The 26-year-old actress also revealed that she had a say on the film's script, making Belle an inventor like her father.
It seems Emma Watson found her perfect princess in Belle.
In a new interview with Total Film, the 26-year-old actress revealed that she was offered a role in Disney's 2015 live-action Cinderella movie before accepting the part of Belle in Beauty and the Beast -- and couldn't be happier with her decision.
WATCH: Emma Watson Beautifully Sings Opening Number in New 'Beauty and the Beast' Trailer
"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," Watson shared, confessing that she thinks Belle is the better role model between the two princesses.
"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," she said.
"There's this kind of outsider quality that Belle had, and the fact she had this really empowering defiance of what was expected of her," the Harry Potter star continued. "In a strange way, she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring. She manages to keep her integrity and have a completely independent point of view. She's not easily swayed by other people's perspective -- not swayed by fear-mongering or scapegoating."
As if Belle wasn't already strong enough, Watson said that she collaborated with the film's director, Bill Condon, on Beauty and the Beast's storyline, to make Belle an inventor, like her father, Maurice.
"The core DNA of Belle is a feminist," the actress explained.
See more on Beauty and the Beast in the video below.