As crazy as it may seem to imagine Anne Hathaway doing anything other than acting, she once considered a very different life path. Born in New York City, Hathaway grew up in a very conservative Roman Catholic family. She said they always had strong values, and she described how her family was firm believers who practiced their religion daily.
Hathaway grew up so involved with her faith and spirituality that, at 11 years old, she told her parents she wanted to become a nun! As the actress recounts, she felt “called upon by God” to become one of his people. Clearly, she grew out of it.
A New Yorker Who Grew Up in Jersey
Even though she was born in 1982 in New York City’s Brooklyn Borough, Hathaway and her family relocated to Millburn, New Jersey, when she was six years old. Jersey is where she and her two brothers, Michael and Thomas, grew up, and the actress has often said she’s happy she didn’t spend her formative years in the big city.
A sprawling township in the state of New Jersey, Millburn is surrounded by forests and parks and is pretty much the perfect place to raise a family. It also gave Anne the opportunity to go to a great elementary school and enjoy a quieter, family-oriented atmosphere as she was growing up. She would have plenty of time to join the big city ranks.
She Wanted to Become a Nun
As crazy as it may seem to imagine Anne Hathaway doing anything other than acting, she once considered a very different life path. Born in New York City, Hathaway grew up in a very conservative Roman Catholic family. She said they always had strong values, and she described how her family was firm believers who practiced their religion daily.
Hathaway grew up so involved with her faith and spirituality that, at 11 years old, she told her parents she wanted to become a nun! As the actress recounts, she felt “called upon by God” to become one of his people. Clearly, she grew out of it.
A Lifechanging Decision
It is almost a rite of passage for children and teenagers to change their minds constantly, but Hathaway had a life-altering change of heart during her formative years. Raised as a devout Roman Catholic and even considering becoming a nun when she was a child, Hathaway’s relationship with her faith took a drastic turn at age 15.
Right around this age, Anne’s older brother Michael came out and told his family he was gay. His family was immediately supportive and thankful he trusted them. But when Anne realized the Catholic church was never going to accept her brother, she renounced her religion. “Why should I support an organization that has a limited view of my beloved brother?” said Anne in an interview. And that was the end of it.
Her Family Became Episcopalian
After her brother came out, Anne wasn’t the only one in the Hathaway family to give up Roman Catholicism. Her entire family felt they could no longer be part of a religion that completely rejected their son, so they converted to the Episcopalian faith.
But for Anne, being an Episcopalian didn’t really stick either, so she accepted that, for the time being, she was going to consider herself a non-denominational Christian. When asked about her faith and beliefs, Anne confidently said she was simply nothing. She explained that she was in formation, a work in progress. Fair enough!
She Struggled With Mental Health
In 2007, a 25-year-old Anne did a tell-all interview where, for the first time, she spoke openly about her struggle with depression. The actress explained how fragile her mental health was during her teenage years, struggling with severe anxiety and depression for several years. Luckily, she was able to overcome the hard times without resorting to medication, but she credits her family and her love of acting for helping her get out of it.
Acting helped Anne focus on something she loved, and she held on tightly to her passion until she was able to overcome her depression. Always involved in school plays, she got her first onscreen role at age 17, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Anne’s Perspective on Mental Health
As a person who struggled with her own mental health nightmares for years, Anne has a unique insider perspective that she chose to share with the world. In the hopes of trying to help other young people struggling with depression or anxiety, Anne has said, “Being depressed is like being a different person. You’re not really you.”
She has stressed many times that people who are currently fighting depression must fight to remember that version of themselves will eventually go away. The actress recounts how, years after leaving depression behind, she spoke to her mother about those days: “I said to Mom the other day, ‘Do you remember that girl? She has now gone, gone to sleep.”
Her First Onscreen Role
Hathaway has been involved in acting since she was a child, always participating in school plays and being a member of the drama club. But her first TV appearance was on the Fox dramedy series “Get Real,” in which she played Meghan Green, one of the older siblings of the Green family.
The series lasted one season, but it was enough to start Hathaway’s career and also that of actor Jesse Eisenberg, who played her younger brother and the main character in the series. But Hathaway’s breakthrough role was yet to happen. Little did she know that less than a year after “Get Real” ended, she would land a career-making role.
The Princess That Made Her Famous
In 2000, director Gary Marshall started working on “The Princess Diaries,” the coming-of-age film based on a young adult novel about a regular teenager who realized she’s actually a royal princess. When Marshall thought about the film’s casting, he thought of Liv Tyler for the leading role of Princess Mia Thermopolis.
However, after commenting on it during a family reunion, his granddaughters told him he had to cast Anne Hathaway instead because she had the best “princess hair.” Marshall listened and called Hathaway for an audition, after which she immediately landed the role. The Disney movie was a massive commercial success, making over $165 million worldwide.
Her Favorite Book
Whenever Hathaway is asked about her favorite hobbies and things to do in her free time, she always replies, “Reading a good book.” Hathaway is known for liking classic literary works, especially those with philosophical lessons and perspectives.
On more than one occasion, she has clearly stated that her favorite book of all time is Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead.” The book follows a young, innovative architect who fights against society’s conventions and refuses to mold his work according to what the establishment asks of him. The fact that this is Hathaway’s favorite novel can tell us a lot about her personal philosophies.
She’s Allergic to Cats
Ironically, since Hathaway played Catwoman in 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” the actress is allergic to cats. The actress has often said she is a big lover of animals in general, but when it comes to house pets, she’s definitely a dog person. She’s had several pet dogs throughout her life, and as much as she respects felines, she can’t touch one without having an allergy attack.
