Anne Hathaway: Holywood Princess

Anne Hathaway is an American actress known for her sophisticated style and her evolving movie career. In the last year she has made many magazine headlines because of her personal life but now the media attention has turned to Oscar-buzz for her current film role.


Anne Hathaway’s first breakout movie role was as Disney’s princess in the Disney family movie "The Princess Diaries," also starring legendary singer and actress Julie Andrews. This role established Hathaway’s career. She went onto star in other family movies in the next three years including "Ella Enchanted" and a sequel to "The Princess Diaries."

In 2005, Hathaway broke away from the family-movie roles and starred in adult-themed movies like "Havoc," "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Devil Wears Prada." Most recently she starred in "Becoming Jane" and "Get Smart," which was released in June of 2008.

People magazine has featured Hathaway first as a 2001 "breakthrough stars" and again in 2006 as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People." Hathaway has appeared in fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair and InStyle for her sophisticated personal style. InStyle magazine editors dub the actress’s style "ever-elegant."


During the summer of 2008 while Hathaway was promoting her summer movie, "Get Smart" with Steve Carrell, Hathaway’s private life was all over the pages of celebrity magazines including People magazine, Life and Style Magazine, Us Weekly magazine and other celebrity magazines. The media attention stemmed from Hathaway’s June break up with her boyfriend, Raffaello Follieri, after nearly four years together. Follieri, an aspiring Italian real estate mogul, who shortly after the break-up was arrested, jailed and charged with stealing millions from investors while posing as a Vatican agent. In September People magazine reported Folllieri pleaded guilty to 14 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy and faces sentencing Oct 3 and his lawyers have started negotiating the terms of his plea-bargain. The New York Times also reported the plea bargain required him to give up $2.4 million, 12 watches and 9 pieces of jewelry; the jewelry, The New York Times reported, is believed to be Hathaway’s.

Immediately following Follieri’s arrest Hathaway remained silent regarding the situation but a month later the actress appeared on the cover of W magazine and talked about the difficult times, saying "Right now I don't have the wherewithal to be anything except professional," she said at the time. "As soon as I found out about the arrest, I had to get on a plane to Mexico to do a press tour for Get Smart. And then I spent a week in shock at a friend's house. And then I had to go back and do more press, and I haven't stopped since."

In the fall of 2008 Anne Hathaway will appear in the indie drama film "Rachel Getting Married," directed by Jonathan Demme. Her role as Kym, a recovering drug addict is the most dramatic departure from her innocent Disney princesses in family films, as well as the more mature roles in "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Get Smart." Many entertainment and celebrity magazines are speculating Hathaway’s performance will garner Oscar-attention. Entertainment Weekly said of Hathaway’s performance, "Since playing at the Venice and Toronto festivals, the movie has earned the 25-year-old actress the kind of reviews that precede Oscar nominations. Owen Gleiberman, for one, wrote from Toronto: ''Hathaway is a revelation: She shoots far beyond giving a damn about her 'likability' in a performance as scalding as it is controlled. She makes toxic narcissism magnetic.''


Most recently Hathaway told magazine reporters at a Sept. 15 press conference, including People magazine, "Everything that has happened to me, good and bad, I feel has happened for a reason."

Along with "Rachel Getting Married," Hathaway appears in the 2008 drama "Passengers" and the upcoming 2009 comedy romance "Bride Wars."