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Get Real (1999-2000)
Anne Hathaway began her acting career opposite Rio co-star Jesse Eisenberg in this teen drama, which aired on Fox in the US.
The pair played brother and sister Kenny and Meghan Green before their film careers took off. Eric Christian Olsen, played the third sibling, and Mila Kunis had a guest role, making the show quite the springboard for emerging talent.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… er, not TV, apparently. The small screen was too small for her, and she quickly graduated to movies.
The Princess Diaries (2001)
Hathaway found mainstream fame extremely early, starring in this perky, wish-fulfilment fairytale from Pretty Woman director Garry Marshall. It's about as realistic and predictable as that earlier effort, but it's also as undemandingly entertaining.
That's largely thanks to Anne Hathaway's charming turn as the uncouth duckling who's transformed into an swan with perfect etiquette, althought the rest of the cast also have fun wringing a few grins out of the formula.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… carrying big movies effortlessly.
The Other Side of Heaven (2001)
Hathaway actually shot this religious drama before The Princess Diaries . If she'd have known she had that hit on her hands she'd have probably skipped this religious drama, which also happened to be distributed by Disney.
Christopher Gorham (er, him off Ugly Betty ) is John Groberg in this adaptation of the Mormon missionary's book. Groberg travels to Tonga to spread the good word, while his love (Hathaway) is left to mope at home. Expect to feel more cynical than uplifted by the time his job is done.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… appearing classy in the most uninspiring period fare.
The Cat Returns (2002)
This Studio Ghibli adventure is pretty odd, even by their own whimsical standards. While there's the expected assortment of oddball characters, and an intriguing feline set-up, this lacks the crossover appeal of Spirited Away or My Neighbour Totoro .
When Haru (Hathaway in the English language dub) saves a cat from certain death by oncoming vehicle, she's surprised to discover that he's kitteh royalty. When she's being bestowed with unwanted gifts it's at its most fun, but it loses a bit of its charm when she's whisked off to the cat kingdom.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… voice-over work. It’s something she’ll return to again and again.
Nicholas Nickleby (2002)
Anne Hathaway next appeared in this Dickens adaptation. The doorstop of a novel was mercilessly pruned to make for a manageable, though still fairly faithful, adaptation.
Her porcelain features suit Madeleine Bray, the luckless artist hamstrung by a debt-ridden father, who falls for limp lead Charlie Hunnam. Hathaway proves she can get her tonsils around an English accent, and she wears the period garb well.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… English accents.
Ella Enchanted (2004)
Hathaway cemented her reputation as the contemporary tween princess with this irreverent fairy tale romp. Despite the fact it contains Cary Elwes, it's no Princess Bride , but it's no disaster either.
In fact, there's a pleasing streak of knowing humour that puts this a cut above lazier family fare, injecting the fantasy format with some up-to-date gags. A musical number (Queen's 'Somebody to Love') also gives Hathaway the chance to demonstrate her considerable pipes.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… singing. She’s an old-school all-round entertainer.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
Good-natured wish-fulfilment the first one may have been, but this unwarranted sequel tested patience even further with a beyond-contrived script.
Hathaway's looking ever more comfortable though, breezily carrying the movie, with a little help from returning support players Julie Andrews and Hector Elizondo. This one may retain a small amount of interest as a result of an early appearance from Star Trek star Chris Pine as a rakish suitor, but that's it.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… The kids. She was at the height of her tween stardom here.
Hoodwinked! (2005)
It was another fairytale send-up for Hathaway here, albeit an animated one. The CGI could be colourfully described as 'rustic', but Hoodwinked! has a successful enough gag rate to earn itself a pass.
The plot puts a multiple-perspective spin on the Red Riding Hood tale, explaining how a journalist Wolf, an extreme-sports granny and a not-so-naive Red have got tangled up in a compromising situation.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… irreverent fairytales. Shrek missed out.
Havoc (2005)
Hathaway took a sledgehammer to her pristine princess image by shedding her clothes and indulging in all kinds of delinquency in this spoilt-kids-gone-bad drama.
It’s refreshing to see her essaying an edgier character, but the film itself is a total disappointment. The nudity, and a Dark Knight Rises pre-union for Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, mean this’ll probably maintain some DVD interest, but it failed to score any dramatic credibility.
Anne Hath-A-Way of… asserting herself. It didn’t take her long to shed the wholesome image.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
This was much more like it, as Hathaway was embraced in a role that was edgy and type-cast busting in all the right ways. Here she played Southern rodeo star Lureen Newsome, who ends up married to Jake Gyllenhaal’s less-than-attentive Jack Twist.
Heath Ledger and Gyllenhaal share the brunt of the drama, but Hathaway and Michelle Williams provide essential support in potentially-unsympathetic wife roles, adding complex moral layers to the central romance. The dodgy age make-up is the only area in which the movie underdelivers.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… serious drama, it would seem.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Proving that Hathaway could lead more than just family fare, this was like The Princess Diaries of the next stage of her career, demonstrating her mega-watt screen charm to a new audience, and proving she had the likeable everygirl down pat.
She risked being blown out of the water by a quietly monstrous Meryl Streep and an icy Emily Blunt, but she still managed to keep the audience rooting for her, and this became her biggest hit to date.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… making rom-com leads non-irritating.
Becoming Jane (2007)
A smart next move, this casts Hathaway as legendary English author Jane Austen, in a romance that reflects the stories of her novels. It could have been a risky move casting an all-American girl as Jane, but Hathaway never lets you doubt it for a second.