Hathaway explained that she immediately begins to sneeze whenever she is near a cat and that her nose starts running like crazy. Over time, her allergies get progressively worse so things are not going to change in that respect. Guess it’s good she’s always been more of a dog person anyway.
A String of Family Films
After her role in “The Princess Diaries,” Hathaway’s career skyrocketed to fame, and the actress landed a string of roles in other family films. Some examples were in the Disney film “The Other Side of Heaven,” 2002’s “Nicholas Nickleby,” and several theater plays and musicals.
One of her most famous roles was that of Ella in the hit musical fantasy film “Ella Enchanted”, released in 2004. The film featured A-list celebrities like Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes, Vivica A. Fox, Minnie Driver, and dozens of others. The film follows Ella, a very special girl with a magical gift bestowed upon her by her fairy godmother, played by Fox.
She Didn’t Dub in “Ella Enchanted”
Being that it’s a musical film, “Ella Enchanted” had countless scenes that were basically song performances. Clearly, the A-list actors in the film were very talented at their craft, but that didn’t include having a spectacular singing voice. Thus, all the actors had their voices dubbed by actual singers whenever necessary. All the actors but one that is.
Anne Hathaway was the only actress in the film who didn’t have her voice dubbed by a singer and sang all of her scenes herself. She stunned her co-stars and the film crew every time she sang out a tune and sounded like a true diva.
Reprising a Beloved Role
Right around the time when Hathaway was thinking of doing a shift in her career toward more mature roles, she got a call from director Gary Marshall to star in a sequel to “The Princess Diaries.” The film “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” followed the life of Mia Thermopolis five years after discovering she was part of royalty. She goes to the land of Genovia to assume her rightful throne, and all kinds of adventures ensue.
The movie had a star-studded cast, including Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo, Chris Pines, John Rhys-Davies, Heather Matarazzo, and more. Much like the original film, the sequel was a financial success, grossing over $130 million at the box office.
Taking on More Adult Roles
Despite her great success playing teenage roles in family films, Hathaway was growing up, and she explained it perfectly in one of her interviews. She said that there was only so long that one could play young ladies before starting to feel really ridiculous. She explained that she loved making those films, but she felt it was time for the big leagues.
And so, Anne made the transition to more adult roles, and in 2005, she acted in Ang Lee’s Western romantic drama “Brokeback Mountain.” Hathaway played the role of Lureen Newsome Twist, the conservative Midwestern wife of Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. The film, as well as Hathaway’s performance, were critically acclaimed.
A Toxic Relationship
In early 2004, a 21-year-old Hathaway met a handsome Italian real estate developer named Raffaello Follieri. The meeting was through a mutual friend, and the two just hit it off right away, with Follieri asking for her number after a few hours of conversation. He called the day after, and they started dating a few weeks later. Fast forward two months, and they decided to move in together, but what started as a fairytale was turning into something of a nightmare.
Reportedly, Follieri was very possessive of Hathaway, and he hated that she often worked long hours. He didn’t really support her career and told her to quit several times, asking her to stay at home so he could be the sole worker in the house. Not surprisingly, this started to affect Hathaway’s work and emotional state.
Engaged to a Criminal
As 2004 progressed, Hathaway and her Italian real estate boyfriend Follieri seemed to be getting more and more serious, with Follieri eventually proposing and the couple getting engaged. Follieri had a foundation based in New York that provided vaccines for children in third-world countries, but in the summer of 2008, the IRS was after him for not filing required forms.
Things only got worse when, later that month, he was arrested for conning investors while posing as a real estate agent for the Vatican. Logically, the FBI raided his and Hathaway’s NY apartment and went through all her journals, looking for any complicity. They found nothing, and Anne was cleared right away. Follieri got a four-year prison sentence.
A Tough Summer
As anybody who just found out the person they were going to marry was a conman who got sent away to prison would do, Hathaway spent an incredibly tough and stressful summer in 2008. She took up smoking to take some of the edge off but eventually realized it was causing her more stress.
She decided to turn things around and quit smoking cold turkey, further returning to a vegetarian diet and a healthy lifestyle. Hathaway did what she knew best and submerged herself in her career, and by October of 2008, she’d been called to host “Saturday Night Live.” Things were looking up for the talented New Yorker.
Hollywood’s Big Leagues
A year after “Brokeback Mountain” was released to great acclaim, Hathaway landed another major role in David Frankel’s hit film “The Devil Wears Prada.” Based on a novel by the same name, the movie follows the experiences of a personal assistant to a ruthless and powerful fashion magazine editor.
Hathaway landed the starring role of the assistant, Andy Sachs, and her fearsome boss was played by none other than silver screen legend Meryl Streep. Aside from Streep, Hathaway worked alongside Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and Simon Baker. Hathaway proved her talents once again and got to be a part of another box-office success that grossed over $326 million.
A Very Demanding Role
For the untrained eye, which is basically any human being that isn’t a celebrity, Hathaway’s role in “The Devil Wears Prada” might seem dreamy. She gets to co-star with Meryl Streep, lives in New York, has a gorgeous boyfriend who’s a chef, and has access to the best outfits in the fashion world. However, preparing for the film was no picnic.
Hathaway was asked to put on 10 pounds to better embody her character of nerdy, intellectual, unfashionable Andy Sachs. So that’s exactly what the actress did, but upon arriving on set sometime later, director David Frankel asked her to lose those same 10 pounds because now that he thought about it, she looked better without them. The nerve!
Her First Nomination
By 2007, Hathaway had worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and proven herself to be a brilliant actress in any movie genre. In 2008, she received her first Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Actress’ for her riveting performance in Jonathan Demme’s “Rachel Getting Married”.
