Anne Hathaway: ‘A lot of people wouldn’t give me roles’ on How Christopher Nolan Saved Her Life After Bizarre Controversy
- Anne Hathaway faced public backlash, after which many refused to give her roles.
- Christopher Nolan cast Hathaway in 'Interstellar', which she credits for saving her career.
- The 'Hathahate' backlash peaked after Hathaway's Oscar acceptance speech.
In the world of entertainment, the rise and fall of actors could be determined based on the beliefs and popularity among the public, and Anne Hathaway is someone who is quite familiar with it. Even after being an Oscar-winning actress, she had a phase in her career when she suddenly met with so much negativity that it almost ended her career.
And sometimes, a miracle is required to bring new life into such a struggling career, and for Hathaway, it was Christopher Nolan. But how did the man behind films like Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy save the day?
How Christopher Nolan Rescued Hathaway’s Career
Anne Hathaway is one of those Hollywood stars whose journey into Hollywood has not been smooth. People expected her to become a big sensation after her performances in The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada, and her Oscar for Les Misérables in 2013 should have been the final boost required for this. However, it rather caused a decline in her career trajectory.
The setback was due to backlash from the public after her Oscar win. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hathaway said,
A lot of people wouldn’t give me roles because they were so concerned about how toxic my identity had become online.
But just when it seemed everything was falling apart for her, Christopher Nolan cast her in Interstellar and reestablished her place in Hollywood. Hathaway credits Nolan with saving her career during this rough phase.
I had an angel in Christopher Nolan, who did not care about that and gave me one of the most beautiful roles I’ve had in one of the best films that I’ve been a part of.
Hathaway played Dr. Amelia Brand in Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi epic. Her role as a NASA scientist and an astronaut brought back her image of an incredible talent to audiences and movie producers.
Nolan looked past all the hate Hathaway received from the public. He had worked with her in The Dark Knight Rises, where she played Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, and hence he understood what she could do for the role, and the actress didn’t disappoint.
The “Hathahate” Phenomenon and Its Decline
The phenomenon of ‘Hathahate’ started during the early 2010s and reached its peak around 2013. It is an example of how the internet can target a public figure for no apparent reason at all.
The backlash picked pace at the 2011 Oscars, which Hathaway co-hosted with James Franco. The show failed to impress the audience, and many believed Hathaway was overly energetic while Franco seemed detached.
It changed for the worse at the 2013 awards season. While many applauded Hathaway for her performance in Les Misérables, viewers of her acceptance speech accused her of being too rehearsed, too emotional, and too self-absorbed. Everything Hathaway did landed her getting criticized on the internet for one reason or another.
It was not only her professional life. Many started hating her personality, accusing her of being too perfect and inauthentic. It went to an extent where Hathaway decided to take a break from everything (as per HuffPost).
But her return was backed by a series of hit movies like The Intern, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Ocean’s 8 among others, thanks to her role in Interstellar. By 2017, people began to question the validity of the hate campaign.
Interstellar is available to stream on Netflix and Prime Video.
