(1982-)

Who Is Anne Hathaway?

Actress Anne Hathaway got her first big break in 1999 on the short-lived television series Get Real. Hathaway then landed the role that made her famous, playing Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries (2001). In 2006 she found huge success with The Devil Wears Prada and the following year she starred in Becoming Jane, a film about Jane Austen. Hathaway then garnered both critical and commercial attention for her role in 2010’s Love and Other Drugs. She went on to win acclaim for later film appearances, including those in The Dark Knight Rises, Les Miserables (both released in 2012) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), before being tapped for the heist comedy Ocean’s 8 (2018).

Early Life

Anne Hathaway was born on November 12, 1982, in Brooklyn, New York. The daughter of an actress and a lawyer, Hathaway grew up in Millburn, New Jersey. She excelled at performing early on, becoming the first and only teenager accepted to The Barrow Group, a theater company and acting school in New York City.

In 1999 Hathaway got her first big break on the television series Get Real, which only lasted one season. She played the oldest daughter, Meghan, on the family drama. Her work on the series earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination (best actress in a drama).

Movies

‘The Princess Diaries’

In 2001 Hathaway took on the role that made her famous: She starred as Mia Thermopolis, a smart, klutzy teen who learns she is actually a princess of a small country called Genovia, in The Princess Diaries. Thermopolis’ grandmother, played by Julie Andrews, instructs her in all things royal. While reviews were mixed, the film scored big with audiences, earning approximately $108 million at the box office. Hathaway earned a Teen Choice Award nomination for her work on the film.

‘The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement’

Hathaway returned to the role for the 2004 sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. That same year, she played the title character in Ella Enchanted, a twist on the Cinderella story. The film received mostly positive reviews, with critic Roger Ebert describing her as “beautiful” and “luminous.”

‘Brokeback Mountain’

Hathaway departed from making family friendly films in 2005, with Havoc and Brokeback Mountain. In the independent film Havoc, she played a privileged Los Angeles teen who drawn to the city’s grittier side. The Academy Award-winning Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee, featured Hathaway in a supporting role as Lureen, a wife whose husband is in love with a man. She earned strong reviews for her portrayal of a tough, sexy Texan.

‘The Devil Wears Prada’

Hathaway’s success on the silver screen continued with The Devil Wears Prada (2006), a film adaptation of the best-selling novel by Lauren Weisberger. In the film, Hathaway plays a struggling journalist who takes a job at a fashion magazine out of desperation, and finds herself working as an assistant for the publication’s difficult and demanding editor-in-chief. Her character’s boss, played by Meryl Streep, is said to have been based on Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine.

‘Becoming Jane,’ ‘Get Smart’

For her next role, Hathaway took on an English accent to play literary legend Jane Austen. The historical romance, Becoming Jane (2007), focuses on the relationship between Austen and a young Irish lawyer, played by James McAvoy. She demonstrated her range on this and other films, including Get Smart (2008), a big-screen adaptation of the similarly titled hit TV comedy, in which Hathaway stars opposite Steve Carell; and the 2008 thriller Passengers. Hathaway’s role as Kym in the movie Rachel Getting Married (2008) earned her an Academy Award nod (Best Actress).

‘Bride Wars’

Hathaway returned to lighter fare with the romantic comedy Bride Wars in 2009, starring opposite Kate Hudson. The film received a lukewarm reception from movie goers, earning more than $58 million at the box office. The following year, Hathaway had a supporting role in the ensemble comedy Valentine’s Day, which also featured Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Biel.

‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘Love and Other Drugs’

Tackling a famous literary character in her next project, Hathaway played the White Queen in Tim Burton’s reimagining of the famous children’s tale Alice in Wonderland in 2010. The film, starring Mia Wasikowska as Alice and Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, proved to be a huge commercial and critical success. Hathaway also appeared in the 2010 satire of the pharmaceutical industry, Love and Other Drugs, starring opposite Jake Gyllenhaal; and in 2011’s One Day, a film based on the 2009 novel by David Nicholls.

Catwoman in ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ ‘Les Miserables’

In 2012, Hathaway landed one of her most exciting roles yet: Playing Catwoman in the third film of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises. She then starred in Les Miserables (2012) alongside Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried and Russell Crowe. In the film, Hathaway plays Fantine, a poor French woman who turns to prostitution to support her only child, Cosette. In January 2013, she received a Golden Globe Award (best supporting actress) for her performance in Les Miserables. Hathaway’s winning streak continued with her first Academy Award win for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Fantine that February.

‘Interstellar,’ ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’

The following year, among other projects, Hathaway co-starred in the Christopher Nolan sci-fi epic Interstellar, playing a future scientist and astronaut who seeks a new home for Earth’s inhabitants. In 2015, Hathaway showed off her comedic skills in The Intern with Robert De Niro. She then rejoined Johnny Depp for Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).

‘Ocean’s 8,’ ‘The Hustle,’ ‘Modern Love’

In 2018 Hathaway was featured alongside Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and other leading ladies in the crime caper Ocean’s 8, drawing favorable reviews for going all-in with her portrayal of an egotistic movie star. Her follow-up film, the thriller Serenity (2019), wasn’t as well received, nor was her co-starring effort with Rebel Wilson in The Hustle (2019), a remake of the 1988 Steve Martin-Michael Caine comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Later that year, Hathaway headlined the cast of the Amazon anthology series Modern Love, based on a popular New York Times weekly column, before joining Mark Ruffalo for the investigative drama Dark Waters.

Personal Life and Husband

Hathaway married actor and jewelry designer Adam Shulman on September 29, 2012. The couple had been dating for four years at the time. Hathaway gave birth to their son Jonathan Rosebanks Shulman on March 24, 2016, in Los Angeles. The couple welcomed their second son, Jack, in late 2019.

Prior to Shulman, Hathaway dated Italian real estate developer Raffaello Follieri in 2004. The couple split in June 2008, after law officials accused Follieri of swindling investors out of millions and falsely claiming that the Vatican appointed him to manage its financial affairs.

Philanthropy

In addition to acting, Hathaway supports several charities, including the Step Up Women’s Network and the Lollipop Theater Network.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: Anne
• Birth Year: 1982
• Birth date: November 12, 1982
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: Brooklyn
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: American actress Anne Hathaway has starred in films like ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ ‘Love and Other Drugs,’ ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Ocean’s 8.’
• Industries
• Television
• Theater and Dance
• Comedy
• Drama
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Schools
• New York University
• The Barrow Group
• Vassar College

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Anne Hathaway Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/anne-hathaway
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: October 27, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014