Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Anne Hathaway

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Anne Hathaway made an impact.

Anne Hathaway is a highly successful American actress renowned for her versatile performances in a wide range of films. She has received numerous prestigious awards, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, showcasing her critical acclaim. Her movies have generated over $6.8 billion globally, and she was featured on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list in 2009. Furthermore, she was recognized as one of the highest-paid actresses in the world in 2015, indicating her significant financial success in the entertainment industry.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1999: Casting in Get Real

In 1999, Anne Hathaway was cast in the Fox television series "Get Real" three days after her performance at Carnegie Hall, launching her television career.

1999: Get Real Series

In 1999, Anne Hathaway was cast in the television series "Get Real", marking an early role in her television career.

2000: Get Real Series

In 2000, Anne Hathaway continued her role in the television series "Get Real", further developing her acting experience.

2001: The Princess Diaries Breakthrough

In 2001, Anne Hathaway achieved her breakthrough role by playing the lead in the Disney comedy "The Princess Diaries", launching her into mainstream recognition.

2001: Missing College Semester for The Princess Diaries

In 2001, Anne Hathaway missed her first college semester due to filming "The Princess Diaries", marking a significant decision in favor of her acting career.

2001: Starring in The Princess Diaries

In 2001, Anne Hathaway starred in "The Princess Diaries", based on Meg Cabot's novel, portraying Mia Thermopolis, which became a major commercial success.

2001: Breakthrough Star Recognition

In 2001, People magazine named Anne Hathaway one of its breakthrough stars, recognizing her success in "The Princess Diaries".

February 2002: New York City Stage Debut

In February 2002, Anne Hathaway made her New York City stage debut in the City Center Encores! concert production of Carnival!, where she played Lili.

2002: The Cat Returns and Nicholas Nickleby

In 2002, Anne Hathaway voiced Haru Yoshioka in the English version of "The Cat Returns" and starred in "Nicholas Nickleby", marking a busy year in her career.

2003: Turning Down The Phantom of the Opera

In 2003, Anne Hathaway turned down the role of Christine Daaé in "The Phantom of the Opera" due to scheduling conflicts with "The Princess Diaries 2".

August 2004: The Princess Diaries 2 Release

In August 2004, Anne Hathaway starred in "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement", which was released to negative reviews but achieved commercial success.

2004: Starring in Ella Enchanted

In 2004, Anne Hathaway starred in the family film "Ella Enchanted", continuing her presence in the family film genre.

2005: Transition to Adult Roles

In 2005, Anne Hathaway began transitioning to adult roles, including starring in the drama "Havoc", to avoid typecasting.

2005: Brokeback Mountain Role

In 2005, Anne Hathaway played Lureen, the wife of Jack Twist, in the critically acclaimed drama "Brokeback Mountain", showcasing her range as an actress.

July 2006: Vaccination Work in Nicaragua

In July 2006, Anne Hathaway spent a week in Nicaragua helping to vaccinate children against hepatitis A.

2006: The Devil Wears Prada Release

In 2006, Anne Hathaway starred in "The Devil Wears Prada", based on Lauren Weisberger's novel, which became her most widely seen film to that point.

2007: Becoming Jane Release

In 2007, Anne Hathaway starred in "Becoming Jane" as Jane Austen, preparing extensively for the role and receiving a British Independent Film Award nomination.

January 2008: Became the Face of Lancôme

In January 2008, Anne Hathaway joined Lancôme as the face of their fragrance "Magnifique."

October 2008: Hosted Saturday Night Live and Starred in Get Smart

In October 2008, Anne Hathaway hosted Saturday Night Live and starred as Agent 99 in the film adaptation of Get Smart, calling it a "childhood dream come true". She also appeared in Rachel Getting Married, earning critical acclaim and Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations.

2008: Commercial Success with Get Smart

In 2008, Anne Hathaway achieved further commercial success with the comedy "Get Smart", expanding her presence in different genres.

2008: Academy Award Nomination

In 2008, Anne Hathaway earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the drama "Rachel Getting Married", recognizing her critical acclaim.

2008: Starred in "Get Smart" and "Rachel Getting Married"

In 2008, Anne Hathaway starred in "Get Smart" and "Rachel Getting Married", contributing to her acclaim and box office success.

