Anne Hathaway, Best Supporting Actress winner for Les Miserables
Oscar speech: “It came true. Thank you so much to the Academy for this and for nominating me with Helen Hunt, Jacki Weaver, Amy Adams and Sally Field. I look up to you all so much and it’s just been such an honor. Thank you. There are so many people whose generosity and support is the reason I’m standing here right now. I must thank Hugh Jackman. Hugh, you’re the best. The cast, the crew, especially Simon Hayes and the sound wizards. Congratulations on tonight, you guys.
The creative team behind Les Miserables, Cameron Mackintosh, Tom Hooper, from Working Title Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Debra Hayward. And from Universal, Ron Meyer, Donna Langley, and Adam Fogelson. Thank you guys for your faith and thank you for this opportunity. I have to thank my team—led by the lionhearted Suzan Bymel. Josh Lieberman, Mick Sullivan, Maha Dakhil… Please say I just said everyone. Josh Lieberman again, just to be safe. Stephen Huvane, Jason Sloane and special contributions by Frank Selvaggi and Kerry Wagner.
I want to thank my friends, especially the ones who are cheering from Crosby Street tonight. My family, who I’m so blessed to be a part of. My husband. By far and away, the greatest moment of my life is the one when you walked into it. I love you so much. And thank you for this. Here’s hoping that someday in the not too distant future the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and never in real life. Thank you.”
Snippets of the best of her backstage interview:
On whether she is done thinking of herself as the underdog:
“Officially, never. I’m an actor, man. I mean, this is spectacular, but if you want to get realistic with it and thank you very much for bringing me back down to earth you’re always looking for the next job. You always think at the end of one, it doesn’t matter what’s happened before, no one’s going to hire me again. So, I do feel this evening the respect of my peers, and I am going to ride that wave for as long as I can, but I do also have a practical approach to acting, which is got to work, got to work, got to work.
Was she impressed by her work in Les Mis?
“I’m impressed by the work around me. I’m impressed by my makeup. I’m impressed by my costume. I’m impressed by the haircut and the set and the score and the song, but no, all I can hear is all of the notes that I didn’t quite hit. But maybe I’ll get over it some day.”
How did Hugh Jackman inspire you and your work in the film?
“Oh, my goodness. Well, Tom Hooper, our director, has gone on record as saying this film wouldn’t have happened if Hugh Jackman didn’t exist. And I know exactly why he says that. Hugh is this magical alien combination of strength and soul and heart and artistry and fun. And if you think about it, I mean, not to get serious, but we do live in a world that can tend toward the cynical, and to have someone in a film like this where it’s inherent to the film’s success that you believe in the goodness of the central character, and that someone like Hugh exists who has that goodness within him, it made the film soar. And we all knew that and, I mean, we are not coal miners. It wasn’t hard work, but, you know, it was challenging. And we looked to him every day and to his strength and to his indefatigable spirit. He never complained once. He did as many takes as need be, and he was absolutely our rock and our inspiration through everything and to me personally.”
How did Les Mis change you as an actress?
“I’ve done films before where I’ve played real people. And I’m thinking real people, but a character, you know what I mean, a character based on a real situation. And I’m thinking specifically of RACHEL GETTING MARRIED where I played a recovering addict who was in the ascent of her life of her recovery. And though it was difficult, it was painful, she was in a better place than she had been. Playing Fantine, having to connect with the darkness of life, and I think maybe more to the point, the unnecessary suffering that human beings can inflict on each other, I would have loved to have gone home and forgotten about that everyday, but you just can’t because it exists. And it exists for millions of men and women throughout the world. I think this film changed me because it made me more compassionate and more aware.”
What she meant when she said, “It came true,” in her speech
“I had a dream, and it came true. And that can happen. And that’s wonderful. And so, that was all I was saying was that it can and it did. Excuse me. That’s not articulate.”
