Joseph Papp (June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in downtown New York (still located there as of 2011). "The Public," as it is known, has many small theatres within it. There, Papp created a year-round producing home to focus on new creations, both plays and musicals. Among numerous examples of these creations were the works of David Rabe, Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf", Charles Gordone's No Place to Be Somebody (the first off-Broadway play to win the Pulitzer Prize), and Papp's production of Michael Bennett's Pulitzer-Prize winning musical, "A Chorus Line." At Papp's death, The Public Theatre was renamed The Joseph Papp Public Theatre.

Early life[link]

Papp was born Joseph Papirofsky in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Yetta (née Miritch), a seamstress, and Samuel Papirofsky, a trunkmaker.^[1] His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. He was a high school student of Harlem Renaissance playwright Eulalie Spence. Papp founded the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1954 with the aim of making Shakespeare's works accessible to the public. In 1957, he was granted the use of Central Park for free productions of Shakespeare's plays. This legacy of Papp has continued (through 2010) at the open-air Delacorte Theatre every summer in Central Park.

Founder of the Public Theater[link]

Papp spent years of entrepreneurial zeal and dogged persistence promoting his idea of free Shakespeare in New York City. Papp's 1956 production of Taming of the Shrew, outdoors in the East River Amphitheatre on New York's Lower East Side, was pivotal for Papp, primarily because Brooks Atkinson, known as the dean of American theatre critics, went downtown to see it and endorsed Papp's vision in The New York Times. Actress Colleen Dewhurst, who played Kate the shrew, recalled the beginning of the shift in fortune (in an autobiography published posthumously as a collaboration with Tom Viola): "With Brooks Atkinson's blessing, our world changed overnight. Suddenly in our audience of neighbors in T-shirts and jeans appeared men in white shirts, jackets and ties, and ladies in summer dresses. Suddenly we were 'the play to see,' and everything changed. We were in a hit that would have a positive effect on my career, as well as Joe's, but I missed the shouting. I missed the feeling of not knowing what might happen next or how that play would that night move an audience unafraid of talking back."

By age 41, after Papp had established a permanent base for his free Summer Shakespeare performances in Central Park's Delacorte Theater, an open-air amphi-theatre, Papp looked for an all-year theater he could make his own. After looking at other locations, he fell in love with the location and the character of Lafayette Street’s Astor Library. Papp got it, in 1967, at a reported one dollar yearly rental from the City. It was the first building saved from demolition under the New York City landmarks preservation law. After massive renovations, Papp moved his staff to the newly named Public Theater, hoping to attract a newer, less conventional audience to new and innovative playwrights.

At the Public Theater, Papp's focus moved away from the Shakespearean classics and toward new work. Notable Public productions included Charles Gordone’s No Place to Be Somebody (the first off-Broadway show, and the first play by an African American, to win the Pulitzer Prize) and the plays of David Rabe, Tom Babe, and Jason Miller. Papp called his productions of Rabe's plays "the most important thing I did at the Public.^[2] Papp managed to produce plays that spoke to their own time. Just as Rabe's work reflected the concerns of its time (Vietnam and American imperialism), Papp's production in 1985 of Larry Kramer's play "The Normal Heart" dared to address, in its time, the prejudicial political system which was turning its back on the AIDS crisis and the gay community.

As festival designer Ming Cho Lee put it, “With the new playwrights, the whole direction of the theater changed. Joe changed direction and none of us realized for a while that he had changed direction. The Public Theater became more important than the Delacorte. The new playwrights became more interesting to Joe than Shakespeare."

Among the myriad plays and musicals Papp produced, Papp is perhaps best known for four productions which transferred to commercial Broadway runs: the original version of Galt MacDermot's Hair, a star-studded production of The Pirates of Penzance, self-proclaimed black feminist Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls who Have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf" and the anomaly that was A Chorus Line.