The film follows Kym, a troubled young woman struggling with substance abuse who is released from rehab for a few days so she can attend her big sister’s wedding. Hathaway played the troubled Kym and did a stellar job at portraying the complexities and drama of family dynamics, especially when there’s a substance problem present. The film was lauded by critics and audiences alike.
Anne’s Debut on SNL
As the true mark of her career skyrocketing, Hathaway got invited to the hit comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live” in October of 2008. She did such an amazing job hosting the show that even the cast members were stunned at how funny she could be. “She was charming and hilarious and fit in like a glove,” said some of the cast.
Hathaway did sketches alongside Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, and others. The episode got rave reviews from critics, who were downright shocked that Hathaway could do comedy in such a natural manner. And it seems that this marked the beginning of a comedy genre streak for the actress.
A Dream Come True
In the summer of 2008, Hathaway got called to play a lead role in director Peter Segal’s comedy film “Get Smart.” Based on the 1960s TV series of the same name, written by Mel Brooks, Hathaway said she was honored to get the call, and it felt like “a childhood dream come true” since she had always been a huge fan of Brooks.
For her role of Agent 99, Hathaway had to prepare by learning different dancing techniques and martial arts and even had an accident while filming a scene that ended up with her getting 15 stitches on her leg. Her and co-star Steve Carell played their roles to perfection, helping to make the movie a massive commercial success that grossed over $230 million.
The Rom-Coms Begin
At the beginning of 2009, Hathaway was cast as meek schoolteacher Emma Allan in “Bride Wars,” a romantic comedy that failed with critics but was a financial success. The film follows two childhood best friends who have been planning their weddings since they were little and then become terrible enemies after they schedule their wedding for the same date.
Playing alongside Kate Hudson, Hathaway did a great job at starring in a light-hearted rom-com, which she herself called “hideously commercial…gloriously so.” A year later, she played Liz, a receptionist who falls in love with a clerk in Gary Marshall’s romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day.”
A Voice-Over Star
Apart from her incomparable talents as an actress, Hathaway also proved herself to be brilliant at doing voice-over work. In fact, she won an Emmy for “Outstanding Voice-Over Performance” in 2010 for her job voicing Princess Penelope in “The Simpsons.”
For the legendary show’s tenth episode of its 21st season, “Once Upon a Time in Springfield,” Hathaway lent her voice to a new animated character and did an incredible job. Later, in 2010, she also did the voice for different characters on the hit animated TV show, “Family Guy,” and the character of Jewel, a macaw in the animated film “Rio.”
A New Challenge
In November of 2010, Hathaway took on the role of Maggie Murdock, a free-spirited artist who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. She reunited with Jake Gyllenhaal, and the two stars played the lead roles in “Love & Other Drugs,” a film about two people who fall madly for each other and begin a complicated relationship. The romantic drama gave Hathaway a new challenge – playing someone with Parkinson’s disease and doing a few nude scenes for the first time in her career.
The actress recounts that she spent much time with a Parkinson’s patient to research the condition as much as possible. As for the nude scenes, she watched films by Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet repeatedly since, according to her, they were two stars who had performed nudity in what she considered an elegant, dignified way. The film was a commercial success.
Playing the White Queen
Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” was a visually astonishing film that received mixed reviews from critics and viewers. Everybody applauded the film’s beautiful aesthetic but criticized the fact that the plot lacked substance. Nonetheless, it was littered with legendary Hollywood stars like Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Wasikowska, Crispin Glover, and our star subject, Anne Hathaway.
Hathaway played the complex character of the White Queen, the Red Queen’s calm and good-hearted sister. Even though the critics weren’t so impressed, the film grossed over $1 billion, making it a massive commercial success at the box office.
An Iconic Catwoman
There’s being a Hollywood star, and then there’s being an actor in a Christopher Nolan film. In 2012, Anne Hathaway auditioned for a role in Nolan’s critically acclaimed “The Dark Knight Rises,” and she didn’t even know what part she was auditioning for until after it ended. She confessed in one interview that she had Harley Quinn in mind all along.
After speaking with Nolan for over an hour, he revealed he wanted her for the role of Selina Kyle (a.k.a. Catwoman). Not only was it the actress’s most physically demanding role to date, but also the highest-grossing film she’d ever starred in. Her performance was lauded by critics.
The Role That Won Her an Oscar
In what many argue has been Anne Hathaway’s most brilliant performance to this day, the actress played Fantine, a tragic character dying of tuberculosis, in the 2012 musical blockbuster “Les Misérables.” Directed by Tom Hooper, the film was a critical and commercial success that featured Hollywood legends such as Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and dozens more.
Hathaway’s performance of Fantine and her heart-wrenching rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” earned the actress her first Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress.’ Logically, Hathaway’s career had climbed to a new level after people in the industry saw what she was capable of.
Working With Nolan Again
Hathaway once again collaborated with legendary director Christopher Nolan in 2014 when she was called to play a scientist in “Interstellar,” a cinematic masterpiece. The actress’s character, Dr. Amelia Brand, is a NASA scientist who goes on a search for a new home for mankind along with other astronauts.
Her character evolves from an arrogant know-it-all to a humble, sensible person, which is exactly what interested Hathaway when she read the script. With co-stars Matthew McConaughey and Jessica Chastain, the film ended up being a science fiction work of art and one of Nolan’s most critically and commercially acclaimed films.
She Nearly Died on Set
Anyone who has seen “Interstellar” and who is familiar with Christopher Nolan’s films knows the director creates otherworldly sets and universes. For this particular sci-fi epic, the cast and crew went to Iceland to shoot some scenes, and the ordeal proved to be a near-death experience for Hathaway.
While filming a water scene, the actress got dangerously close to getting hypothermia when they realized that the dry suit she was wearing hadn’t been properly secured. According to her, the crew realized this just seconds before things reached a no-return point. Still, the actress says she would risk it again only to be a part of Nolan’s unforgettable cinematic masterpiece.
Co-Starring with DeNiro
Hathaway starred in only one film in the year 2015, and that was Nancy Meyers’ “The Intern.” The film is a sweet, light-hearted comedy-drama about a 70-year-old senior intern (played by Robert DeNiro) at a chic new online fashion company run by the ambitious and modern Jules Ostin, played by Hathaway.
The story follows the relationship between them and how, despite being from very different worlds and generations, they become great friends. The film got good reviews from critics, and audiences loved it, as was proved by its whopping commercial success of grossing over $194 million worldwide on a budget of only $35 million.
Through the Looking Glass
In 2016, Hathaway reprised her role as the mysterious White Queen in “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” – a sequel to Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” directed by James Bobin. The film included most of the first film’s cast, with some added talents like Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, and Stephen Fry.
The plot follows Alice as she tries to save Wonderland and the Mad Hatter from the evil Red Queen and enlists the help of the White Queen and other friends. The movie didn’t quite take among critics, and audiences seemed to prefer the first one, but in terms of finances, the film amassed over double its budget.
The Princess That Never Was
In March of 2016, news came out about the release of “The Princess Diaries 3.” The project was in development, and Hathaway was set to reprise her beloved role. Sadly, the script was shelved when director Gary Marshall passed away in July of that year due to pneumonia complications at age 81.
Since Marshall had directed the first two films and was the brains behind the script of the third, it made sense that he was the one to direct it. When that was no longer an option, things fell apart. Marshall was a groundbreaking director with many friends in the industry who paid beautiful tributes at his funeral, and Hathaway was one of them.
Her Colossal Adventure
In 2016, a script came into Hathaway’s hands, and she unexpectedly loved it. It was unlike anything she’d ever worked on, but the story gripped her immediately. It was Nacho Vigalondo’s sci-fi dark comedy “Colossal.” The film follows a struggling writer named Gloria (played by Hathaway), who is forced to move back to her hometown when she can’t find work and can no longer afford her extravagant New York lifestyle.
However, as she returns home, she gets news about a terrible monster that is decimating Seoul, and as the movie goes on, we come to realize Gloria is intimately linked to this terrible creature. When Hathaway told Vigalondo she wanted the role, the film had no financial backing and was considered a risk by big studios, but that didn’t bother the Oscar-winning actress. The film was a critical success but didn’t even gross enough to cover its budget.
A Sci-Fi Fan
One of the reasons that Hathaway agreed to star in “Colossal” was the fact that the script reminded her of one of her favorite movies – the 1999 mind-bending film “Being John Malkovich,” which is considered a Hollywood classic until this very day.
The actress said that she was drawn to the genre-hopping nature of the script, claiming that she was an avid fan of a good science fiction story. And apparently, Hathaway wasn’t the only A-list celebrity who didn’t mind the project not having financial backing. Jason Sudeikis and Tim Blake Nelson also signed on to the project after reading the script.
A Big Comeback
After taking a two-year hiatus from her career, Hathaway returned to Hollywood for a big blockbuster project. As a spin-off and sequel to Steven Soderbergh’s hit “Ocean” trilogy, director Gary Ross directed “Ocean’s 8” in 2018, a heist film centering around Debbie Ocean, Danny Ocean’s sister.
Sandra Bullock plays Debbie, and Ross wanted the rest of the all-female con group to be played by a star-studded cast, including Anne Hathaway. Hathaway plays Daphne Kluger, a famous and narcissistic artist who helps pull a heist at the Met Gala. Her glamorous co-stars included Rihanna, Cate Blanchett, Awkwafina, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, and Helena Bonham Carter.
A Busy Year
After starring in 2018’s “Ocean’s 8”, Hathaway had a very busy 2019, taking up roles in thrillers like “Serenity,” comedies like “The Hustle,” and legal dramas like “Dark Waters,” in which she played Mark Ruffalo’s wife. She also starred in an episode of the Amazon Prime anthology series “Modern Love.”
Hathaway played Lexi Donohoe in episode three of “Modern Love” and was acclaimed for her sensitive performance of a person with bipolar disorder. The beginning of the decade, however, started off on the right foot, with Hathaway landing a lead role in the political thriller “The Last Thing He Wanted,” based on Joan Didion’s novel of the same name.
Starring in “The Witches”
In 2020, Hathaway landed a big role in a Robert Zemeckis film adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel “The Witches.” She played the Grand High Witch, the most powerful and evil witch that rules all the witches in the world. She starred alongside Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, and a slew of other actors.
Despite its amazing visuals, the film got mixed reviews from critics, many saying that the script didn’t stay faithful to the book, unlike the first film adaptation in 1990. Unfortunately, the film was also a commercial failure, but it still gave Hathaway a chance to play a famous book character.
Not a Fan of Phones
The award-winning actress might not be camera-shy when it comes to an audience of millions of strangers, but when it comes to personal interactions or conversations over the phone, she can’t handle it. Ironically, Hathaway is not a fan of phones, especially talking to people on phones, even if it’s a two-second conversation.
In fact, the actress has said in plenty of interviews that she refuses to order pizza or any food over the phone, saying it’s something terrifying and weird for her. Luckily for her, nowadays, everything can be done online with the click of a button!
