Anne Hathaway has earned herself a reputation of adding depth, emotion, and authenticity to each character she takes up, yet venturing into the realm of a global pop icon in her upcoming film, Mother Mary, demanded a very different type of preparation. Although Hathaway has been able to play a variety of roles in her lifetime, as an assistant at a fashion house and as a princess in a royal family, as well as as a dramatic lead in her movies, playing a pop superstar was a challenge of its own.
In the case of Mother Mary, Hathaway was aware of the fact that she could not solely count on her acting instincts. She needed to know the truth about the glamorous life of pop stardom, and that involved having a one-on-one conversation with someone who has lived that life. Hathaway, in a recent interview, admitted that she sought the advice of Charli XCX when she was preparing the part.
This is a very logical move considering the reputation that Charli XCX has in the music industry. Charli XCX is known as a fearless creative, a strong-stage presence, and a great grasp of pop culture, whose career is much more than the creation of a catchy tune. She is aware of the emotional needs, the social pressure, and the unwearying vigor needed to be a successful contemporary pop artist.
Talking about the experience, Hathaway explained that Charli XCX was a valuable source of knowledge to her as she was developing the character. The person I talked to was Charli, I wanted to discuss with her the music, she composed such fantastic music that I was going to perform it, Hathaway said. But I also had a lot of questions to ask her what her life was like, what it was like to be a pop star.
Such curiosity is a sign of Hathaway being dedicated to her performances to make them authentic. Instead of merely copying what the audience watches on the stage or what they observe in music videos, she needed to know more about the real world of being a performer whose life is under the open scrutiny of the world. Pop stars are perceived as being under a veil of glamour, full of fame, fashion and fans. But, Hathaway soon understood that the truth is much more challenging.
Hathaway came to appreciate the music industry workers much more as she learned more about the music world. She said that she left the experience with tremendous admiration of pop stars and how physically and emotionally strong they must be to sustain their careers.
Hathaway said she recently learned that pop stars are stamina athletes and can do everything on platform heels. She went on to tell me that they are the most delightful people on earth and that they have this mad self-congratulation, as though they are so compelled to pour out what is in them.
That observation brings to light a significant difference between acting and music performance. Hathaway confessed that, being an actress, she can always have the advantage of hiding behind a character. There is still a distance between her and the part she is acting even when she is vulnerable emotionally on the screen. A musician and in particular a pop star often plays out of a far more intimate space. Their lyrics, songs and image are often directly related to their personal experiences, feelings and their identity.
Hathaway publicly admitted this difference. She said that she likes to speak through a filter, which acting naturally enables her to do. In the case of pop artists, that distance between them can be a lot shorter. Fans want them to reveal some of their personal lives, emotions and problems in an open and straightforward manner. Such exposure is overwhelming enough, not mentioning the unceasing touring, performances, interviews, rehearsals and appearances before the audience.
Her remarks emphasize the amount of effort that goes behind her successful music career. People usually watch the final version of the performance when it is ready and polished, whereas behind the scenes, there are countless hours of hard work, preparation, and stress to remain creative and relevant. The reason Hathaway looks up to pop stars appears to be in the understanding that it takes so much power and confidence to live that life day by day.
Hathaway, although appreciating the industry, also ensured that she had no intentions of becoming a real life pop star in the near future. In her typical sense of humor, she said that she could never see herself taking that course forever. I can never see that, I said, joking.
Mother Mary has already made an impression due to its rare combination of talent onscreen and off. The film’s music includes original songs created by Charli XCX, FKA Twigs, and Jack Antonoff. Even more musical credibility is added to the project by FKA Twigs and Antonoff as their producers.
According to this creative team, Mother Mary will not merely give us a fictionalized pop stardom. Rather, the movie seems to have a more nuanced and emotionally sincere approach to fame, aspiration and artistic identity. The fact that Hathaway took the time to learn under the tutelage of actual musicians may contribute to making her act shine in a genre that can easily go into trite areas.
Other notable names, such as Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, Kaia Gerber, Jessica Brown Findlay, Alba Baptista, Isaura Barbé-Brown, Sian Clifford, Atheena Frizzell, and FKA Twigs, also appear in the cast of Mother Mary. The cast of such a strong ensemble and a group of musicians, who are engaged in the recording of the soundtrack, already make the expectations of the film rise.
To Hathaway, the project must have provided her with more than just another acting challenge. It provided her with an opportunity to take a closer look at a new type of performer and acquire a new insight into what it takes to engage an audience with music. Her thoughts imply that although acting and singing are seemingly similar to the eye, they require entirely different kinds of vulnerability.