A Chorus Line originated with a series of taped interviews of dancers' reminiscences, down at the Public, overseen by director/choreographer Michael Bennett. Papp had given Bennett the kind of entrepreneurial support for which he was known, trusting Bennett with the time and space to flesh out his dream. Previously, Papp had not kept his producer's hands on the rights to Hair and did not gain from its Broadway transfer. Not so with this one. After this ground-breaking musical (which theatricalized its performers' true-life stories) transferred to a highly lucrative Broadway run, the show's earnings became a continuous financial support for Papp's work. The show received 12 Tony Award nominations and won nine of them, in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It ran for 6,137 performances, becoming the longest-running production in Broadway history up to that time. Its Tony Award for the Best Musical of the Year 1975 went to Papp, its producer. Its workshop system for developing musicals, which Bennett and Papp had pioneered, revolutionized the way Broadway musicals were created thereafter, and many of the precedents for workshops' aesthetics and contract agreements were set by Papp, Bennett and "A Chorus Line."

Outdoor performances at the Delacorte Theatre[link]

Papp's Delacorte Theatre brought some of the most exciting actors and actresses in America, some celebrated, some not, to outdoor Shakespeare and to New York audiences for free. Among the memorable performances (including some from before Papp had the Delacorte for his Shakespeare) were George C. Scott's Obie-award winning Richard III in 1958; Colleen Dewhurst's Kate, Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra (opposite George C. Scott's Mark Antony), and Gertrude; the Hamlet of Stacy Keach opposite Dewhurst's Gertrude with James Earl Jones' King Claudius, Barnard Hughes's Polonius and Sam Waterston's Laertes; Sam Waterston's Hamlet (opposite the Gertrude of Ruby Dee) with the Laertes of John Lithgow and Andrea Marcovicci's Ophelia; the Benedick and Beatrice of Sam Waterston and Kathleen Widdoes in Much Ado About Nothing with Barnard Hughes's Keystone Kops version of Dogberry; the early work of Meryl Streep as Isabella in Measure for Measure; Mary Beth Hurt as Randall Duk Kim's daughter in Pericles; James Earl Jones as King Lear (1973) with Rosalind Cash and Ellen Holly as his wicked daughters; Raul Julia as Edmund in Jones' 1973 King Lear, as Osric to Keach's Hamlet, and as Proteus (in a musical adaptation of Two Gentlemen of Verona which transferred to a Broadway run). Julia also played Othello with Frances Conroy as his Desdemona and Richard Dreyfuss as Iago. And, in 1968, one year before his breakthrough in The Subject was Roses, Martin Sheen played Romeo.

The New York Shakespeare Festival's Delacorte was not exclusively for Shakespeare. Papp would sometimes vary the summertime fare. In the summer of 1977 Gloria Foster was Clytmnestra in the towering Greek tragedy "Agamemnon" followed by Raul Julia as Macheath in Richard Foreman's production of Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera, which later transferred to Lincoln Center. Papp was also a Gilbert and Sullivan lover, and in 1980, to commemorate the centenary of The Pirates of Penzance, he mounted a new staging of the opera at The Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. The show was a sensation, and Papp transferred it to the Broadway stage, where it ran for over 800 performances. It won Tony Awards for Best Revival, Best Director (Wilford Leach), and Best Actor (Kevin Kline). Linda Ronstadt was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical.

Papp's aesthetic included an egalitarian, political vision. He was a pioneer in a commitment to non-traditional casting, using a variety of ethnicities and colors of actors in his new plays and Shakespeare productions. Likewise, partly out of his relationship with his gay son Tony, Papp aligned himself with gay and lesbian concerns in at least two specific instances. He fought anti-obscenity provisions that Congress briefly imposed on the National Endowment for the Arts during the Reagan Presidency, and he chose to produce The Normal Heart, which passionately decried institutionalized "homophobia" as well as Mayor Koch's response to the AIDS crisis.

A complete listing of Festival productions is available in Joe Papp: An American Life by Helen Epstein http://www.amazon.com/Joe-Papp-American-Helen-Epstein/dp/0306806762.