Her Favorite Actors
Acting is an art like any other, and every form of art needs a source of inspiration. In the same way, every actor has a favorite, even those that have reached the highest echelons of stardom. For Hathaway, there are two male actors she deeply admires and calls her favorites.
These are Ralph Fiennes and Joaquin Phoenix. As for actresses, she has a few on her list of favorites, but when it comes to male actors, these two take the cake for her. And to be honest, these are two of the best actors that the industry has ever seen.
Dairy Is Out
It is estimated that nearly 68 percent of the world’s population has some kind of intolerance to lactose, some less severe than others. It turns out that Anne is within that group, as she is completely unable to digest lactose, and she discovers it in a rather strange way.
Remember the famous “Got Milk?” advertising campaign from the 90s? Virtually every major celebrity and music star was on the cover of an ad at some point or another, especially TV host Carson Daly. Well, Hathaway got called when she was in her early 20s to do one of the ads, but the whole thing had to be canceled after she started suffering from serious side effects after drinking the milk!
The Reason She Fell in Love With Acting
In a beautiful twist of fate, the first time that Hathaway fell in love with acting was from watching her mother Kate play Fantine in a U.S. tour of “Les Misérables.” This very same role would be the role that earned Hathaway her first Oscar many years later.
When she watched her mother play the tragic character of Fantine, Hathaway was just eight years old, and she was stunned and fascinated by what she saw on stage. Ironically, neither of her parents wanted her to pursue an acting career, claiming that a life in the arts would be too hard and not profitable. Hathaway’s mother quit acting shortly after this and focused on raising Anne and her two brothers, Michael and Thomas.
A Historical Name
Anne Hathaway sounds like a regal name that came out of a classic work of literature, and actually, that’s exactly what it is – sort of. The actress’s name was inspired by none other than William Shakespeare’s wife. Her parents, Gerald Hathaway and Kate McCauley, are both of Irish and English descent and are clearly big fans of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare, considered to be the greatest writer and poet in the English language, married his wife Anne Hathaway in 1582, and they stayed together until Shakespeare's death in 1616. When they married, Shakespeare was 18 years old, and Anne was 26. She passed away seven years after her late husband.
Named ‘Teen People’s’ Hottest
Remember the early 2000s, when MTV still told us what music was cool, Carson Daly was everywhere, VH1 was one of the hottest channels, and ‘Teen People Magazine’ was many people’s main source of news? Well, back in the early 2000s, Hathaway was barely turning 20 and steadily climbing her career ladder to stardom. So much so that in 2002, she was named one of Teen People Magazine’s “25 Hottest Stars Under 25.”
This was like being on the cover of “Vanity Fair” nowadays and catapulted young Anne further into fame. The actress was no longer just lauded for her talents but also her gorgeous looks, and we all know that’s the winning combo to turning a person into an A-list celeb.
A Pioneer of ‘The Barrow Group’
Hathaway was the first teenager to ever be admitted into the prestigious Barrow Group in New York City. While attending the Montessori School in Brooklyn Heights and the Wyoming Elementary School in Milburn, Hathaway had two passions: playing soccer and acting in plays.
She appeared in school plays “Gigi” and “Jane Eyre” and got into the American Academy of the Arts at age eleven. Shortly after, she was accepted to The Barrow Group. The Barrow Group is a renowned performing arts group in New York City that was known for its innovative ways, so being accepted into its acting program was a big turning point for Hathaway.
The Accident that Gave Her a Breakout Role
Apart from director Gary Marshall’s granddaughters advising him to cast Hathaway in “The Princess Diaries” because of her “princess hair,” there was something else that secured the breakout role for the actress. As the story goes, Hathaway was in the middle of her audition to play Mia Thermopolis and suddenly fell off her chair by accident.
It wasn’t planned, and Hathaway recounts in later interviews that it was one of the most embarrassing moments of clumsiness of her life. Ironically, this type of clumsiness was exactly what the director was looking for in Mia’s character, so falling from her chair is actually what got her hired right there and then.
A Fan of the Duchess of Cambridge
Among the many actors, actresses, historical and literary figures, and other people Hathaway admires, it turns out one of them is none other than the Duchess of Cambridge. It’s not so surprising, considering that Duchess Kate Middleton is the epitome of elegance and class, much like Hathaway.
In fact, the actress has mentioned more than once that she would love to play the Duchess in a biopic about her life. She said to People Magazine that she felt a kinship with her, and honestly, it would be a perfect match if you think about it. Both women are brunettes, beautiful, understatedly elegant, and have pretty much the same body build. Are any directors out there interested?
The Stage Saved Her
Hathaway has been honest about the fact that she had a lot of self-esteem issues as a teenager. The actress has admitted to how critical she was of herself and didn’t believe she could achieve her goals. Anxiety and depression took hold, and it was hard for her to overcome the hurdles in her mind.
However, there was one place that saved her from spiraling out of control – the stage. Acting gave a young Hathaway a way to cope with her feelings without bottling them in. It was a place where she felt in control, knowing exactly what would happen next.
Joining the High Ranks
It’s not surprising that Hathaway is a huge fan of leading actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age. After all, her mother was an actress, and her living room was always showing classic films and breathtaking performances. So, for Hathaway to be compared to cinema legends like Audrey Hepburn and Judy Garland is the biggest compliment she could get.
Throughout her career, many critics have compared her to these talented and graceful beauties more than once. If you think about it, her acting style and her classy looks do give her a touch of old Hollywood glamour. She would definitely have to be cast as Audrey Hepburn if a biopic about the actress was ever made.
An Important Lesson
According to Hathaway, the most important career lesson she ever learned was the ‘quarter lesson.’ One of the teachers in her acting program grabbed a quarter from his pocket and put it inside one of his hands; he made a fist, closed it, and then asked the students to get the quarter from him. Not one student was able to.
Then he asked one of the students to do it, so he could take the quarter. The teacher aggressively opened the student’s hand and took the quarter within seconds. The lesson was that, when acting a scene, one must figure out what that quarter stands for and go for it with every last ounce of energy. Hathaway says this taught her to always go fiercely after the things she wants.
A Dear Friend
Hathaway and actor Hugh Jackman have been good friends for years, with Jackman even helping the actress when she was going through pretty tough times. In fact, it was Jackman who suggested Anne Hathaway play the role of Fantine to “Les Misérables” director Tom Hooper.
Not only did the role help her focus her energy on the project and move forward from the problems she was having at the time, but it also won her her first Oscar. During her acceptance speech, she thanked Jackman and called him “one of Hollywood’s Finest Gentlemen.” They even sang a duet during the Academy Awards ceremony!
She Loved a Challenge
Even though Hathaway wasn’t a rebellious child or a teenager who regularly got into trouble, there was one challenge she could never resist. Whenever anyone told her that she couldn’t do something because she was a girl, she would immediately do it and focus all her energy on doing it the best she could.
It was imperative that she always proved them wrong, showing people that being a girl doesn’t limit you from anything in life. On the contrary, it pushes you forward to do it better than everyone else. No wonder she’s such a devoted feminist as an adult.
Praising Talent Above Everything Else
Like many other actresses of her generation, Hathaway has spoken publicly about how ruthless and unfair Hollywood’s beauty standards can be. She’s talked about how an actress’s career is at risk whenever she goes over a size 6, which is already pretty skinny. But a size 6 in Hollywood is considered “fat.”
Hathaway further says that it has always been her hope that, as an actress, her talent and skills be praised well above her physical looks. The actress has said that she is no longer worried about putting on a few extra pounds, and no other actress should be either.
The Perfect Inspiration
In order to get into the character of Fantine for “Les Misérables,” Hathaway had to prepare herself for the mental toll it would take. After all, Fantine is a poor woman trying to make ends meet to feed her children; she discovers she suffers from tuberculosis, making her story painfully tragic and hopeless. The actress has said that she had to draw inspiration from the actresses she admires the most, watching them play their most iconic roles repeatedly.
These muses were Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, and Meryl Streep – arguably three of the best actresses in Hollywood. Hathaway said she always asked herself how they would prepare for that role, and clearly, it worked like a charm.
One of the Highest-Paid Actresses
In 2015, Forbes Magazine reported that Anne Hathaway was one of the highest-paid actresses in the industry. This was a year after starring in Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic “Interstellar,” which was a massive commercial success. By 2017, Hathaway was one of the highest-grossing actresses of the 21st century, and as of 2023, her net worth is over $80 million.
We’re sure that number will keep increasing, as the New York-born actress is showing no signs of slowing down in her career. Quite the opposite, really, as she keeps expanding her range. We can’t wait to see what this talented beauty does next.
She Was a Strict Vegetarian
For most of her life, Hathaway was a strict vegetarian, even becoming a vegan for several years. The reasons behind this were her adamant beliefs against animal cruelty and a general philosophy of having a cleaner, healthier diet. In 2014, however, she stopped and slowly transitioned to fish and, some years later, to meat and chicken.
The reason was that she started to feel weak and not able to train properly for her film roles. She still tries to eat in a clean, healthy manner and even shifted to a raw vegan diet while playing Rebekah Neumann in the Apple TV drama miniseries “WeCrashed.”
A Difficult Acceptance Speech
When Hathaway won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing Fantine in “Les Misérables,” it was clear she was unbelievably nervous walking up the stage. She put on a big smile and gave her acceptance speech in a way that many criticized as robotic and fake. But in reality, Hathaway had not yet recovered from the grueling mental toll the role took on her.
Also, the actress confessed to the fact that as happy as she was to get the award, she wasn’t thrilled as she walked upstage. Hathaway felt wrong that she was standing there in a gown that cost more than what some people were going to see in their lifetime and that winning an award for portraying pain still felt like a part of a collective experience as human beings.
Finding True Love
After years of casual dating and a serious relationship that ended terribly upon discovering her fiancé was a con artist who got sent to prison, it seems Hathaway managed to find true love after all. During the Palm Springs Film Festival in 2008, she met actor and business entrepreneur Adam Shulman.
Apparently, after meeting him and speaking for a few minutes, Hathaway told a friend that she was going to marry him. They started dating soon after and finally got married in September 2012 in Big Sur, California. The couple bought a luxurious apartment in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where they now live with their two boys.
Her Idols
Hathaway grew up watching movies and reading books, and so she’s had many people she’s admired over the years. Growing up, the actress recounts that she had a thing for historical and literary figures she read about in books. As the years passed and acting became her true passion, she started to look up to other actresses who seemed magical when she watched them in the cinema.
One of these actresses was none other than the legendary Judy Garland, the original Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz,” and the star of the classic film “Meet Me in St. Louis.” Another actress whom she idolizes is Meryl Streep.
College Was Her Best Decision
When the time came to go to college, the bright and talented Hathaway was accepted into the prestigious Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She attended and majored in English while minoring in Women’s Studies. After a few semesters, she requested a transfer to New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
Hathaway says these were some of her best years and definitely some of the best decisions she ever made in her entire life. Learning and being surrounded by people who were from all walks of life and were also simply trying to grow up enriched her life in such a significant way.
