Anne Hathaway's Best Movies

There’s not long to go until Anne Hathaway reprises one of her most iconic roles as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which releases in cinemas on May 1. More than two decades after the first film, Hathaway has cemented herself as an actress capable of iconic and culturally relevant roles, with an impressive range that spans genres and character tropes. From clumsy princesses to emotionally complex women, here’s a look at some of her best movies.

The Princess Diaries

2001, Director: Garry Marshall It’s only right to kick off this list with The Princess Diaries, where Hathaway first gained attention for her breakout role as unsuspecting princess Mia Thermopolis. Hathaway plays a clumsy and relatable 15-year old who must balance her normal life with the discovery that she is the princess of a small European country called Genovia. Starring alongside Julie Andrews and Heather Matarazzo, Hathaway brings charm and an easy likability to the role, qualities she later reprised in the sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004).

The Devil Wears Prada

2006, Director: David Frankel Playing a character not too dissimilar from her performance as Mia, Hathaway takes on the role of sensible, unfashionable graduate Andrea (Andy) Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada. Following her dreams of becoming a journalist, Andy lands a job as the assistant to Runway magazine’s chief editor and demanding diva, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). While she first appears an imposter in her cutthroat new environment, Andy grows into a polished and confident professional, undergoing several changes and facing moral dilemmas throughout the movie

Love & Other Drugs

2010, Director: Edward Zwick Set in 1990s Pittsburgh, Love & Other Drugs sees Hathaway star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as free-spirited Maggie, who is grappling with early Parkinson’s disease. The two characters quickly meet their match in each other, as Jamie’s (Gyllenhaal’s) playboy persona is challenged by Maggie’s headstrong independence and refusal to fall for his charm.

Les Misérables

2013, Director: Tom Hooper While she had sung in films before, Les Misérables marked Anne Hathaway’s first major musical film role, in which she played Fantine, a young, impoverished woman forced to take desperate measures to care for her daughter, Cosette. Hathaway won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Fantine, having been previously nominated for Best Actress for her role in Rachel Getting Married in 2008. Her raw, devastating solo of “I Dreamed a Dream” is widely considered one of the highlights of Hathaway’s career.

The Dark Knight Rises

2012, Director: Christopher Nolan In the same year as Les Misérables, Hathaway starred alongside Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. While there was discourse surrounding her performance, she received general praise for her engrossing portrayal of Catwoman.

Interstellar

2014, Director: Christopher Nolan Starring in another Nolan movie, Hathaway continued to add to her versatile range when she played Dr. Amelia Brand alongside Matthew McConaughey in sci-fi epic Interstellar. Brand is an intelligent and determined NASA scientist who joins the central mission of the movie. Driven by both logic and emotion, Hathaway’s character often clashes with her crew mates and is driven to make difficult decisions throughout the film.

As well as reprising her role as Andrea Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada 2, Anne Hathaway’s other upcoming projects include musical drama Mother Mary and book adaptation/ psychological thriller Verity.