Anne Hathaway attends a Versace fashion show in Milan. Jacopo Raule/Getty Images
- On Monday, Anne Hathaway spoke to Vanity Fair about the “Hathahate” phenomenon.
- In the early 2010s, Hathaway received online hate for no real reason.
- Hathaway said “Hathahate” cost her roles, even after her first Oscar win in 2013.
Anne Hathaway has spoken out about losing movie roles over the “Hathahate” phenomenon that unfolded over a decade ago.
In the early 2010s, Hathaway faced a wave of social media abuse, branded “Hathahate,” even though the actor hadn’t done anything discernible wrong.
Hathaway told Vanity Fair in a cover story published on Monday that the backlash cost her roles even after she won her first Oscar in 2013.
“A lot of people wouldn’t give me roles because they were so concerned about how toxic my identity had become online,” Hathaway said, without specifying which roles she was overlooked for.
Now, Hathaway is seen in a much more positive light, with social media users praising her appearances on and off the big screen.
Here’s what to know about “Hathahate” and how Hathaway bounced back from the controversy.
‘Hathahate’ began with Anne Hathaway’s panned Oscars hosting gig.
The hate campaign against Hathaway began in 2011 after her universally panned Oscars hosting gig with fellow rising star James Franco.
It was seen as a disaster due to their lack of chemistry — Hathaway was too cheery while Franco tried to act too cool. In the wake of criticism, Franco threw Hathaway under the bus, and told the “Late Show with David Letterman” that year: “Anne Hathaway is so energetic, I think the Tasmanian Devil would look stoned standing next to Anne Hathaway.”
That year, comic book fans complained when she was cast as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” because they didn’t think she was sexy enough.
The final nail in the coffin was Hathaway’s 2013 award circuit, where almost every speech she made was criticized for being too rehearsed, emotional, or self-absorbed. The hate didn’t stop there: people said they didn’t like her face or that she was too perfect.
Now, Hathaway is seen as a victim of a misogynist culture that puts the actions of women, particularly those in the public eye, under a microscope and criticizes their every move. It’s not so different from the recent backlash faced by Brie Larson and Rachel Zegler, who have also done nothing to deserve their pariah status.
Hathaway said she struggled to get roles until Christopher Nolan stepped in.
Amid the backlash, Hathaway stepped away from the public eye, telling the Huffington Post in 2014: “My impression is that people needed a break from me.”
Hathaway’s acting career didn’t slow down during this period. She appeared in the same number of movies from 2013 to 2016 as the four years before 2013. But, apart from two sequels and Nolan’s “Interstellar” in 2014, Hathaway was no longer starring in the same major Hollywood movies as before “Hathahate.”
After winning an Oscar, most actors would be chased to star in new projects, but Hathaway told Vanity Fair that directors and producers were wary of casting her amid the public backlash. Hathaway said Nolan kept her career afloat by giving her a role in “Interstellar.”
“I don’t know if he knew that he was backing me at the time, but it had that effect,” Hathaway said. “And my career did not lose momentum the way it could have if he hadn’t backed me.”
It took some time, but Hathaway’s retreat from the public eye and Nolan’s support seemed to work. By 2017, the tide turned again, and social media users and reporters began criticizing the “Hathahaters.”
Hathaway gradually returned to starring in more popular movies and TV shows again. She appeared in “Ocean’s 8” in 2018, followed by “Hustle” in 2019, and was the standout star in “WeCrashed” in 2022.
Hathaway has become a fan-favorite again, and there is widespread anticipation for her upcoming movies, “Mother’s Instinct” and “The Idea of You.”
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/why-did-everyone-hate-anne-hathaway-hathahate-explained-2024-3