Throughout her career, Anne Hathaway has become a Hollywood icon. From her Academy Award win for Les Misérables, to becoming a fan favorite for her role in the Princess Diaries movies, Hathaway has undoubtedly made a name for herself.
Along the way, however, many questioned her whole personae and drive. Looking back, was she actually doing too much or is Hollywood just too misogynistic to see her talent?
Talking to Elle Magazine for their 2022 Women in Hollywood November issue, Hathaway clapped back at the haters. “I am ambitious, and I think that’s great,” she said. “When you are not born into the life that you would like to have for yourself, you have to be ambitious. I have a very easy relationship with it. I love that I’m hardworking. I love that I know how to be professional. And I love that I have really big dreams and goals for myself.
The WeCrashed star also explained that those criticisms stem from a double standard in Hollywood, one she’s been trying to fight.
“Where it falls for me is that men are by and large defined by their work, their talent, and the success they create,” she said. “And if a successful man is in any way less than likable, he is given greater laтιтude to just exist as himself.”
She continued, “I feel like there is tremendous pressure to be likable when you are a woman, or you risk being misunderstood and mistreated. And I think women are punished more harshly for their perceived transgressions. Female ambition is more often perceived as transgressive.”
In fact, Hathaway is proudly overflowing with ambition, wishing “longevity” for the future of her career.
“I want to be hopefully acting and doing meaningful work for as long as I can, as many decades as I can,” she said, noting the careers of other trailblazing women like Meryl Streep, Ellen Burstyn, Viola Davis and Katharine Hepburn. “I’m sure I’ll fall short,” she said, “but it’s still a goal.”
Actresses like Hathaway are slowly paving the way for other women in Hollywood to become more confident and secure in their own goals. After all, one of the best ways to face stereotypes and double standards is to completely shatter them.