Fostering the Growth of New York Theatre[link]

In addition to founding the New York Shakespeare Festival, Papp played a key role in the fostering of theatre throughout New York, in particular, the development of numerous Off Broadway theatres throughout his years as head of the NYSF. Among the many theatres that Papp supported (often with funds from successful Broadway transfers, such as A Chorus Line) were Theatre for a New Audience, which presented several productions at the NYSF, and the Riverside Shakespeare Company, for whom Papp took a special interest, beginning with the sponsorship of the New York premiere of Brecht's The Life of Edward II of England in 1982, continuing with the financial underwriting of Riverside's New York Parks Tours of Free Shakespeare, including The Comedy of Errors in (1982), Merry Wives of Windsor in 1983, Romeo and Juliet in 1984, and Romeo and Juliet in 1985. In 1983, Papp dedicated newly renovated theatre of The Shakespeare Center with Helen Hayes.^[3]

Humanitarian Fund Created in Papp's Honor[link]

In 2000 the Joseph Papp Children's Humanitarian Fund was founded. The Fund serves as the humanitarian arm of international Jewish children's club Tzivos Hashem's, activities in the Ukraine.

Joseph Papp died of prostate cancer, aged 70. His fourth wife, Gail Merrifield Papp, his full partner in the Public Theater, survived him. His son Tony did not, dying of complications related to AIDS only months before. On April 23, 1992, the Public Theater was renamed The Joseph Papp Public Theater. His biography Joe Papp: An American Life was written by journalist Helen Epstein and published in 1994. He is buried in the Baron Hirsch Cemetery on Staten Island.^[4]

See also[link]

• Edward Cornell

References[link]

External links[link]

• Joe Papp Public Theatre: www.publictheater.org
• Joseph Papp at the Internet Broadway Database

Jerry Stiller
Stiller in New York City in November 2005
Born	Gerald Isaac Stiller (1927-06-08) June 8, 1927 (age 85) New York City, New York, U.S.
Residence	New York City, New York
Nationality	American
Education	Seward Park High School
Alma mater	Syracuse University
Years active	1956–present
Home town	New York City, New York
Height	5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Spouse	Anne Meara (1954–present)
Children	Ben Stiller, Amy Stiller

Gerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller (born June 8, 1927) is an American comedian and actor.

He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara. Stiller and Meara are the parents of actor Ben Stiller (with whom he co-starred in the movies Zoolander, Heavyweights, Hot Pursuit and The Heartbreak Kid) and actress Amy Stiller.

He is best known for his recurring role as Frank Costanza on the television series Seinfeld and his supporting role as Arthur Spooner on the television series The King of Queens.

Personal life[link]

The eldest of four children,^[1] Stiller was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Bella (née Citrin) and William Stiller, a bus driver.^[2] He attended Seward Park High School.^[3] A drama major at Syracuse University, he gained a Bachelor's degree in Speech and Drama in 1950.

In the 1953 Phoenix Theater production of Coriolanus (produced by John Houseman) Jerry Stiller (along with Gene Saks and Jack Klugman) formed "the best trio of Shakespearian clowns that [he] had ever seen on any stage."^[4]

Stiller has two children, actor/comedian Ben Stiller and actress Amy Stiller.

Stiller is a member of the National Fraternity Tau Delta Phi.

Stiller and Meara[link]

The comedy team Stiller and Meara, composed of Stiller and wife Anne Meara, was successful in the 1960s and 1970s, with numerous appearances on television variety programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show. Their career declined as variety series gradually disappeared, but they subsequently forged a career in radio commercials, notably the campaign for Blue Nun wine. They also starred in their own syndicated five-minute sketch comedy show Take Five with Stiller and Meara, in 1977–78. From 1979 to 1982 Stiller and Meara hosted HBO Sneak Previews, a half-hour show produced monthly on which they described the movies and programs to be featured in the coming month.^[5] They would also do a few brief comedy sketches between show discussions. The duo's own 1986 TV sitcom, The Stiller and Meara Show, in which Stiller played the deputy mayor of New York City and Meara portrayed his wife, a TV commercial actress, was unsuccessful.