2008: Honored for Philanthropy

In 2008, Anne Hathaway was honored at Elle's Women in Hollywood tribute and received an award from the Human Rights Campaign for her philanthropy and work with Step Up Women's Network.

2009: Forbes Celebrity 100 List

In 2009, Anne Hathaway appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, highlighting her rising fame and success in the entertainment industry.

2009: Starred in Bride Wars and Twelfth Night

In 2009, Anne Hathaway starred in the film Bride Wars, which she described as "hideously commercial—gloriously so." She also played Viola in a summer production of Twelfth Night at the Delacorte Theater in New York City, garnering a Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance.

2009: Starring in Bride Wars

In 2009, Anne Hathaway starred in the romance film "Bride Wars", continuing her presence in popular romantic comedies.

December 2010: Hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert

In December 2010, Anne Hathaway, along with Denzel Washington, hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.

2010: Appeared in Valentine's Day and Alice in Wonderland

In 2010, Anne Hathaway appeared in Valentine's Day as a receptionist. She also played the White Queen in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which grossed $1 billion.

2010: Starred in "Valentine's Day", "Alice in Wonderland", and "Love and Other Drugs"

In 2010, Anne Hathaway starred in "Valentine's Day", "Alice in Wonderland", and "Love and Other Drugs", further solidifying her career.

2010: Multiple Film Releases

In 2010, Anne Hathaway starred in multiple films including "Valentine's Day", "Love & Other Drugs", and "Alice in Wonderland", marking a busy and successful year in her career.

2010: Teamed Up with World Bank

In 2010, Anne Hathaway teamed up with the World Bank in a two-year development program called The Girl Effect, which focuses on empowering girls in developing and developed nations.

2010: Primetime Emmy Award

In 2010, Anne Hathaway won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for her voice role in an episode of The Simpsons.

2011: Became the Face of Tod's

In 2011, Anne Hathaway became the face of the Italian company Tod's.

2011: Voiced characters in Family Guy

In 2011, Anne Hathaway continued voicing different characters in Family Guy after starting in 2010.

2011: Voiced Jewel in Rio and Starred in One Day

In 2011, Anne Hathaway voiced Jewel in the animated film Rio. She also starred in One Day, based on David Nicholls' novel.

2012: Starred in The Dark Knight Rises

In 2012, Anne Hathaway played Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide. She also released an audiobook recording of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

2012: Portrayed Fantine in Les Misérables

In 2012, Anne Hathaway portrayed Fantine in Les Misérables, an adaptation of the stage musical, for which she later won multiple awards.

2012: Catwoman and Les Misérables

In 2012, Anne Hathaway starred as Catwoman in "The Dark Knight Rises" and played Fantine in "Les Misérables", winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter, marking a significant year in her career.

2012: Starred in "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Les Misérables"

In 2012, Anne Hathaway starred in "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Les Misérables", two of her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films.

January 2013: Hathaway's rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream' charted on Billboard Hot 100

In January 2013, Anne Hathaway's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables reached number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2013: Appeared in Don Jon and co-produced Song One

In 2013, Anne Hathaway appeared briefly in Don Jon and starred in and co-produced the drama film Song One.

2013: Narrated "Girl Rising" Documentary

In 2013, Anne Hathaway narrated "Girl Rising", a CNN documentary film about the power of female education.

January 2014: Song One premiered at Sundance Film Festival

In January 2014, Song One, starring and co-produced by Anne Hathaway, premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 30th Sundance Film Festival.

2014: Starring in Interstellar

In 2014, Anne Hathaway played a scientist in the science fiction film "Interstellar", showcasing her versatility in different roles.

2014: Reprised role in Rio 2 and starred in Interstellar

In 2014, Anne Hathaway reprised her role as Jewel in Rio 2. Her sole live-action release was Christopher Nolan's epic science fiction film Interstellar.

2015: Appeared on Lip Sync Battle and starred in The Intern

In 2015, Anne Hathaway appeared in Lip Sync Battle and starred in Nancy Meyers' The Intern.

2015: Discussed Career Struggles

In 2015, Anne Hathaway discussed her struggles to find serious roles after her breakthrough in "The Princess Diaries", using the fear of being typecast as motivation to build a versatile body of work.

