Anne Hathaway says she finally mastered the art of breathing while training for her latest film ‘Mother Mary’, calling it her most demanding role to date.

Anne Hathaway Opens Up About Her Most Demanding Role in Mother Mary

In the upcoming A24 melodrama Mother Mary, Anne Hathaway transforms into a pop icon grappling with fame, isolation, and personal demons. The film, directed by David Lowery, follows Hathaway’s character as she flees her chaotic life and reconnects with an old friend, played by Michaela Coel.

The Challenge of Becoming Mother Mary

Hathaway, a seasoned actress, described the role as “transformational” and admitted it required her to completely strip away her ego. “I had to submit to being a beginner,” she shared in an interview with Vogue. “Every day, I had to accept that I might fail — and that was okay. It wasn’t about being bad, it was about being new.”

She explained that Lowery needed her to fully embody the character, not simply act the part. “I had to become material he could mold,” she said, adding that Mother Mary wasn’t a role she could just “perform.”

Two Years of Intense Preparation

To prepare for the role, Hathaway committed to nearly two years of daily dance classes, often running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and intensive voice lessons to deliver the film’s music, created by producer Jack Antonoff and pop star Charli XCX.

Choreographer Dani Vitale admitted she was initially apprehensive about working with Hathaway. “She was so delicate and graceful, like a doll. I thought, Oh no, I have to break this person,” Vitale recalled. But over time, Hathaway’s dedication helped her unlock a new level of physicality.

The Power of Breath

One of Hathaway’s biggest breakthroughs came when she finally learned how to breathe properly. “My body was so locked up that I literally couldn’t take a deep breath,” she revealed. “I’d been trying for years to open that space, and I thought it was impossible. All my breath was stuck.”

A History of Intense Transformations

Hathaway is no stranger to fully immersing herself in roles. For WeCrashed, she adopted a raw vegan diet to portray Rebekah Neumann. In Les Misérables, she famously lost 25 pounds in just weeks to play Fantine, a transformation she later admitted took a toll on her body and mind.

But Mother Mary represents a new level of commitment for the actress. “This role felt different,” Hathaway said. “It wasn’t about control. It was about surrender.”