Anne Hathaway has captivated audiences for decades with her versatile acting skills. You likely know her from The Devil Wears Prada or her Oscar-winning role in Les Misérables. However, her path to stardom contained many unexpected twists and turns. She faced rejection, dangerous accidents, and even a cancelled superhero movie. Furthermore, her personal life holds some strange historical coincidences. Let's explore the lesser-known stories about this talented Hollywood icon.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway originally wanted to become a nun during her childhood. However, she abandoned this specific path after her older brother came out as gay.
Her parents named her after the wife of the famous playwright William Shakespeare. Strangely, fans often note that her husband bears a striking resemblance to the poet.
She was actually the ninth choice for her iconic role in The Devil Wears Prada. Rachel McAdams turned down the part three times before the studio hired her.
During the filming of Interstellar, her space suit leaked in the cold water. She almost developed hypothermia after spending hours submerged in the freezing tank.
The funny scene where she falls off the bleachers in The Princess Diaries was real. The director liked the genuine accident and kept it in the final movie.
She famously lied to director Ang Lee about her ability to ride a horse. Consequently, she struggled during filming for Brokeback Mountain in front of 300 extras.
Anne Hathaway was officially cast as Black Cat in the cancelled movie Spider-Man 4. Unfortunately, the studio scrapped the project before she could ever wear the costume.
She turned down the lead female role in the hit comedy Knocked Up. She felt uncomfortable with the director’s plan to show a graphic birth scene.
For her role in Les Misérables, she ate dried oatmeal paste to lose weight. She lost a total of 25 pounds (11 kg) for the difficult part.
A dangerous riptide almost drowned her while she was swimming in Hawaii. Luckily, a surfer saw her struggle and brought her safely back to the shore.
Her very first acting role was in the television series Get Real. She missed her first semester of college to film The Princess Diaries shortly after.
She won a Primetime Emmy Award for her voice-over work on television. She provided the voice for Princess Penelope in an episode of The Simpsons.
She has a deep passion for physics and watches videos about it daily. Additionally, she holds a strong interest in interior design and home decor.
Anne Hathaway trained extensively in martial arts for The Dark Knight Rises. She learned to fight in high heels to play the character Catwoman perfectly.
She once broke her arm after falling off a bicycle in New York. Despite the injury, she continued to make public appearances with her arm in a sling.
Mel Gibson is a Hollywood titan who has experienced both massive acclaim and public controversy. You surely recognize his blue eyes from Lethal Weapon or his direction of Braveheart. However, his rise to fame was purely accidental. He moved from America to Australia as a boy, which shaped his unique career path. Consequently, he became one of the biggest stars in cinema history. Today, he continues to direct ambitious films despite his polarized reputation. Let’s look at the strange journey of this intense artist.
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson landed his breakout role in Mad Max by complete accident. He accompanied his sister to the audition with a bruised face from a bar fight the night before. Surprisingly, the director loved his rugged look and hired him immediately.
People Magazine named him their very first “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1985. This new title launched a massive tradition that continues in the magazine today.
He owns an entire private island in Fiji called Mago Island. He purchased the massive 5,400-acre [2,185-hectare] paradise for about $15 million [€14.2 million].
Many people assume he is Australian, but he was actually born in New York. His father moved the entire family to Australia when Mel Gibson was twelve years old.
The actor is a father to a very large family of nine children. His youngest child was born in 2017 when he was 61 years old.
He turned down the chance to play James Bond to avoid typecasting. Producers wanted him for the role, but he preferred the freedom to choose diverse scripts.
Mel Gibson paid for the production of The Passion of the Christ entirely out of his own pocket. Studios refused to fund the controversial film, so he spent $30 million [€28 million] himself.
He provided the singing and speaking voice for John Smith in Disney’s Pocahontas. However, he struggled with the high notes during the recording sessions.
His comeback film Hacksaw Ridge received a ten-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. This moment marked his official return to Hollywood’s good graces.
He often plays pranks to lighten the mood during serious scenes. For example, he wore a red clown nose while filming intense emotional moments in Hamlet.
Surprisingly, his father was a trivia genius who won big on television. Hutton Gibson won a large cash prize on the game show Jeopardy! in 1968.
He is a massive fan of The Three Stooges and uses their comedy for inspiration. In fact, he included hidden references to them in the Lethal Weapon movies.
Mel Gibson has a rare physical anomaly known as a horseshoe kidney. This means his two kidneys are fused together at the base into one single shape.
He raises cattle on his massive ranch in Costa Rica when he is not filming. He actively works the land and focuses on preserving the local rainforest.
He personally paid the insurance bond for Robert Downey Jr. to star in The Singing Detective. This act of kindness helped restart Downey’s career when no studio would hire him.
Angelina Jolie captivates the world with her extraordinary talent, bold roles, and passionate humanitarian efforts. The actress and filmmaker’s journey from Hollywood star to global advocate inspires millions. Explore the remarkable facets of Angelina Jolie’s life and accomplishments.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie was born June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. Her birth name was Angelina Jolie Voight.
She began her acting career young, debuting alongside her father, Jon Voight, in the film Lookin’ to Get Out (1982).
Moreover, Jolie won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Girl, Interrupted (1999), which boosted her career.
She is famous for playing Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), performing many of her own stunts.
Furthermore, Jolie explored directing with films like In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011), which raised awareness of war survivors.
Angelina is also a dedicated humanitarian. She has worked closely with the UNHCR since 2001, visiting refugee camps worldwide.
In 2012, she became a Special Envoy for the UNHCR, focusing on protecting displaced people and advocating for their rights.
Jolie has six children, including three she adopted internationally, showing her commitment to family and diversity.
She is left-handed and even had guns specially made for her to use comfortably in action films.
Additionally, Jolie wrote a revealing Op-Ed about her preventative double mastectomy to raise cancer awareness.
Angelina played strong, complex characters in films like Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Wanted (2008), and Maleficent (2014).
She won a Tony Award as a producer of the Broadway musical The Outsiders (2024), expanding her creative reach.
Jolie supports conservation efforts, notably as the “Godmother” of the Women for Bees initiative, empowering female beekeepers globally.
Despite facing personal challenges early in life, including a rebellious youth, she transformed into one of the world’s most admired actresses.
Lastly, Jolie’s combination of beauty, talent, and activism has landed her on many “most powerful” and “most beautiful” lists worldwide.