A Trick She Never Used
For her role as Lureen Newsome Twist in “Brokeback Mountain,” a wealthy Texan rodeo rider who ends up marrying Jack Twist (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), Hathaway had to learn some neat tricks. One of them was barrel racing, which is a rodeo event in which a horse and its rider race in a cloverleaf pattern around barrels set around an arena.
She spent months learning how to do this, and, in the end, she didn’t even get to show off her new skills since the production company decided they would use a stunt double instead. Apparently, it was way too risky for her to do it herself.
Only for the Special Ones
Growing up, Hathaway was given the nickname Annie, and it became what everybody called her as a child and for most of her teenage years. As an adult, however, she only lets her family and closest friends call her that. Among her close celebrity BFFs are Isla Fischer, Kristen Stewart, Jessica Chastain, Hugh Jackman, Rashida Jones, and Emily Blunt.
In fact, Hathaway was the one who introduced Blunt to her husband, John Krasinski. Those are just some of her close friends, but the actress has plenty of good buddies in the film industry and is reportedly a very down-to-earth person who usually gets along with everybody.
She Had Backup Plans
Being the responsible woman she is, Hathaway always thought of a backup plan in case her acting career didn’t pan out. In fact, she thought of two plans. She figured that if her dream of becoming a Hollywood star didn’t pan out, she would focus on becoming a teacher, specifically an English teacher since she’s always loved reading and literature.
If the teacher thing didn’t work, she would study psychology and do her best to become a prominent therapist. These are not small ambitions, and they definitely were excellent backup plans. Fortunately for her, the first choice couldn’t have turned out any better.
Elegant but Clumsy
We all equate actress Anne Hathaway with class and elegance, a lady who always keeps her cool and knows how to always be graceful. But in reality, she’s just a regular, sometimes very clumsy human being just like the rest of us. For instance, there’s a scene in her 2004 film “Ella Enchanted” where her character steals some slippers at a mall store.
There were two pairs of those slippers while filming since the prop department always has double everything in case of emergency. Well, Hathaway managed to break both pairs in a clumsy accident. Not very princess-like of her.
An Eye-Opening Experience
Back in 2006, Hathaway was in a relationship with Italian real estate developer Raffaelo Follieri, who also had an organization that provided vaccines for third-world children. On one of his trips, he invited Hathaway to come along to the poor village of San Marcos in Nicaragua.
His organization was providing 1,000 vaccines against Hepatitis A to the children of San Marcos since they had to be immunized due to the place’s poor sanitation and hygiene. Hathaway said the trip was eye-opening, saying it was heart-wrenching to see what people had to go through in other parts of the world. She helped with the vaccinations and told Follieri she wanted to join him on any upcoming trips of the sort.
Her First Ad
Even though Hathaway made her acting debut on the TV series “Get Real,” she’d already appeared in front of a camera two years before. Actually, her first encounter with a TV camera was in 1997, when she appeared in a television commercial for “Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.” A 15-year-old Anne went to Maplewood, New Jersey, to shoot the commercial, and according to her mother, who went with her, she was a natural in front of the camera.
In the commercial, we see a doe-eyed Hathaway sad because her boyfriend is moving houses. As the boyfriend tries to console her, telling her that selling a house takes time, we see a “Better Homes” real estate sign being put on the lawn, and Hathaway cries and runs away because “no one sells houses faster than Better Homes Real Estate!"
Conscientious About Fashion
In more than one occasion, Hathaway has been outspoken about the environment and how we all need to do our part to not contribute to the demise of the planet. One of the ways the actress does this is by being fashion-conscious, meaning she doesn’t buy new items that promote the sweatshop industry and the ever-increasing number of objects that end up in landfills.
She always wears second-hand clothing, except when she goes to awards, and has custom-made high-couture outfits, of course. In one interview with Robin Roberts on ABC News, she was wearing a second-hand dress she bought at a flea market for $15.
The Youngest Person to Host the Oscars
In 2011, 28-year-old Anne Hathaway became the youngest person to ever host the Oscars. She and actor James Franco were invited to host the 83rd Academy Awards Ceremony, in which “The King’s Speech” won the Oscar for “Best Picture.”
Unfortunately, the two stars didn’t seem to have much chemistry on stage, and the event was criticized by many as being a dud. But that still doesn’t change the fact that she holds the record for the youngest talent to make it on the prestigious Academy Awards stage at the legendary Hollywood Dolby Theater. Hathaway would return to that same stage two years later to receive her first Oscar for “Les Misérables.”
Creative Disagreement
Judd Apatow’s 2007 comedy “Knocked Up” was a massive success in every way; critics and audiences loved it, and it made $220 million at the box office with a budget of $25 million. After the film was released, news came out that Hathaway was actually meant to play the role of Alison instead of Katherine Heigl. Apatow wanted Hathaway, and the actress had all but agreed, but right before filming started, she dropped out.
Apparently, when Hathaway read the script, she strongly disagreed with Apatow’s plans of using actual footage of a woman giving birth for a scene in the movie. She thought it was tasteless to show actual footage of such an intimate moment for a comedy film.
A Big Football Fan
Apart from acting, Hathaway has another big passion – football. The actress is a die-hard fan of the sport, with her favorite teams being the San Diego Chargers and the New York Giants. Especially after watching the epic 2013 American Super Bowl, Hathaway became more interested in the sport.
In fact, her “Interstellar” co-stars Matt Damon and Matthew McConaughey remember her asking all sorts of football-related questions on set. They took it upon themselves to teach her every last detail about the sport, explaining the moves, the teams, the history, etc. She was thrilled, and they were shocked at the level of interest she showed!
She Wouldn’t Take No for an Answer
Apart from being an exceptionally talented actress, Hathaway is also a very determined young woman. When she went to audition for the role of Andy Sachs, Miranda Priestley’s shy personal assistant in “The Devil Wears Prada,” Hathaway was determined to get the part.