Resurgence[link]

Seinfeld[link]

Jerry Stiller played the irascible Frank Costanza, the father of George Costanza in the sitcom Seinfeld from 1993 to 1998. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 1997 and won the American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series for his portrayal of Frank Costanza.

The King of Queens[link]

After Seinfeld's run ended, Stiller had planned on retiring, but Kevin James requested him to join the cast of The King of Queens. Kevin James, who played the leading role of Doug Heffernan, had told Stiller that he needed him in order to have a successful show^{[citation needed]}. Stiller obliged, and played the role of Arthur Spooner, the always scheming (and again, irascible) father of Carrie Heffernan in the situation comedy from 1998 until 2007. Stiller has said this role tested his acting ability more than any others have and that, before being a part of King of Queens, he only saw himself as a "decent actor".

Other appearances[link]

Stiller played himself in filmed skits, opening and closing Canadian rock band Rush's 30th Anniversary Tour concerts in 2004. These appearances are seen on the band's DVD R30 Live In Frankfurt, released in 2005. Stiller later appeared in cameos in later in-concert films for the band's 2008 Snakes & Arrows Tour.

Stiller is a martial arts enthusiast and has hosted the Kumite three times. He also routinely attends UFC events and can be seen in many backstage segments.

In the late 1990s Stiller appeared in a series of Nike television commercials as the ghost of deceased Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.

Stiller has appeared in various motion pictures, most notably Zoolander (2001) and Secret of the Andes (1999) with Nancy Allen.

On February 9, 2007, Stiller and his wife were honored with a joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On October 28, 2010, Stiller and his wife appeared on an episode of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.

Stiller voiced the announcer on the childrens' educational show Crashbox

Starting in October 2010, Stiller and his wife began starring in a Yahoo web series called Stiller & Meara from Red Hour Digital, in which they discuss current topics. Each episode lasts about two minutes.^[6]

As author[link]

Stiller wrote the foreword to the book Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us (ISBN 0-446-69674-9) by Allen Salkin, released on October 26, 2005.

His memoir, Married to Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara, was published in 2000.

Filmography[link]

• Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) as Jim (Carol's Father) (uncredited)
• The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) as Lt. Rico Patrone
• Airport 1975 (1974) as Sam
• The Ritz (1976) as Carmine Vespucci
• Nasty Habits (1977) as P.R. Priest
• Time Express (1979) (TV series)
• Those Lips, Those Eyes (1980) as Mr. Shoemaker
• Madame X (1981) (made for TV)
• Simon & Simon (1982) "The Uncivil Servant" as Harold Traxler
• The McGuffin (1985) as Marty
• Tales from the Darkside (November 10, 1985) in "The Devil's Advocate" (TV)
• Seize the Day (1986) as Dr. Tamkin
• Hot Pursuit (1987) as Victor Honeywell
• Nadine (1987) as Raymond Escobar
• Hairspray (1988) as Wilbur Turnblad
• That's Adequate (1989) as Sid Lane
• Little Vegas (1990) as Sam
• Sweet 15 (1990) as Mr. Waterman
• Freefall (1992) as Emily's Father
• Highway to Hell (1992) as The Desk Cop
• Seinfeld (1993–1998) as Frank Costanza (TV)
• The Pickle (1993) as Phil Hirsch
• Heavyweights (1995) as Harvey Bushkin
• Subway Stories (1997) as man in the subway
• Camp Stories (1997) as Schlomo
• Stag (1997) as Ted
• The Deli (1997) as Petey Cheesecake
• The King of Queens (1998–2007) as Arthur Spooner (TV)
• The Suburbans (1999) as Speedo Silverburg
• A Fish in the Bathtub (1999) as Sam
• Secret of the Andes (1999) as Dr. Golfisch
• The Independent (2000) as Monty Fineman
• My 5 Wives (2000) as Don Giovanni
• Chump Change (2001) as The Colonel
• Zoolander (2001) as Maury Ballstein
• On the Line (2001) as Nathan
• Serving Sara (2002) as Milton the Cop
• Teacher's Pet (2004) (voice) as Pretty Boy
• The Lion King 1½ (2004) (voice) (direct-to-DVD) as Uncle Max
• R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour (2005) as himself
• Hairspray (2007) as Mr. Pinky
• The Heartbreak Kid (2007) as Doc
• Snakes & Arrows Live (video) (2008) as "Heidi"
• Fish Hooks (2010) as Principal Strickler (voice)
• Ice Dreams (2010) as Skipper
• Excuse Me For Living (2012) as Morty^[7]

