DATELINE HOLLYWOOD
Anne Hathaway
After years of personal struggle, it seems the constant demands of motherhood have made Anne a calmer, contented and more relaxed person. She simply doesn’t add up. Firstly, how can someone so supremely talented and beautiful also be down-to-earth and charming? And secondly, what is it about her kindness and warmth that evokes such fury in a small number of online individuals – the unambiguously named ‘Hath-haters’?
The truth is that the Oscar winner is probably too nice for Hollywood…
She is a combination of steeliness and vulnerability that make her such a compelling performer. With a career that has involved playing roles such as a Disney princess, Catwoman and a 19th century French pauper, we ought to think twice before trying to place the mercurial star in a box.
“I think versatility is probably the most important thing when it comes to surviving in the movie industry,” she asserts, adding: “I am lucky in the sense that I’ve been offered roles that move across various genres.”
“Further, I’m easily bored when it comes to doing the same things all the time. I can’t ever imagine being one of those actors who is happy to stay as one type of character over the course of a career,” she explains.
Versatility in recent years for the New York born actress has also meant embracing motherhood. Since son Jonathan arrived in March 2016, Hathaway has been regarded as a passionate and caring soul whose greatest role yet is as a mum.
By her own admission, it seems that for someone who had endured more than her fair share of setbacks on the road to building a family with actor, producer and jewellery designer husband Adam Shulman, the destination was finally worth the journey.
“I did feel as if it was in some way a reward for some of the nasty stuff I’d been through,” she says. And Hathaway continues: “Of course, we all have setbacks and challenges, and the world doesn’t differentiate between these based on how many social media followers you have or how much money you’ve got.”
She reveals: “Yet, for once I felt like I had something that was totally and completely mine, was flawless and perfect, and that no one had a claim on it – apart from my partner!
My son is beyond the realms of the industry noise and that has been such a perfectly relieving feeling.”
With Jonathan’s arrival, it was evident that none of the fog that accompanied Tinseltown was ever going to matter again for the actress. In bringing her baby boy into the world, she had discovered purpose and importance far beyond learning lines on a script.
And in November last year, his brother Jack became the latest addition to the brood.
“Being a mother has certainly made me reassess so much of what is important and what isn’t in my life. Both my pregnancies required so much as I went through fertility and pregnancy issues; so when I emerged on the other side, there was a feeling of really wanting to protect everything I’ve invested so much in,” she says.
Never one to let herself off the hook easily, Hathaway clearly wants the process of bringing up her sons to cleanse both herself and her family.
“Certainly, as a parent you realise it’s a hard life with a lot of guilt and self-loathing thrown in. I try not to beat myself up about things I did or didn’t do, about the way I have lost my temper. It’s very difficult but I think I’m improving. It’s a journey,” she acknowledges.
Moving forward, Anne has found a new happiness that doesn’t exist around film reviews or box office takings. She reveals: “There is something about having a child that makes you go – ‘I don’t care, I’m going to be happy and I’m going to make choices that make me happy’ – and that goes right through to the movies I choose to make.”
Hathaway remarks: “I don’t think I necessarily knew how to be happy or I was trying too hard to be happy. Having a child gives you that perspective, and I am so grateful for that.”
Anne quit veganism during the filming of Interstellar because she didn’t feel strong enough; but being a devotee of Bikram Yoga, she is physically and mentally fit.
“Fight scenes are my favourite because I’m such a tomboy – and anytime I get the chance to do them, I’m into it!” she laughs, flashing her megawatt smile. “Even when I was pregnant with Jonathan, there was still so much I wanted to do; but I knew I had to hold back,” she discloses.
And she affirms that “in returning to work, I feel I can look for roles once again that offer a physical side – I feel I’m exploring new ground again and that’s a great feeling for an actor.”
I can’t ever imagine being one of those actors who is happy to stay as one type of character over the course of a career