Once again, she’s got the English accent spot on, and following the high-fashion makeover in Prada , she seems just as comfortable in the period corsetry. An affecting romance with James McAvoy’s lawyer rounds off a film that smartly updates a dusty genre, without disrespecting its heritage.
Anne Hath-A-Way of… illuminating the screen with old-fashioned charm.
Get Smart (2008)
The TV-updating spy spoof gave Hathaway another chance to show off her comedy capabilities, playing the straight woman to Carell’s goofy special agent. Despite a quality cast that also includes Dwayne Johnson, Terence Stamp and a cameoing Bill Murray, it never quite hits the laugh highs that you’d hope for.
That said, there’s enough action, intrigue and large-scale set-pieces to keep things more interesting than your average spoof, and you are left wondering what Hathaway could do if given a proper action role.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… espionage antics.
Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Jonathan Demme’s acutely-uncomfortably docu-style drama gave Hathaway the chance to shine in what’s possibly the role of her career. She was deservedly nominated across the board for her turn as Kym, a recovering addict home for her sister’s nuptials.
It’s hardly pleasant viewing, particularly as unpalatable histories resurface and sibling tension threatens to bubble over, but it’s impossible to take your eyes of Hathaway. It’s to her credit that Kym never becomes detestable, even when your instincts are telling you otherwise.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… hard-hitting, raw performances.
Passengers (2008)
Director Rodrigo Garcia has directed episodes of some of the telly’s best shows, but this thriller was sadly patchy. Anne Hathaway stars as a therapist treating five survivors of a plane crash.
Before long she’s dealing with a conspiracy theory at the same time as romancing patient Patrick Wilson, who’s become like Jeff Bridges in Fearless only with added paranormal powers. It tanked on release at US theatres, going straight to DVD on these shores.
Anne Hath-A-Way of… leaving muddled thrillers with her dignity in tact.
Bride Wars (2009)
This irredeemable dross is the kind of thing you expect from Kate Hudson, but not Anne Hathaway. The gag-inducing premise sees two BBF’s become mortal enemies after their weddings are accidentally scheduled for the same location on the same day.
Rather than come to a polite compromise, the two set out to sabotage each other’s big day preparations. Embarrassing on so many levels: there’s no quality gags to sell the catty showdown, and the script shortchanges the entire cast. An attempt at a sugary ending doesn’t mask the bitter taste that’s left in your mouth.
Anne Hath-A-Way of… appearing only marginally less irritating that Kate Hudson.
The Simpsons (2009-2010)
Following the Bride Wars disaster, Anne Hathaway earned her pop culture stripes with not one, but two appearances in the long-running animated show. In ‘The Good, the Sad and the Drugly’, she played Jenny, a wholesome girl who falls for Bart without realising his true nature.
She returned the following season for ‘Once Upon a Time in Springfield’. Krusty the Clown’s show is in decline, so the producers decide to hire a female sidekick, Princess Penelope (Hathaway), to broaden the show’s appeal.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… Springfield’s finest.
Valentine's Day (2010)
This portmanteau rom-com was yet more below-par fluff from Hathaway, though in comparison to Bride Wars it feels like a masterpiece. At least she gets a moderately interesting segment here. She plays receptionist Liz, who just so happens to be earning a bit of cash on the side as a phone sex-line operator.
Her bit of romance comes in the form of Topher Grace, whose mailroom boy initially can’t handle the source of her extra income, but soon learns to deal with it, because, y’know, she’s Anne Hathaway.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… brightening up the most generic of material.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Tim Burton’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s children’s classic opened to distinctly mixed reviews, but it’s unlikely that anyone involved was too bothered about that, as it went on to gross over $1 billion at the box office.
It’s searching for a plot, and could’ve done with a gutsier heroine (imagine if it had have been Hathaway playing Alice), but the visuals are enough to keep you distracted for the running time. And Hathaway is spot-on as the White Queen: pale, poised, otherworldly and just a little nuts.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… Nigella Lawson impressions, as Burton instructed her to channel the domestic goddess.
Love and Other Drugs (2010)
A slightly awkward mix of romcom and medical drama, Love and Other Drugs bagged tons of attention for the sheer amount of time Hathaway and co-star Jake Gyllenhaal spend in the buff.
Thankfully, whether they’ve got their kit on or off, the duo generate enough chemistry to save this slipping into late-night cable territory, and Hathaway gets more to do than your average romcom lead, as her character has early onset Parkinson’s disease.
Anne Hath-A-Way with… troubled but captivating characters.
Family Guy (2010) and Family Guy Presents: It's a Trap (2010)
After a romcom that had heavier themes than your average, Hathaway returned to laugh-out-loud territory with more voicework, this time in Family Guy .
She voices Mother Maggie in ‘Go, Stewie, Go!’, as well as playing herself (hosting the Oscars – talk about life imitating art) in ‘April in Quahog’. Befitting her movie star status, she also lent her voice to Star Wars spoofing feature-length spin-off It’s a Trap .
Anne Hath-A-Way with… comedy voiceovers.
Rio (2011)
This week, Hathaway returns to cinemas in a vocal capacity, providing the words (and doing a bit of singing) as alluring macaw Jewel. Jesse Eisenberg’s domesticated house-bird Blu is expected to mate with her to help maintain their diminishing species, but you can bet there’s a whole bunch of obstacles to overcome on the path to true-love, in this animation from Ice Age studio Blue Sky.
Next up for Hathaway is One Day , which focuses on, well, one specific day in the lives of two people over 20 years.
And after that it’s the big one, as she prepares to play Selina Kyle (Catwoman!) in Chris Nolan’s bat-threequel, The Dark Knight Rises .