Television[link]

• The Love Boat
• Fish Hooks as Principal Stickler
• The Paul Lynde Show as Barney Dickerson 1972-1973
• Archie Bunker's Place as Carmine – 1980
• Celebrity Ghost Stories, Season 3, Episode 3(bio.HD)
• Seinfeld as Frank Costanza - 1993-98
• King of Queens 1998-2007 As Arthur Spooner
• The Good Wife as Judge Felix Afterman - 2011

Short films[link]

• Shoeshine (1987)
• So You Want to Be an Actor (1993)
• Amy Stiller's Breast (2000)

See also[link]

• Stiller and Meara
• The Stiller and Meara Show
• Anne Meara
• Ben Stiller
• Amy Stiller
• Seinfeld
• The King of Queens

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jerry Stiller at the Internet Movie Database
• The Stiller and Meara Show at Internet Movie Database
• Jerry Stiller at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jerry Stiller at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Festivus: The website for the rest of us – Website for Festivus Book to which Stiller wrote foreword, includes Festivus movies, songs, forum and grievances
• Jerry Stiller – Internet Accuracy Project
• Exclusive Jerry Stiller Interview at TrulyHollywood.com (March 21, 2007)
• Stiller and Meara article at talkingcomedy.com

Anne Hathaway
Hathaway in January 2010 after being named Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year
Born	Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (1982-11-12) November 12, 1982 (age 29) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1999–present

Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries (2001) and its 2004 sequel. Hathaway is also an Emmy-winning actress for her voice-over performance on The Simpsons.

Hathaway had dramatic roles in Havoc and Brokeback Mountain, both in 2005. She starred in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and in Becoming Jane (2007) as Jane Austen. In 2008, she was acclaimed for her lead role in Rachel Getting Married, for which she won awards and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2010, she starred in the box office hits Valentine's Day and Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland, as well as Love and Other Drugs. In 2011, she had a voice role in the animated film Rio and starred in Lone Scherfig's adaptation of One Day. She portrays Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises and Fantine in Tom Hooper's Les Misérables.

People magazine named her one of its breakthrough stars of 2001,^[1] and she first appeared on its list of the world's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2006.^[2]

Early life[link]

Hathaway was born in Brooklyn, New York.^[3] Her father, Gerald Thomas Hathaway, is a lawyer, and her mother, Kathleen Ann (née McCauley), is an actress who inspired Hathaway to follow in her footsteps.^[4] The family moved to Millburn, New Jersey, when she was six years old.^[5] Hathaway has an older brother, Michael, and a younger brother, Thomas. She is of mostly Irish and French ancestry, with distant Native American and German roots.^[6]

Hathaway was raised Catholic with what she considered "really strong values," and has stated she wanted to be a nun during her childhood.^[5][7] However, she decided against it at the age of 15, after learning her brother, Michael, was gay.^[7] "I realised my older brother was gay, and I couldn't support a religion that didn't support my brother. Now I call myself a nondenominational Christian, because I haven't found the religion for me."^[8] In 2009, Hathaway stated that her religious beliefs are "a work in progress."^[7][9]

