(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Emma Watson "pushes the envelope" by showcasing her darker side in the risqu coming of age drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

The English actress, best known for playing bookwork Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies, is ditching Hogwarts for a gritty high school setting in the film. And her co-star Nina Dobrev has hailed Emma for going out of her comfort zone by starring in the movie.

"The world has only seen her basically in one role - a pretty conservative, sweet, smart character, which is great," Nina told E! Online. "But this one, she pushes the envelope in a different way than anyone's ever seen her, which is really great. It's a great role for her."

And Nina believes that Emma shouldn't be worried about any type of backlash from stunned Harry Potter fans. She fully expects Emma's admirers to enjoy her latest role, as it showcases her talents so fully.

"I think they're going to be excited to see her in something else," Nina explained. "And see her spread her wings and try different things. It's always exciting to see someone you love do something different and see a different side of them."

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is based on the controversial novel by Stephen Chbosky, focuses on a shy and unconventional thinker in high school, and explores several taboo and risqu subjects including homosexuality and drug abuse.

Emma isn't the first Harry Potter star to move away from their character in the series. Daniel Radcliffe caused a stir when he performed a full frontal nude scene in the stage play of Equus during a break in filming of the fantasy epics. (C) Cover Media