2015: The Intern Release

In 2015, Anne Hathaway played the owner of a fashion website in the comedy "The Intern", adding to her diverse filmography.

2015: Starred in "The Intern"

In 2015, Anne Hathaway starred in "The Intern", adding to her portfolio of successful films.

2015: World's Highest-Paid Actresses

In 2015, Anne Hathaway was recognized as one of the world's highest-paid actresses, marking a significant achievement in her career.

2016: Reprised role in Alice Through the Looking Glass and starred in Colossal

In 2016, Anne Hathaway reprised the role of the White Queen in Alice Through the Looking Glass. That year, she starred alongside Jason Sudeikis in Nacho Vigalondo's science fiction black comedy Colossal.

2016: Starred in "Colossal"

In 2016, Anne Hathaway starred in "Colossal", an acclaimed film contributing to her versatile filmography.

2016: Appointed UN Women Goodwill Ambassador

In 2016, Anne Hathaway was appointed UN Women Goodwill ambassador, advocating for gender equality.

2016: Be My Cat: A Film for Anne premiered at Nashville Film Festival

In 2016, the found footage horror film Be My Cat: A Film for Anne, about an aspiring Romanian filmmaker who goes to shocking extremes to convince Hathaway to star in his film, had its North American premiere at the Nashville Film Festival.

July 2018: Films Grossed $6.7 Billion Worldwide

As of July 2018, Anne Hathaway's films had grossed $6.7 billion worldwide.

November 2018: Nomination for New Jersey Hall of Fame

In November 2018, Anne Hathaway was nominated for the New Jersey Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to society.

2018: Collaborated on Time's Up Initiative

In 2018, Anne Hathaway collaborated with 300 women in Hollywood to establish the Time's Up initiative, aimed at protecting women from harassment and discrimination.

2018: Ocean's 8 Role

In 2018, Anne Hathaway played a haughty actress in the heist film "Ocean's 8", continuing to take on varied and interesting roles.

2018: Starred in "Ocean's 8"

In 2018, Anne Hathaway starred in "Ocean's 8", another of her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films.

2018: Career Praised for Subtle Brilliance

In 2018, an Esquire writer noted that many of Anne Hathaway's good performances had been overlooked, describing her career as "subtle brilliance that has largely gone unnoticed".

May 2019: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

In May 2019, Anne Hathaway received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrating her impact on the film industry.

2019: Starring in The Hustle

In 2019, Anne Hathaway played a con artist in the comedy "The Hustle", showcasing her comedic talents.

2019: Films "Serenity" and "The Hustle" Released

In 2019, Anne Hathaway starred in two films: the thriller "Serenity", where she played a woman who tasks her ex-husband to kill her new abusive husband, and the comedy "The Hustle", a remake of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" with Rebel Wilson. "Serenity" received poor reviews, while "The Hustle" was a sleeper hit.

2020: Starred in "The Last Thing He Wanted" and "The Witches"

In 2020, Anne Hathaway starred in the political thriller "The Last Thing He Wanted" and the adaptation of "The Witches." Both films received mixed to negative reviews, leading to nominations for Worst Actress at the Golden Raspberry Awards.

2022: Response to Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In 2022, Anne Hathaway expressed support for the people of Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion, donating to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, UNICEF, and Save the Children.

2022: WeCrashed Miniseries

In 2022, Anne Hathaway played Rebekah Neumann in the miniseries "WeCrashed", expanding her repertoire to television miniseries.

March 2023: Upcoming Roles Announced

As of March 2023, Anne Hathaway will star in David Lowery's "Mother Mary" and will lead David Robert Mitchell's science fiction film "Flowervale Street."

2023: Played Troubled Psychiatrists in Two Films

In 2023, Anne Hathaway starred as emotionally troubled psychiatrists in "Eileen", which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and "She Came to Me", released at the Berlin International Film Festival.

2024: Starred in "Mothers' Instinct" and "The Idea of You"

In 2024, Anne Hathaway starred in "Mothers' Instinct" as a grieving mother and in "The Idea of You" as a divorced mother in a romance with a younger pop star, receiving praise for her performance in the latter.

2024: The Idea of You Release

In 2024, Anne Hathaway starred in the romantic comedy "The Idea of You" as an older woman dating a young pop star, highlighting her continued presence in the genre.