Words by Anne Hathaway has spent more than two decades moving between family films, prestige dramas, musicals and blockbusters. Along the way she won an Academy Award, weathered a period of intense public criticism and emerged with a career many of her peers would envy.
Early life
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway was born on November 12, 1982, in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Millburn, New Jersey. Her mother, Kate McCauley Hathaway, was a stage actress, and Hathaway was drawn to performing early. She studied acting and singing as a teenager and was accepted into the Barrow Group theater company’s program.
She attended Vassar College and later studied at New York University’s Gallatin School.
The Princess Diaries
Hathaway’s first regular screen role came in the Fox series “Get Real” (1999-2000). Her breakout followed with Disney’s “The Princess Diaries” (2001), directed by Garry Marshall. She played Mia Thermopolis, an awkward San Francisco teenager who learns she is heir to the throne of a small European country, opposite Julie Andrews as her grandmother. The film was a hit, and a sequel followed in 2004. A third film was announced in 2024.
Growing up on screen
Hathaway deliberately sought more adult roles. She appeared in “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) and then starred opposite Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) as Andy Sachs, an aspiring journalist who becomes assistant to a fearsome fashion editor. The film became a cultural favorite, and a sequel was released in 2026.
Her performance as a woman out of rehab in Jonathan Demme’s “Rachel Getting Married” (2008) earned her first Oscar nomination for best actress.
Les Misérables
In Tom Hooper’s film adaptation of “Les Misérables” (2012), Hathaway played Fantine, a factory worker forced into desperate circumstances. Her performance of “I Dreamed a Dream,” sung live on set in a single take, became the film’s centerpiece. She cut her hair on camera and lost weight for the role. She won the Academy Award for best supporting actress, along with a Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Award.
The same year, she played Selina Kyle, Catwoman, in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Blockbusters and comedies
Hathaway re-teamed with Nolan for the space epic “Interstellar” (2014). She starred opposite Robert De Niro in the comedy “The Intern” (2015) and in “Ocean’s 8” (2018) as a vain movie star. She played the Grand High Witch in “The Witches” (2020).
Later work
On television, she co-starred with Jared Leto in the limited series “WeCrashed” (2022), about the rise and fall of WeWork. She starred in “Armageddon Time” (2022), “Eileen” (2023) and the romantic comedy “The Idea of You” (2024), which became one of the most-streamed films of its year. She also appeared in the thriller “Mothers’ Instinct” (2024).
Public perception
Around the time of her Oscar win, Hathaway faced an unusual wave of online backlash, sometimes called “Hathahate,” which many observers considered unfair and gendered. In later years, public opinion shifted strongly in her favor, and she has spoken thoughtfully about learning to tune out criticism.
Advocacy
Hathaway was named a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2016, with a focus on paid parental leave and the unequal burden of childcare on women.
Personal life
Hathaway married actor and jewelry designer Adam Shulman in 2012. They have two sons.
Where to start
Watch “The Princess Diaries,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Rachel Getting Married,” “Les Misérables” and “Interstellar.” Together they trace an actress who has kept reinventing herself, and kept audiences rooting for her, through every stage of her career.
Her longevity is a reminder that careers in Hollywood are rarely straight lines, and that patience and range can outlast any passing wave of criticism.
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