After the audition, she went to speak to the executive president at Fox Studios, Carla Hacken. After the meeting ended, Hathaway noticed Hacken had a sand garden on her desktop, and she traced an eager message on it before she left the room: “Hire Me!” Clearly, her persistence got her the role, so kudos to our beloved Anne.
Always Showing Gratitude
Ever since “The Princess Diaries” was released in the United States on August 3rd, 2001, Hathaway has made a point to publicly thank the studios, crew, cast, and everyone who was involved with the movie every year on that date. Every August 3rd, Hathaway pays her respects to late director Gary Marshall and expresses infinite gratitude for being cast in the film.
The actress has said in TV and magazine interviews, “I remember that day and give thanks to the universe, a big open-hearted thank you because that was the day that dreams came true for me. There are a lot of aspects to my life that are very real, but also a lot that are very fairy tale. That was the day that my fairy tale started.”
Everything Has a Downside
As often happens with actors who got their start in family and teen movies, Hathaway also struggled to break free from the “naïve teenage girl” role. Of course, the actress is infinitely grateful for the fact she got to play Mia Thermopolis in “The Princess Diaries,” being that it was the role that launched her career.
However, Hathaway has also said that the role also helped typecast her in a way that became limiting for her future projects. She explained that she got into the business to push limits and go beyond her comfort zone. She carried on and explained that ‘The Princess Diaries’ had often created a brick wall at times in her career.
Her Mother was a Big Help
By now, it is public knowledge that Kate Hathaway, Anne’s mother, is an actress herself and had quite a successful career on the stage. In fact, when she was young, she was part of a theater group that was doing a tour of “Les Misérables” across the United States, and she played Fantine!
When Anne was considering the role for herself many years later, it was her mother, Kate, who encouraged her and gave her that last boost of self-confidence that made her take on the role. Anne consulted her mother throughout the filming for character tips and advice, asking how she could better portray such a sensitive and tragic role. When the movie came out, her mother told her she was the best Fantine she’d ever seen, and clearly, the Academy agreed.
She Got Deep Into the Character
It is well-known that Fantine in “Les Misérables” was the toughest and most acclaimed role of Hathaway’s career. We all know about the severe physical and mental strain she had to go through to look the part, but contrary to what many news outlets reported on her famous singing scene, it certainly wasn’t done in a single take.
According to Hathaway, it took over eight hours to shoot her character’s “I Dreamed a Dream” scene because the actress didn’t stop until it was perfect. “I wanted to get as deep into the character as possible,” said the actress in a later interview. FYI, it was the fourth take that made it into the movie's final version.
A Devoted Feminist
As if we needed more reasons to love Anne Hathaway, the actress is not only one of the best actresses of her generation, but she’s also an upstanding human being – especially when it comes to supporting her fellow women. Apart from her extremely successful acting career, Hathaway is a die-hard feminist, advocating and donating to several charities that support women in all walks of life.
For example, she supports the Lollipop Theatre Network, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles that delivers blockbusters to hospitalized children and their families. She’s also a member and supporter of ‘Step Up Women’s Network,’ a charity that focuses on mentoring young women to create the next generation of educated, strong, and independent women.
A True Master at Her Craft
Critics, co-stars, and audiences all lauded Hathaway’s performance in “Les Misérables.” Not only did she sacrifice her body in preparation for her role – losing over 25 pounds and nearly chopping all of her hair off – but she also underwent extreme psychological preparation. Like any brilliant actor, one must get into the character to play the role as well as humanly possible, and that’s exactly what Hathaway did.
For two months, she practiced crying in front of a mirror every day and took voice lessons that lasted hours a day, only for the scene where she sang the heart-wrenching song “I Dreamed a Dream.” The effort was definitely worth it since it earned Hathaway her first Oscar for “Best Supporting Actress.”
She Broke Her Arm While Preparing for a Role
When “Les Misérables” came out in 2012, audiences were shocked to see Hathaway on screen – of course, she couldn’t be healthy and plump while playing an unstable character with tuberculosis, but it was still shocking to see her so extremely thin.
For her role of Fantine, Hathaway had to undergo a severe diet and exercise regimen. The actress lost 25 pounds for the role, eating porridge and lettuce solely. In an interview. the actress said it felt like eating rabbit food for months. One weekend, she decided to go for a short bike ride and fell after hitting a bump. And her body was so fragile that she broke her arm immediately when hitting the ground.
A Riptide Nearly Killed Her
It seems that Hathaway has had her fair share of near-death experiences throughout her life, one of them being her Hawaii accident in 2014. She and her husband, Adam, were vacationing on the stunning island of Oahu in Hawaii, and the actress went into the ocean for a quick swim. Unfortunately, a violent riptide swept the actress into an impossible situation, and she started to drown.
Even though Hathaway was screaming and waving her arms for help, her husband was too far to hear or see. Luckily, some nearby surfers noticed her and saw she was in big trouble; they rushed to save her with their boards. When the actress reached the shore, she was bleeding profusely due to cutting herself on a coral. Thankfully, that’s all that happened!
She Did Her Own Stunts
For her role as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s 2012 hit blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises,” Hathaway did all of her own stunts. The actress underwent months of physical training and a hardcore diet regimen to be able to perform her stunts without the need for a double.
Apparently, Nolan told her that he wanted her to do most of the stunt work herself, and he needed her to be strong enough for it. Nolan, being the iconic director that he is, required all actors to be in top condition so they could endure the long hours of filming and the high number of takes it often requires to get one good shot.