Anne Hathaway may be earning praise for her performance in Mother Mary, but the Oscar winning actress has revealed she nearly walked away from the project after becoming convinced she was not good enough.
Despite fans eventually seeing what she described as brilliance on screen, Hathaway admitted she struggled with intense self doubt during production, especially after watching early footage of herself performing original songs created by acclaimed musicians.
The actress revealed that after seeing initial recordings featuring songs written by Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX, and FKA Twigs, she panicked and seriously considered quitting the film altogether.
Speaking candidly about the experience, Hathaway recalled being deeply critical of what she saw on screen, admitting she felt her performance simply was not working.
“This is really bad… I don’t know that I can ask people to come to see this,” Hathaway confessed, reflecting on her reaction after watching the footage.
The actress revealed that the emotional weight of the moment followed her beyond the set, explaining that her immediate instinct was to step away from the project entirely. After filming that day, Hathaway reportedly turned to her husband for comfort and admitted she was prepared to leave “Mother Mary” for good.
However, after taking time to reflect, Hathaway ultimately changed her perspective. In an interview with Elle, the actress shared that she came to an unexpected realization, there was more honor in being fired than quitting herself.
Rather than walking away, Hathaway committed to improving. Determined to strengthen her performance, she began refining her singing abilities through dedicated vocal training, working to meet the demands of the psychologically intense role.
Her persistence ultimately paid off. A year after production wrapped on “Mother Mary,” Hathaway returned to the studio to showcase the progress she had made to Antonoff. According to the actress, the producer immediately recognized the difference, noticing right away that she had clearly been putting in serious work.
Hathaway has also openly acknowledged that her meticulous nature on film sets can sometimes make her challenging to work with, joking that some directors and producers may find her “annoying” because of how deeply she immerses herself in understanding every detail of a project.
Still, her latest revelation offers a glimpse into the pressure even Hollywood’s biggest stars experience behind the scenes.
