In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Anne Hathaway revealed "angel" Christopher Nolan saved her career by giving her a role in his 2014 film Interstellar while many were still riding the "Hathahate" wave.
After her 2013 Oscar win for her performance in Les Misérables, people on social media grew critical of Hathaway, spreading online hate for seemingly no other reason than her Best Supporting Actress win. But the criticism grew far and wide, touching on everything from her style choice to her acceptance speech.
And though much of the media was baffled, the hate continued—but Hathaway revealed it could have been much worse if Nolan hadn't stepped in.
She told Vanity Fair:
“A lot of people wouldn’t give me roles because they were so concerned about how toxic my identity had become online.”
“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 chief scientist Amelia Brand alongside a number of other "stellar" actors, such as Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon, Michael Caine and many more.
The actor continued that, whether or not Nolan was aware of it, he rescued her Hollywood career.
“I don’t know if he knew that he was backing me at the time, but it had that effect."
“And my career did not lose momentum the way it could have if he hadn’t backed me.”
People on social media also deemed Nolan an "angel" for giving Hathaway a chance based on talent and not online chatter.
And to this day, many are still perplexed by "Hathahate."
Though she found a lifeline in Nolan, Hathaway revealed her experience was still “such a rough thing to go through.”
But she found a way to manage.
“The key is to not let it close you down. You have to stay bold, and it can be hard because you’re like, ‘If I stay safe, if I hug the middle, if I don’t draw too much attention to myself, it won’t hurt.’ But if you want to do that, don’t be an actor."
“You’re a tightrope walker. You’re a daredevil. You’re asking people to invest their time and their money, and their attention and their care into you."
"So you have to give them something worth all of those things. And if it’s not costing you anything, what are you really offering?”
Hathaway also admitted it only made her stronger.
In 2021, she told The Sun she was “incredibly empowered” by it all.
“So I guess what I’d say is when the bad sh*t happens, don’t fear it."
"Just go with it, flow with it."
Very, very wise words.
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