Anne Hathaway became a household name when she starred in the Disney comedy The Princess Diaries. Her performance was met with great acclaim and the film has a cult following. She has since starred in several blockbusters and critically acclaimed films.
One of her most well-known roles was in the comedy-drama The Devil Wears Prada and Christopher Nolan’s superhero film The Dark Knight Rises. While both were blockbusters and had a huge budget, her biggest payday came in the form of one of her most critically acclaimed films, which won her first Oscar.
Anne Hathaway’s Hollywood Career
Anne Hathaway comes from a line of artists, with her mother being an actress herself. She reportedly became fascinated with acting and the stage when she saw her mother perform Les Misérables at the age of eight. While her parents did not want her to go down that path, she continued to pursue it as she acted in many plays in school.
Her first on-screen role began with the TV series Get Real and while she was studying in college, she was cast in the lead role of Mia Thermopolis in the Disney film The Princess Diaries. It was her first film role and it propelled her to global stardom. The film was an unexpected success at the box office, earning $165 million, and even got a sequel.
Hathaway starred in several family films before transitioning to more adult roles, starting with Havoc. She had her dramatic breakthrough in the film Brokeback Mountain, where she starred along with Jake Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger. She then starred in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama The Devil Wears Prada, along with Meryl Streep.
Hathaway then starred in the drama Rachel Getting Married, for which she earned her first Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination. She starred in films such as Valentine’s Day and Alice in Wonderland, before starring as Selina Kyle a.k.a Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. She starred opposite Christian Bale in the film.
Anne Hathaway’s Biggest Paydays
In her illustrious two-decade career, Anne Hathway has steadily climbed the Hollywood ladder and has become one of the most well-known stars. Her films have reportedly grossed over $6 billion globally and she has received much acclaim. She was one of the highest-paid actresses till 2015 and has a net worth of $80 million.
For her stardom, Hathway has earned huge paychecks. While the DC superhero film based on one of the most popular characters Batman would be the most obvious choice to be her biggest payday, it was actually her award-winning drama Les Misérables that earned her millions.
According to Marca, Anne Hathaway received a paycheck of $1 million for her role in The Devil Wears Prada, which also had heavy hitters such as Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt. She earned a much bigger paycheck of $7.5 million for her role in The Dark Knight Rises, which had stewarts such as Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman in the cast.
However, in a poetic set of events, Anne Hathway earned her biggest paycheck of $10 million for her role as Fantine in the musical drama Les Misérables. Playing the role that first attracted her to acting when it was played by her mother, the film also got her her first Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for the film, which also starred Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe among others.
