Anne Hathaway is stealing the spotlight again with her newest rom-com project with Nicholas Galitzine, The Idea of You. The story follows 40-year-old single mom Solène who finds an unexpected romance with a 24-year-old band vocalist.
The Academy Award-winning actress does not let anyone’s opinions about her career affect her choices in taking new roles. While the star rose to fame for her rom-com dramas in the early 2000s, she’s not afraid to revisit her roots even after winning an Oscar for her part in Les Misérables.
Anne Hathaway Reveals Why She Accepted Her Role In The Idea of You
During her speech at the SXSW24 via DiscussingFilm, actress Anne Hathaway responded to the question of why she chose to join a project like The Idea of You.
“I don’t want to be pigeonholed and don’t want to be placed in a box of what type of films I have to be making because of my age, gender, and because I won an Oscar. I want to have fun, dammit. It speaks to me.”
The 41-year-old star recalled in her interview with Porter Magazine via Business Insider an advice she received when she was younger about Hollywood’s treatment of older actresses.
“When I started out as a child, I was warned that my career would fall off a cliff at the age of 35, which is something I know a lot of women face. The thing that has evolved during [that time] is that more women are having careers deeper into their lives, which I think is fantastic.”
Many actresses have found success in their careers even as they get older, which proves that times are changing, and the industry is not so harsh anymore when it comes to giving job opportunities to older female celebrities.
“Obviously, it doesn’t mean we should have a ticker-tape parade — someone said this to me the other day: ‘There’s so much to be proud of and there’s so much to fix.’ ”
Hathaway is the perfect example of being able to choose a project simply because she likes the concept of it, not because her age fits the role. Such can be considered stereotyping which is quite detrimental to the careers of many actors.
Anne Hathaway On The Concept Of Ageing
While a lot of fans are praising Hathaway for her youthful looks, the actress has a candid reply for everyone who puts her on a pedestal because she “looks good” for her age. She stated via Today:
“I don’t think about age. To me, ageing is another word for living. If people want to pay you a compliment, that’s nice. But also, whatever the hype is, I’m interested in what’s beyond the concept of hype.”
The Princess Diaries star is clearly embracing her youth as she ages gracefully, and with it comes the idea of taking on projects that make her happy and, at the same time, defy the expectations of society especially for older women.
The Idea of You is now showing in theaters.
