So, I just read a short article about the famous actress, Anne Hathaway. It lists many of the roles she has played and the films she has starred in. After reading through it, I realized that I have seen at least six movies that she has played a lead role in. Come to think of it, I've probably seen even more! I remember that the first movie I saw that had Anne Hathaway as the leading role in it was Ella Enchanted. Then, this year, she won a best supporting actress Oscar for her amazing performance in Les Misérables and I could tell that she truly deserved it. Through all of the movies I have seen her in, she is able to change her personality drastically to fit her part exactly.
This got me thinking about the life of an actor or actress. They must be busy practically every minute studying lines or auditioning for a new part. We always hear the huge roles our favorite actors get while at the same time, we never hear about the roles they try out for and don't get. I then did some research but I couldn't seem to find any news about roles that Hathaway did not get. I looked through biographies and many different articles but I just couldn't find anything. Personally, I find it very doubtful that any actor, no matter how good they are, got every single part they auditioned for. Everyone has certain roles they can play, and certain roles they cannot. Even if the actor is amazing, some parts just don't fit them, usually depending on their age or what they look like. Still, who knows? Maybe Anne Hathaway has had good luck.
Well, as I was researching, I discovered another article about her that sparked my interest. This article was about how Hathaway admitted that she almost didn't get the role of Fantine in Les Misérables because she was only thirty years old, and Fantine is portrayed usually as an older woman. Yet, she was so amazing in her audition that the producers casted her for the part. She was so into her role that she went thirteen whole days without eating during the production of the movie so that she would looked starved, like the character is portrayed. I feel like this was going too far, since you should never harm your body for a part in a movie. But it was her own choice, and she is her own person.
Well, that about sums up my long rant about Anne Hathaway and the acting life! I have the links to the two main articles below. (:
http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/annehathaway.html
http://www.ivillage.com/anne-hathaway-admits-she-almost-didnt-get-les-mis-role/1-a-507267
You're right about actors not getting every part they try out for. I myself have always wondered about how many auditions that an actor or actress have to try out for before they get a part. And I cannot believe that she starved herself! Why would anyone do that?!?
ReplyDeleteWell, I think that she got very into that individual part. She got herself so far into it that she would do just about anything to get into character. For example, she was even willing to cut her hair short. She knew that Fantine as a character was near her starving point, so that's probably why she did it: to get more into the emotions of her character. Still, that was going a bit too far...
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to know that not every 'famous' actor or actress gets the role that they tried out for. It gives them more of a realistic appeal to the audience I think. I also agree that Anne starving herself was going a bit too far, I mean, 13 days without eating? I can understand a few days, yes, even though I don't personally see the point, but 13 days? I've seen other actors that have done things like this as well to themselves, changing their image for the role that they are in, but in most cases that I've seen, they've never gone to this extent and are relatively harmless. For example, Karen Gillan(Amy Pond) shaved her head for her role in Guardians of the Galaxy recently, and everyone was all up in arms about it, while I was rather unfazed by it. I've got a personal question for you, but also another one relating to the text. How far is too far when trying out for a role in either a play/movie/some sort of entertainment? Also, what would you do if you were in a role such as the one Anne played? Would you go to some of the same levels as she had?
ReplyDeleteWow that was a long comment. Sorry for my rambling, I just found a lot of stuff to say. :P
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Don't worry! No comment is too long, and these are some good questions! Okay, personally I believe you have gone too far when you want to be like the character so much that you harm yourself mentally or physically. It's okay to strive to get into character, but at the same time, you don't want to lose your own identity along the way. If I was lucky enough to get an amazing role like Fantine (Personally, I would prefer Eponine but that's another story:), I would embed myself into her life, so that I could see things as she would. Now, I don't mean that I would go to such extremes as starving myself, but I would try my best to see myself in her shoes and make decisions by looking at her life. This would all be in my head of course, but physically, I would not do much. I would block out my stage role obviously, but in terms of appearance, I would not change much. I would allow my hair to be died if it had to be, but only temporarily, and I would let them cut my hair for the movie. I could always just grow it out again! I think I've answered all of your questions now. (:
ReplyDeleteAnne Hathaway is a truly amazing actress. She does not seem to have been type cast over the years, though she usually takes on the roles of softer characters. Even though Fantine may be seen as a weak character, it was nice to see Hathaway play a role that was very obviously both physically and mentally exhausting.
ReplyDeleteI share your curiosity about the roles that Hathaway may have not gotten in the past, especially since the roles that actors take on typically affect the roles that they are cast for later. What would have happened if she had not been cast as the lead role in Ella Enchanted? Would her role as Fantine even be realistic if her singing abilities had not been discovered and developed in her earlier movies? Who knows, but I call it fate.
I see a lot of similarities between you and Anne Hathaway, Theresa. You both have incredible acting and singing ability, as well as a sweet personality. I can see you in a similar career position as her someday. Please don't starve yourself, though. :)
Although refusing to eat, especially for that long a time, is completely unhealthy and not recommended, I think that Anne Hathaway's ability to undergo some of the struggles that Fantine did really enabled her to develop a stronger connection with the character and portray her more realistically. Many actors change their appearances or do insanely unnatural things for their roles - Robert Redford refused to sleep for several days to better understand his character's nightmare in the film A Bridge Too Far. Also, unlike Hannah, I think that Fantine should be thought of as a very strong character who is willing to do anything she can in order to ensure the health of her only child - and in this way, Hannah and I agree that Fantine, Anne, and yourself all share this amazing quality :)
ReplyDeleteHannah: Come to think of it, if Anne Hathaway hadn't been cast as Ella in Ella Enchanted, I probably wouldn't have even known she existed until around 2005... It really would be interesting to find out what would have happened if she hadn't been cast in that movie. One thing I know for sure, her life would be very different. Thank you for your comment, and don't worry, I promise I won't starve myself! (:
ReplyDeleteJulia: I agree that Anne Hathaway was able to develop her character better by going through some of the same struggles as Fantine. I personally feel that it was still going too far, but like I said earlier, I respect that it was her own decision. I feel like if I tried to go without sleep for more than one day I would become the grumpiest person alive... These actors can do some unbelievable things! Fantine truly is a strong character who only wishes to save her daughter. I have to admit, before I saw the movie, I was curious to see if Hathaway could actually pull off such an emotional role, but the moment I saw her, I knew that she was a great choice for the part. (: