. It’s more manageable to commit to small changes rather than do too much and then give up.
A little bit of perfectionism — it might be better described as integrity — is fine, but I’ve learned it’s better to do something imperfectly than not at all.
Go Gently: Actionable Steps to nurture yourself And the Planet by Bonnie Wright (£20, Greenfinch) is out now.