Hey look, it’s Emma Watson! Oh wait, is it really her? Kari Lewis, her look-alike, has the answer

28-year-old Kari Lewis shot to fame when she was recognised as Emma Watson's doppelganger. It's been 15 years since then and she is loving every bit of it
Kari closely follows Emma Watson and her work. 15 years have passed since then and today, this 28-year-old mother of a little girl works in a movie store in Indianapolis
Kari closely follows Emma Watson and her work. 15 years have passed since then and today, this 28-year-old mother of a little girl works in a movie store in Indianapolis

It was sometime around 2002. The movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone had just hit the screens. Kari Lewis was a regular teenager in Indianapolis then; one who had no idea who Harry Potter even was. Let’s go ahead and state the obvious, she probably didn't know who Emma Watson, the then budding child actor, was either.

So, where were we? Oh yes, 2002. One day, Kari had to run an errand at the local post office. There, she saw a couple of young girls pointing at her and smiling excitedly. "Oh my god, it's Hermione!" they said. But who is Hermione? She quickly got home and looked her up online. And boy oh boy! Was that a mirror or a monitor she was looking at? Because the resemblance was uncanny!

Wow girl: Kari, who is totally loving the doppelganger role is now an Instagram star with more than 18k followers

Since then, Kari closely followed Emma Watson and her work. 15 years have passed since then and today, this 28-year-old mother of a little girl works in a movie store in Indianapolis. "I have had plenty of people doing a double-take, but I haven't had anyone confuse me for Emma. Although, one of my customers nearly told me that I didn't belong in the movie store and that I should be out making movies. He said, ‘I almost thought you were Emma. I was about to ask why you weren’t out making Harry Potter films?’," says Kari.

Kari, who is totally loving the doppelganger role is now an Instagram star with more than 18k followers. You must have probably seen her dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast for her daughter Madison's princess party. And who else can rock that perfect Hermione look in a Gryffindor robe apart from Emma? Kari, of course!

I have had plenty of people doing a double-take, but I haven't had anyone confuse me for Emma. Although, one of my customers nearly told me that I didn't belong in the movie store and that I should be out making movies. He said, ‘I almost thought you were Emma. I was about to ask why you weren’t out making Harry Potter films?

Kari Lewis, Emma Watson's look-alike

Honestly, she thinks the celebrity status is a bit huge. But she cannot complain. "It's a bit overwhelming at times, but it's also pretty cool. I honestly don't think I'm that interesting of a person, but I've gained some lovely followers who have been super awesome to me and I genuinely appreciate the love," she says.

For someone who used to be a circus clown, cosplaying comes naturally to her. "My latest hobby is cosplaying; I'm just getting started," she says. " I've had people at Indy Comic Con and Indy Pop Con, who have really enjoyed my Hermione/Belle cosplays, tell me that I look so much like Emma." But looking like the star isn’t enough for her. Kari dreams of acting in a film someday too. "It has been a childhood dream of mine to do a film. I've just done small acting gigs, nothing big," she humbly says.

Despite the similarity, Kari hasn't ever met Emma. But if she does, what would she tell her? "I'd want to tell her that I think she's doing an amazing job with her activism and growing up under the spotlight. She seems to be handling the fame quite well and I admire her willpower in everything she does." Emma Watson truly is an inspiration on and off the screen.

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