Anne Hathaway was told that her acting career wouldn’t last long — and she ultimately proved them wrong.
“When I started out [in this industry] 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,” Hathaway, 41, said in an interview with Net-a-Porter published on Monday, November 13. “The thing that has evolved during [that time] is that more women are having careers deeper into their lives, which I think is fantastic.”
While Hathaway didn’t reveal who gave her the incorrect prediction, she didn’t harp on their perspective. Instead, the Princess Diaries star took action and focused on accomplishing her dreams.
“I’ve always been really upfront about being an ambitious person,” she explained. “I have goals, I have dreams; they don’t look much different than they did when I was [younger], but I’m still pursuing them.”
Hathaway got her start in Hollywood in the early 2000s as she scored a breakout role in the Princess Diaries. After gaining success with a series of royal roles, Hathaway decided to transition into more dramatic projects including 2005’s Brokeback Mountain and 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada — which became her biggest commercial success at the time before portraying Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises.
“It is such a sweet feeling to know that you’re kind of woven into someone’s life. I can’t describe the honor of knowing that I’m involved in the moments where people need comfort,” she told the outlet of how her past work has influenced a younger generation. “It makes me really excited that my journey as a performer has connected with people. I love [when] projects have a life beyond their initial release.”
Hathaway’s career didn’t show any signs of stopping after that point. She would go on to earn her first Academy Award nomination for her starring role in the 2008 drama Rachel Getting Married. She ultimately took home the Oscar in 2012 for her role as Fantine in the film adaptation of Les Misérables. Hathaway also has a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
As Hathaway — who became one of the world’s highest-paid actresses in 2015 according to Forbes — continues to accomplish her goals, she’s surrounded by the same folks who were there for her when she began acting at age 16.
“There’s really good seasoning on the pan in a lot of the relationships in my life, and I feel like I’m still growing,” she gushed while noting how grateful she was to “be invited back to the table” in the industry.
