Anne Hathaway Jokes She Had the ‘Longest Unbroken Awkward Phase in Hollywood’ (Exclusive)
Anne Hathaway Jokes She Had the ‘Longest Unbroken Awkward Phase in Hollywood’ (Exclusive)
Brendan Le, Charlotte TriggsTue, April 21, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC
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Anne Hathaway Jokes She Had the ‘Longest Unbroken Awkward Phase in Hollywood’ (Exclusive) -
Anne Hathaway, who covers PEOPLE's 2026 World's Most Beautiful issue, says her awkward phase lasted into her late 30s
Acting helped her overcome childhood anxiety by allowing her to memorize lines and express herself
Hathaway is headlining five major films in 2026, including The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
Anne Hathaway isn't afraid to admit that her awkward phase lasted decades.
“I think I had the longest unbroken awkward phase in Hollywood,” says Hathaway, 43, in PEOPLE’s 2026 World’s Most Beautiful cover story. “I think mine extended into my late 30s."
Charlotte Triggs, PEOPLE GM and Editor in Chief, who sat down with the actress, wasn't so sure. "Pretty sure I knew, because I was inside of it,” Hathaway laughed in response.
Anne Hatahway for World's Most BeautifulCredit: Jonny Marlow
“I just didn’t feel like I could get comfortable anywhere," says the New Jersey-raised star, who got her breakthrough role at age 18 in 2001’s The Princess Diaries. "I would want to walk into a room and just be chill and hang out, but I couldn’t quite find my footing.”
As a child, she “found talking really difficult,” Hathaway tells PEOPLE. Because of her stress and anxiety around communicating, she found solace in acting, where she could memorize all of her lines.
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Anne Hathaway in 'The Princess Diaries'Credit: Disney+
She confesses that her years-long awkward stage only ended recently, when she hit her 40s.
“All of a sudden, the dress rehearsal was over. I was like, it was never a dress rehearsal. It was life. It’s been happening the whole time,” she says. “Turning 40, I just kind of found a different gear, and I was no longer interested in living an awkward life. I was just interested in getting to the fun part.”
There’s no fear anymore, she adds, because “it’s already gone as badly as it could, and so what am I so scared of? It happening again? Whatever. I’ll be okay.”
Anne Hathaway's 2026 World's Most Beautiful coverCredit: Jonny Marlow
Hathaway has become one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. This year alone she will headline five films (“A real casual five,” she quips) — Mother Mary, the long-awaited Devil Wears Prada 2, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Verity (based on the popular Colleen Hoover novel) and The End of Oak Street.
For more World’s Most Beautiful content pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
