Anne Hathaway tries to ‘parent by example’ with her two little boys: ‘I try to be honest’

Anne Hathaway has a reputation for being one of Hollywood’s most thoughtful and earnest figures.

The star, who shot to fame in The Princess Diaries back in 2001, has always been known for her integrity, honesty and dedication to her craft.

And when we meet her at the 75th Cannes International Film Festival for the premiere of her latest movie Armageddon Time, she doesn’t disappoint.

The 40-year-old is here today to talk to us about playing Esther Graff, the mother of Paul, who the film focuses on.

Armageddon Time is a deeply personal coming-of-age drama based on the life of the director James Gray, and when we ask Anne if it felt uncomfortable playing the role of his real-life mum, she admits it did make her approach things sensitively.

She explains, “I really thought very carefully before I asked a question, because I knew that I wasn’t just asking a question about art, I was asking a question about life.

"And I have to say that I appreciated the element that was introduced into the performance and the relationship both with James as a person and as my director.”

In terms of her own personal life, Anne has been married to jewellery designer Adam Shulman, 41, since 2012 and has two sons with him – Jonathan, six, and Jack, two.

She was incredibly close to her mother-in-law, Jacqueline Banks, who she says “inspired the most beautiful moments of my character”, but Jacqueline recently passed away.

The star tells us that playing a Jewish mother in the film felt particularly special, given the loving relationship she had with Adam’s mum.

“It was an honour. My husband is Jewish. And we spoke a great deal about what this would mean to represent an art but also what it would mean for our family. My mother-in-law, who passed recently, was simply the greatest Jewish mother I’ve ever seen.

"And her legacy influences my life in profound ways that I am truly, truly grateful for. And the hand of a Jewish mother will guide the rest of my life.”

Anne, who won an Oscar in 2013 for her role in Les Misérables, continues, “If I have done one thing in terms of capturing the depth of that love and that connection, I honestly won’t even attempt to put it into words because it is beyond.

"That’s why I’m so grateful to cinema because it allows you to say things without words.”

Armageddon Time, which also stars Anthony Hopkins and Succession star Jeremy Strong, tells the story of a young Jewish boy, Paul, and his best friend Johnny, who is African American.

The film looks at how differently the boys are treated growing up and shines a spotlight on the benefits of privilege and the need to stand up to social injustice.

Talking about the importance of getting educated on these topics, Anne says, “I think the first thing that I would hope everyone is doing, is to become educated about what privilege is…

"And when you do make a mistake, because you will as you’re a human being, make the mistake gracefully, listen, apologise and learn.

"Be aware of how bias looks in the world and how others might be expecting you to participate in it – and then do the opposite.”

The Devil Wears Prada star, who says she’s wary of sounding like a “know it all”, will be the first person to admit that she makes mistakes but says it’s how you respond to them that matters.

She tells us, “Of course, we’re human. We really understand mistakes in hindsight. Very often when we’re in the process of making them they might feel like the right choice.

And I think it’s very important to allow the pain from the past to serve, to teach us how to not make the same mistake.”

Recalling a recent conversation with her best friend, Anne says, “We’re both depressed about something. The world was just being the world!

"And I turned to her and said, ‘Listen, are you trying to be a good person?’ And she said yes. And I said, ‘Good! Me too… that makes two of us!’”

Given that two of the main characters in the film are young boys, and the drama covers serious topics, such as their struggles with racism and inequality, we’re interested to know how the actors who played Johnny [Jaylin Webb] and Paul [Banks Repeta] coped with the intensity of the film.

But Anne says they were well looked after and she recognised in them the same ambition that she had at a young age.

She tells us, “Having been aware that I wanted to be a very serious actor from an unusually young age, I’m aware that there is a type of artist that has that desire and that drive from a young age. And I recognised it in these two young men.

"I know from my own absolute blessing of having parents that supported me that it’s possible to be a child and tell an intense story, and still make it through intact – that had a lot to do with the world that you put around them.”

She adds, “So we just created a set that was safe, full of love that knew how to be serious and how to get work done, but also was warm. I don’t know if that had an effect on the film, but I have some of the best memories that I can claim as an actress on this set.”

When we ask how her desire to do the right thing affects her parenting, Anne says that she often asks herself, “Am I the sort of person I’m encouraging my children to be? And if I’m not, am I doing my best to change it?”

She tells us, “I’m trying to teach them by example. And then if they ask questions, I try to be honest with them and put it in terms they understand.

“This is with the goal of one day having a very frank conversation with them, because at that point, I hope they are the sort of person who, from within the joy of their own life, are able to understand serious matters as well.”

It’s fair to say that the A-lister takes her role as a mother very seriously. She even admitted three years ago that she had given up alcohol because she wanted to be a more present parent.

She said in 2019, “I’m going to stop drinking while my son is in my house just because I don’t totally love the way I do it and he’s getting to an age where he really does need me all the time in the mornings.”

And Anne – who has been open in the past about her infertility struggles and how difficult it was to conceive both of her sons – says she would love to add to her brood, revealing, “I could see us going for another one.”

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