Anne Hathaway douses herself in perfume to get into character
I’m kind of torn about actress Anne Hathaway, 25. She has been wearing daring, gorgeous outfits that make her look like a rare jewel. She has a very unique exotic look that’s borderline geeky and not cookie cutter at all. There’s something contrived about her, though, and she plays it so safe and saccharine sweet in interviews that you wonder what she’s really like and if she has a personality behind her giant eyes and wide mouth. Her latest interview, with UK’s Hello!, is kind of eyeroll-inducing in that she gives such bland, non-committal responses that sound practiced and trite. She’s smart though, and seems to be trying to maintain control over her public image.
The only interesting thing she said in the interview is that she uses so much perfume on set that it bothers her castmates. I hate when people do that, and too much perfume can give me a headache. I knew there was a reason she got on my nerves. Hathaway is talking to Hello! to promote a new perfume she’s endorsing for Lancome. She also says that she’s a fan of Amy Winehouse and enjoys reading and hiking:
Anne, you’ve achieved so much success in such a short time. How has it changed your life?
“It’s been a change for the good, and at times a change for the worse. Success at a young age can make you cautious. During a time most people are tying to find themselves, I was always hyper-aware of responsibilities. It’s nothing to really complain about; it’s just the reality.”
You are famous for trying to keep your private life private. Why is that?
“That’s definitely my choice. I don’t ever want to be described as a personality. There are people who enjoy the spotlight and having their picture taken, but I’m really not one of them. If I don’t have something to talk about that I’m proud of, it makes me uncomfortable to receive that kind of attention… I believe in privacy.”
What do you do in your spare time between films?
“I love hiking – to escape into the open air gives me such a sense of freedom. I love nature and so it’s always relaxing to disconnect in the middle of nowhere. Reading is something I enjoy very much as it also helps me relax and reading is a way of traveling in your mind. And listening to Amy Winehouse. Her voice is incredible and she had the wonderful ability to revisit classic blues with so much modernity.”
I understand that sometimes you use scent as a way into a character
“Absolutely. For me, scent is very important for my characters. I don’t feel like I’ve found them unless a few elements are in place and one of them is their fragrance. I played one character and her scent was lavender for the entire film. I think everyone was happy when the movie wrapped!”
[From Hello! Magazine, print edition, October 14, 2008]
I wouldn’t say Hathaway is famous for valuing her privacy. She dragged her conman boyfriend around to many events and was even photographed giving him a faux-BJ on a boat for the nearby paparazzi. She does get it right when she says she doesn’t “want to be described as a personality.” How would you describe her then? Well dressed? Prompt? Beautiful?
Hathaway also says she’s a tomboy who always loved to act, and calls Brokeback Mountain her favorite film to have worked on and says “it’s as perfect a movie as can be made.”
Did Anne’s scent overpower you? She’s a great actress but it’s hard to tell who she is exactly. She’s got her look going for her at least.
Anne Hathaway is shown at Elle’s Women in Hollywood event on 10/6/08. Credit: WENN
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