As a preschooler, Hathaway attended Brooklyn Heights Montessori School. She entered first grade at the Wyoming Elementary School in Millburn while she was technically still a kindergartner.^[10] Hathaway graduated from Millburn High School, where she participated in many school plays; her high school performance as Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress garnered her a Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award nomination for Best Performance by a High School Actress. During this time, Hathaway was in plays including Jane Eyre and Gigi at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse (which is located in Millburn, across the street from Hathaway's middle school).^[11] She spent several semesters studying as an English major and Women's Studies minor at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York before transferring to New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, referring to her college enrollment as one of her best decisions, because she enjoyed being with others who were trying to "grow up."^[12] Hathaway was the first teenager admitted into The Barrow Group Theater Company's acting program.^[13]

A soprano, Hathaway performed in 1998 and 1999 with the All-Eastern U.S. High School Honors Chorus at Carnegie Hall and has performed in plays at Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange, New Jersey. Three days after her 1999 performance at Carnegie Hall, she was cast in the short-lived Fox television series Get Real at the age of 16.^[11]

Hathaway is a trained stage actress and has stated that she prefers performing on stage to film roles.^[5] Her acting style has been compared to those of Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn.^[14] She cites Garland as one of her favorite actresses^[10] and Meryl Streep as her idol.^[15]

Career[link]

2001–2004: Career development[link]

Hathaway at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in 2008.

Hathaway's first role in a motion picture was opposite Christopher Gorham in Walt Disney's drama film The Other Side of Heaven (2001), inspired by John H. Groberg's memoir In the Eye of the Storm. Before production of the film, she was cast alongside Julie Andrews in the lead role of Mia Thermopolis in another Disney production, the comedy film The Princess Diaries, based on Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name and directed by Garry Marshall. Hathaway auditioned for the role of a princess-to-be during a flight layover on the way to New Zealand and was cast on the strength of this one audition.^[10] She won the role over 500 other girls.^[3] Released prior to The Other Side of Heaven in hopes that its success would increase interest in Heaven, The Princess Diaries became a major commercial success, grossing US$165 million worldwide.^[16] Many critics praised Hathaway's performance, with a BBC critic noting that "Hathaway shines in the title role and generates great chemistry."^[17] Also released in 2001, The Other Side of Heaven, directed by Mitch Davis, met with mostly negative reviews, but it performed well for a religion-themed film.^[18][19]

In February 2002, Hathaway starred in the City Center Encores! concert production of Carnival! in her New York City stage debut, receiving positive reviews for her portrayal of Lili.^[20] Also in 2002, Hathaway began voicing the audio book releases of The Princess Diaries and has since voiced the first three books of the series. She also provided the voice of the character Haru in the English version of Hiroyuki Morita's The Cat Returns.^[21]

Hathaway continued to appear in family-oriented films over the next three years, subsequently becoming known in mainstream media as a children's role model.^[22] In 2002, she appeared in Douglas McGrath's comedy-drama Nicholas Nickleby, opposite Charlie Hunnam and Jamie Bell, which opened to positive reviews. The Deseret News said that the cast was "Oscar-worthy".^[23] Despite critical acclaim, the film never entered wide release and failed at the North American box office, totaling less than $4 million in ticket sales.^[24] Hathaway's next film role was as the titular character in the rom-com fantasy film Ella Enchanted (2004), a loose adaption of Gail Carson Levine's 1997 novel of the same name, which opened to mostly indifferent reviews.^[25][26] Hathaway sang two songs in the film as well as three on the soundtrack, including a duet with singer Jesse McCartney.

In 2003, Hathaway dropped out of her role in Joel Schumacher's The Phantom of the Opera (2004), because the production schedule of the film overlapped with The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which she was contractually obligated to make.^[27] Disney began production on The Princess Diaries 2 in early 2004, and it was released in August of that year. The film opened to negative reviews, but made $95.1 million against a $40 million budget.^[28]

2005–2007: Career transition[link]

