Anne Hathaway is a multi-award-winning American actress, singer, and producer. She has starred in a number of highly popular films, including “The Princess Diaries,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” and “Becoming Jane.” Born to an actress mother, Anne was exposed to the nuances of acting from a young age. Inspired by her mom, she became fascinated with acting at just three years old. At eight, she told her parents she intended to pursue an acting career. As a teenager, she started appearing in commercials and became the first adolescent ever accepted into the prestigious Barrow Group acting program in New York City. To learn more about the life and work of this Brooklyn beauty and incredible actress, visit brooklynski.info.
From School to Stardom
During her high school years, Anne performed in several amateur productions and made her television debut in her senior year. She soon ventured into film and gained fame with her role in “The Princess Diaries.” Tall, beautiful, and talented, she quickly became an in-demand actress, earning recognition for her sharp and powerful roles. She has received several prestigious acting awards. On top of that, Anne Hathaway sings well and has lent her voice to animated roles. She is a known LGBT activist and a staunch supporter of same-sex marriage. Hathaway was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2016 for her advocacy of gender equality.
Anne Hathaway got engaged to actor Adam Shulman in 2011 and married him in September 2012. They have a son, Jonathan Shulman, born in 2016. In July 2019, the actress announced on social media that she was expecting her second child with Adam Shulman, and soon after, their son Jack Shulman was born.
Anne Hathaway was born on November 12, 1982, in Brooklyn, New York, to Kate McCauley and Gerald Thomas Hathaway. Her father is a lawyer, and her mother is a former actress. Hathaway has two brothers. Young Anne loved watching her mother perform and later wanted to become an actress herself. She was only eight when she told her parents about her plans for the future. Anne also considered becoming a nun but later abandoned the idea. She was a confident child with a lovely singing voice. After attending Brooklyn Heights Montessori School and Wyoming Elementary School, she enrolled at Millburn High School, where she became active in stage productions. She studied at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and later transferred to New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Hathaway also trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and was the first teenager ever accepted into The Barrow Group Theatre Company’s acting program.
Early Film Successes
Anne Hathaway got her first big break when she was cast as Meghan in the television series “Get Real” in 1999. Although the series only lasted one season, her excellent performance got her noticed. In 2001, she landed the lead role of Mia Thermopolis in the Disney comedy film “The Princess Diaries,” based on the novel of the same name by Meg Cabot. The film was a huge success, becoming a box office hit and ranking third in ticket sales. In 2004, Anne starred in the sequel, “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.” In the early years of her career, she appeared in a number of family-friendly films such as “Nicholas Nickleby” and “Ella Enchanted,” which made her popular with younger audiences.
In 2005, the actress starred in the romantic drama “Brokeback Mountain,” which explored the complex emotional and sexual relationship between two men. Anne Hathaway played the role of Lureen, a wife whose husband is in love with a man. Another of her notable roles came in 2007, when she played Jane Austen in the biographical historical film “Becoming Jane.” The film tells the intricate love story of Jane and Thomas Langlois Lefroy. In 2008, Anne played Kym, a young woman in rehab for drug addiction, in the drama “Rachel Getting Married.” Her emotionally charged performance was highly praised by critics.
One of Ocean’s Friends
Over the next few years, she was seen in many romantic comedies, such as “Bride Wars,” “Valentine’s Day,” and “Love & Other Drugs.” In 2012, she played a poor factory worker trying to raise a child in the drama “Les Misérables.” The film was both a critical and commercial success, and upon its release, the actress received positive reviews for her performance. That same year, she starred as Selina Kyle in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Her other films include “Don Jon,” “Song One,” “Rio 2,” and “Interstellar.” Her only theatrical release in 2015 was the well-known film “The Intern,” which tells the story of a 70-year-old man interning at an online fashion site run by Jules Ostin, played by Anne Hathaway. The following year, she reprised her role as the White Queen in “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” After a two-year hiatus, she returned to the big screen with “Ocean’s 8,” a spin-off of the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise. In the film, she starred alongside Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Rihanna. In 2019, Anne starred in “Serenity” and “The Hustle.” Both films received negative reviews, though the latter had better box office performance. In the same year, the actress signed on for prominent roles in films such as “The Last Thing He Wanted,” “The Witches,” and “Sesame Street.”
An LGBT Advocate
Anne Hathaway gained widespread recognition for her role as a woman dealing with the guilt of her brother’s death in the 2008 drama “Rachel Getting Married.” Her sharp portrayal of an addict whose reckless actions lead to her brother’s death earned her several awards. Her role as Fantine in the 2012 film “Les Misérables” is also, without a doubt, one of her best acting performances. In the film, she played a poor factory worker trying to raise her illegitimate child. Although Anne was initially considered to be inexperienced for the role, she silenced her detractors with a flawless performance. Her role in Christopher Nolan’s 2014 science fiction film “Interstellar” also received critical acclaim. Her performance as an astronaut earned her a “Best Actress” nomination at the 2015 Saturn Awards.
For her role as Kym Buchman in “Rachel Getting Married,” the actress was awarded the Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award, and a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Anne did win an Oscar, but for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Fantine in the 2012 film “Les Misérables.” This same role earned her several other awards, including a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
Today, Anne Hathaway is an active LGBT advocate and a supporter of same-sex marriage. She is also involved in charities such as The Creative Coalition, The Step Up Women’s Network, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and The Human Rights Campaign.