ANNE Hathaway is one of Hollywood’s hottest actresses. In just ten years,
she has graduated from films such as The Princess Diaries to last year’s
romantic hit, One Day.
And along the way there’s been The Devil Wears Prada, Brokeback Mountain
and Rachel Getting Married.
Anne, 29, works for several key charities and is known for her efforts with
the Step Up Women’s Network, which helps teenage girls.
She became engaged last November to actor Adam Shulman and co-stars in the
latest Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, out this summer.
Here she tells GARTH PEARCE what her mum taught her.
“MY mother, Kate McCauley, taught me to be always understanding of other
people — and to have a sense of humour about yourself.
You need to hold on to that sense of humour. I have been in so many
embarrassing situations over the years. I remember going to the School Of
Rock premiere and wore a dress I didn’t realise was see-through. I wasn’t
wearing a bra.
It was horrible. I cried my eyes out when I saw the pictures. Unfortunately,
because of the internet those pictures have never gone away.
There was another time, on my first press interviews after Princess Diaries,
that I had no idea what to wear.
I ran out to Banana Republic and bought a bright turquoise blue top. But,
unfortunately, because I was in a hot room, I had massive sweat stains. And
I was wearing pink leather trousers. After the hair and make-up was
complete, I managed to look like a 40-year-old hooker. It was a disaster.
But if you don’t look back and have a laugh at things like that, you really
are taking yourself and life too seriously. Mom will also never discuss or
criticise my performances, which is exactly the way it should be. There are
plenty of others who can do that.
She was a stage actress who never got a break. I learned from that, too,
because there is so much luck involved in acting success. Instead, she
became a great homemaker for myself, my two brothers and Dad.
Thanks to Mom, I never sit in judgment. Lindsay Lohan and I have more in
common than people think. We’ve all done things we shouldn’t.
It is just that I did stuff at college when nobody knew about it, so I’m not a
saint. I wasted time doing self-destructive things.
I found out you can only dance on so many table tops. I got all that out of my
system and I am healthy and grounded.
What practical tips has Mom passed on? Well, my family are all very pale, with
an Irish and French ancestry. My mom had some skin issues and my grandmother
had skin cancer. So she has taught me to wear factor 30 sun cream every day.
I even carry an umbrella if I walk in the sunshine and use spray tan if I
need to look as if I’ve been sunbathing.
I also use a special lotion to regenerate skin cells. At least, that’s what
they told me when they charged 400 dollars (£266) for it!
Mom has also encouraged me not to be one of those people who worry about
weight. I know when people refer to me as a “regular” girl, that it is a
code word for “fat” in Hollywood. It is completely understandable, as a
teenager, to fret about your body. It is scary, because you don’t know how
it is going to end up.
But I am not a teenager any more and my body has chosen its shape. I would
rather be strong than skinny for most roles. I’ve actually had directors say
to me: “You are the best actress for the role but you’ve put on weight
recently.” If they can’t understand that I put on 5lb now and again, I don’t
want to deal with them.
I try to keep my personal life low-key, particularly after what happened to
me. (Her former boyfriend, Raffaello Follieri was arrested and jailed for
fraud in 2008 and she had to hand back jewellery he had bought her). As I
say, I do need to keep a sense of humour!
But, of course, I have often got things out of perspective. I started going to
auditions when I was just 15, trying to get hired as an actress, and being
rejected.
When I was 16, I remember sobbing in the kitchen and my mom said: “What’s the
matter?” I said: “Tara Lipinski won a gold medal at 15 (for figure skating
at the 1998 Winter Olympics). I am now 16. What do I have to show for it?”
My mom looked at Dad and then said to me: “Maybe you are taking things a
little bit too seriously?””