Hathaway at the 2007 Deauville American Film Festival

Hathaway began appearing in dramatic roles after The Princess Diaries 2. She said that "anybody who was a role model for children needs a reprieve", although she noted that "it's lovely to think that my audience is growing up with me".^[12] She voiced Red Puckett in the animated comedy Hoodwinked! (2005), based on the Little Red Riding Hood folktale, which received mixed reviews by critics. That same year, Hathaway starred in Barbara Kopple's drama film Havoc, in which she played a spoiled socialite, appearing nude in some of its scenes. Although the content of the film was different from her previous films, Hathaway denied that her role was an attempt to be seen as a more mature actress, citing her belief that doing nudity in certain movies is merely a part of what her chosen form of art demands of her; and because of that belief she does not consider appearing nude in appropriate films to be morally objectionable.^[29]

After Havoc, Hathaway was cast alongside Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Ang Lee's drama Brokeback Mountain (2005). While Havoc was not released in theaters in the United States because of its weak critical reception,^[30] Brokeback Mountain won rave reviews for its depiction of a homosexual relationship in the 1960s and received several Academy Award nominations.^[31] Hathaway would later assert that the content of Brokeback Mountain was more important than its award count and that making the film made her more aware of the kind of stories she wanted to tell as an actress.^[32]

In 2006, Hathaway appeared in David Frankel's comedy The Devil Wears Prada, in which she starred as an assistant to a powerful fashion magazine editor portrayed by Meryl Streep, whom Hathaway described as being "just divine".^[5] Hathaway said that working on the film made her respect the fashion industry a great deal more than she had previously, though she claimed that her personal style is something she "still can't get right".^[13] In an interview with Us Weekly, Hathaway discussed the weight loss regime she and co-star Emily Blunt followed for the film, she stated, "I basically stuck with fruit, vegetables and fish [to slim down]. I wouldn't recommend that. Emily Blunt and I would clutch at each other and cry because we were so hungry."^[33]

Hathaway was cast in the 2007 comedy Knocked Up, but dropped out before filming began and was replaced by Katherine Heigl. Writer/director Judd Apatow stated in a May 2007 issue of The New York Times Magazine that Hathaway dropped out "because she didn't want to allow us to use real footage of a woman giving birth to create the illusion that she is giving birth".^[34] In an August 2008 interview with Marie Claire, Hathaway commented that she "didn't believe that it was necessary to the story".^[35]

Hathaway was in the 2007 drama Becoming Jane, in which she portrayed English writer Jane Austen.^[32] Tim Burton considered Hathaway for the part of Johanna Barker in his 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, but the role went to Jayne Wisener, a then-unknown actress, reportedly because Burton decided he wanted an unknown, younger actress for the part.^[36]

2008–present[link]

Hathaway on the red carpet in 2009 at the 81st Academy Awards

In January 2008, Hathaway joined beauty giant Lancôme as the face of their fragrance Magnifique, and in October of that year, Hathaway hosted the NBC late-night sketch comedy Saturday Night Live.^[37] Her first film of the year was a modern adaptation of the 1960s Mel Brooks television series Get Smart, in which she starred opposite Steve Carell, and Alan Arkin, portraying Agent 99. Directed by Peter Segal, the film was a hit at the box office, prompting talk of a sequel.^[38] She also made a cameo appearance in the corresponding film Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control. Also in 2008, she premiered the drama Passengers, alongside Patrick Wilson, as well as the drama Rachel Getting Married, opposite Debra Winger. Rachel Getting Married premiered at the 2008 Venice and Toronto Film Festivals and garnered her widespread critical acclaim for her performance as Kym, including nominations for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Hathaway stated that the film appealed to her because of its real depiction of relationships and because of the strong emotional connection she felt with her character.^[39]

Hathaway appeared in the comedy Bride Wars, released in 2009, which she described as being "hideously commercial – gloriously so."^[40] In addition to providing her voice for episodes of The Simpsons, which garnered her an Emmy Award in 2010 for outstanding voice-over performance,^[41] and Family Guy in 2010,^[42][43] Hathaway also appeared as Viola in the New York Shakespeare Festival's summer 2009 production of Twelfth Night at the Delacorte Theater in New York City's Central Park, opposite Audra McDonald as Olivia, Raul Esparza as Duke Orsino, and Julie White as Maria.^[44]

