Anne Hathaway says she was ‘ninth choice’ for one of her most iconic roles

It is widely known how the tables can turn on women in Hollywood for virtually, well, anything. Ageing, speaking your mind, staying silent – the entertainment business was always – and still is – a harder slog if you’re a woman. It’s true now, post-#MeToo, that the past behaviours of certain men will no longer be forgiven as they once might have been, but the stakes are not yet fully even.

Actress Anne Hathaway is an example of this. A supremely talented actress who crosses genres from drama to musicals with ease (and wins Oscars for doing so), some years ago she was victim to a smear campaign by particular corners of the internet.  She is fabulous, yet gross articles such as: ‘Why does everyone hate Anne Hathaway?‘ exist (who on earth commissioned such a piece and had the gall to put it up?) solely due to her ‘likeability’ at the time of her Academy Award win.

Anne Hathaway is likeable and cool and fun and I’m still mad everyone pretended like we hated her for 4 years

— Paul McCallion (@OrangePaulp) February 20, 2021

And she has at times had to fight especially hard for the roles she does get.

She explained when she made a guest appearance via Zoom on Drag Race that she almost didn’t get cast as Andy in The Devil Wears Prada.

Background: After some harrowing internal casting drama where Rosé had to audition for her peers to play the role of “Foxy” in Social Media the Unverified Rusical, she asked Hathaway, “Of your many movie roles, were there any that you had to fight tooth and nail for?”

Hathaway answered: “I will give you some tea. I was the ninth choice for Devil Wears Prada. But I got it! Hang in there, never give up.”

Being NINTH in line to play Andy in ‘The Devil Wears Prada?’ Groundbreaking. ?? #DragRace pic.twitter.com/0qXn6QZsXj

— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) February 20, 2021

She didn’t reveal the other eight choices, but it is widely known that Rachel McAdams, famous for her turn as Queen Bee, Regina George, in Mean Girls was apparently the first choice for the role.

Hathaway also revealed that she rather hilariously wrote “hire me” in the sand of a zen garden plant belonging to an executive on the film.

Persistence pays off; props to her for revealing the tough, highly competitive side to the industry.