Anne Hathaway has revealed she spent a whole week preparing for a role that Christopher Nolan intended to offer, only to discover there was a misunderstanding.
Being one of Hollywood’s most prominent directors, a meeting with the Oppenheimer filmmaker is something any actor would meticulously prepare for.
Hathaway did precisely that when Nolan approached her regarding a role.
The mix-up occurred because Hathaway believed she was auditioning for the role of Harley Quinn in The Dark Knight Rises, but instead, she was being considered for Catwoman.
It was only two hours into their discussion that Nolan informed her of the actual role she was being considered for, leading Hathaway to realize she was meeting for the part of Batman’s next adversary.
In a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hathaway explained: “Here’s the thing that worked in my favor: she’s a chameleon. So, I knew I was auditioning for… I was meeting with Chris [Nolan] for the female role in the Batman trilogy, the next installment.
“I thought that I’d gamed it out, because I was just like, ‘It can’t be Catwoman because Michelle Pfeiffer was so iconic… [gasp] It’s going to be Harley Quinn!'”
Continuing, Hathaway shared: “So, I spent a week developing demonic Harley Quinn energy. I was wearing weird jester flats and a striped top.
“And then, about two hours into our conversation, Chris is like, ‘So, the part’s Catwoman,’ and I was like, ‘Transform!’ So, I just then decided that I was like, ‘Well, this top is very sensual.’ And I was going to be very… like a psychopath. I changed personalities like a psychopath.”
Even though her preparation was for a different role, Hathaway successfully landed the role of Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, marking her first collaboration with Nolan.
Since then, Hathaway has starred in other Nolan films, including Interstellar, and is set to appear in The Odyssey, which is scheduled for release this month.
Nolan’s upcoming film is set to be a major Hollywood release, featuring a star-studded cast including Hathaway, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Zendaya.
Hathaway acknowledges Nolan’s role in revitalizing her career during the period of criticism following her Oscar win for Les Misérables.
“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,” she shared with Vanity Fair in 2024.