Hathaway's 2010 film projects include a Tim Burton-directed adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp, the romantic comedy The Fiancé,^[45] an adaptation of the Julie Buxbaum novel The Opposite of Love, the Garry Marshall-directed ensemble comedy Valentine's Day, and an adaptation of Gerald Clarke's biography Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland, in which she will play the title role on the stage and screen.^[46] It was reported on December 8, 2009 that Hathaway was up for the role of Felicia Hardy in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4. Hardy would not have transformed into the Black Cat, as in the comics; instead, Raimi's Felicia was expected to become a brand-new superpowered figure called the Vulturess.^[47] On January 5, 2010, it was reported that Spider-Man 4 would be rewritten and Hathaway would not appear in the film, as she was "too expensive".^[48] On November 29, 2010, it was announced that Hathaway and James Franco would host the 83rd Academy Awards.^[49]

Hathaway and Denzel Washington at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2010

Together with actor Denzel Washington, Hathaway hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway on December 11, 2010.^[50]

In 2010, she was named one of the sexiest stars of 2010 by Entertainment Weekly.^[51]

In January 2011, it was announced she had landed the role of Selina Kyle (Catwoman) in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.^[52] That year, she also voiced the character Jewel in the animated film Rio,^[53] from 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios, alongside Jesse Eisenberg and starred in the romance One Day.

In October 2011, it was confirmed that Hathaway will play Fantine in the Tom Hooper film Les Misérables, which is based on the musical of the same name.^[54][55] Footage of Hathaway singing "I Dreamed a Dream", a song from Les Misérables, was shown at CinemaCon on April 26, 2012. Hooper described Hathaway's singing as "raw" and "real".^[56]

Personal life[link]

Hathaway at the Get Smart premiere in June 2008

Hathaway is involved with charities, including The Creative Coalition, The Step Up Women's Network, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Human Rights Campaign, and The Lollipop Theatre Network.^{[citation needed]} In 2008, she was honored at Elle magazine's "Women in Hollywood" tribute,^{[citation needed]} and has also been honored for her work with Step Up Women's Network.^[57] In early 2007, Hathaway spoke of her experiences with depression during her teenage years, saying that she eventually overcame the disorder without medication.^[58]

In 2008, on Late Show with David Letterman, Hathaway said she had once again stopped smoking.^{[citation needed]} The actress, who had begun smoking "heavily" while filming Rachel Getting Married, had "quit for a while", but had started again in the wake of her stressful summer and the end of her relationship with Raffaello Follieri.^[59][60][61] She credited quitting smoking for the subsequent decline in her stress level, and declared her return to being vegetarian.^[61][62]

Hathaway began dating actor Adam Shulman in November 2008.^[63] The couple became engaged in November 2011.^[64]

Relationship with Raffaello Follieri[link]

In 2004, Hathaway began a relationship with Italian real estate developer Raffaello Follieri.^[5][65] During their relationship, Hathaway took part in the development of the charitable Follieri Foundation, serving as a financial donor as well as a member of the foundation's board of directors until 2007.^[66] A Manhattan-based charity founded in 2003 focusing on programs such as providing vaccinations for children in Third World nations, the organization had come under investigation in June 2008 by the IRS, for failing to file the tax papers required from non-profit organizations.^[67] Citing the fear that this and other ongoing legal issues involving Follieri would become detrimental to her acting career, Hathaway ended her relationship with him in mid-June 2008.^[66]

Follieri was arrested on June 24, 2008, on fraud charges for allegedly fleecing investors out of millions of dollars in a scheme in which Follieri posed as the Vatican's point man on real estate investing.^[68] It was reported that the FBI confiscated Hathaway's private journals from Follieri's New York City apartment as part of their ongoing investigation into Follieri's activities; however, Hathaway was not charged with any crime.^[69] On October 23, 2008, after earlier pleading guilty, Follieri was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.^[70][71] The fraud was profiled in a one-hour episode of CNBC's "American Greed" in 2010.^[72]

Filmography[link]

References[link]