Anne Hathaway takes on a Taylor Swift–inspired role in an upcoming film

Anne Hathaway plays star like Taylor Swift

Anne Hathaway plays a music icon in Mother Mary, a new movie directed by David Lowery. The singer she plays takes notes from artists like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. She walks away from her tour and reconnects with someone from her past.

The singer goes to visit Sam, a fashion designer who once made her image. Their reunion begins the story. The character is called Mary. The film is filled with new songs written by Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX. Hathaway performs them herself in the film.

Pop star walks out and disappears from tour

The singer leaves her tour without warning. She escapes from her public image and finds Sam, her old creative partner. They used to work closely before the singer became famous. Now she wants to return to the person who knew her first.

Anne Hathaway said this role could not be done halfway. The script made her do everything fully. She said she had to be a student again. That meant learning how to sing, dance, and act in ways she had never done before.

David Lowery made the actor follow the full process

David Lowery directed Mother Mary and told Hathaway to follow the role exactly as written. His past films include The Green Knight in 2021 and A Ghost Story in 2017. Hathaway said she didn’t just act the part. She became it.

She wore tall heels and headpieces. She trained daily to get it right. Hathaway performed songs created just for this film. She worked in the recording studio with Jack Antonoff. One of the film’s songs is called Spooky Action, taken from a scientific term.

Recording started in New York with Antonoff

Anne Hathaway recorded songs with Jack Antonoff at a studio in Manhattan. She came in wearing a Knicks jersey and jeans. That morning, she had dropped off her sons at Little League before showing up to sing.

During the session, she screamed into the mic and asked Antonoff if he wanted another take. He told her to do it again and keep it frightening. He worked the recording console while she tried different vocal styles. The team was finishing tracks for the film.

Spooky Action matched the story and real life

The song Spooky Action matches how the two main characters stay connected across time. The name comes from science. It describes how two objects remain linked, even when far apart. The characters in the film experience that kind of pull.

After watching Chantal Akerman’s Saute ma Ville, Hathaway saw Akerman’s face on a stranger’s tote bag the next day. She said it felt like a strange pattern. Director David Lowery also noticed odd moments during filming. These events happened throughout production.

Michaela Coel plays a designer named Sam

Sam is played by Michaela Coel, known for her 2020 BBC role as Arabella Essiedu in I May Destroy You. In Mother Mary, Sam once created the singer’s public look.

When the singer returns, Sam becomes part of her world again. The two reconnect in scenes that move between music and private moments. Sam is not just a designer. She is someone who once built everything the singer became before it fell apart.

Coel invited Hathaway to local Cologne clubs

Filming happened in and around Cologne, Germany. Michaela Coel explored local techno clubs during production to understand the atmosphere. She invited Anne Hathaway to join her during nights off. The two actors spent time in those clubs during filming breaks.

Coel said the shoot was intense. She praised the script and said everyone had to give full energy to meet its demands. Scenes were shot in both public spaces and indoor sets. The city became a main part of the movie’s look and feel.

Hathaway trained eight to six for two years

Anne Hathaway trained for nearly two years before filming. Her schedule ran from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. She worked on singing, dancing, and movement. The goal was to make her look and sound like a real onstage pop star.

She said she had to become a beginner again. The lessons were long and technical. Each day included vocal work and full-body choreography. The process was designed to match the music created by Antonoff and Charli XCX for the film.

Choreographer made her unlearn past moves

Dani Vitale was hired as the choreographer for Mother Mary. She said Hathaway had to stop thinking during scenes. She told her not to explain feelings but to show them using her body without words.

Vitale said on the first day, Hathaway moved like a doll. The goal was to break that. They trained every day. Hathaway had to stay on her feet and react to music in real time. The movement work was made to match the character’s stage scenes.

Movement training changed how she breathed

Anne Hathaway said before training, she could not take a full breath. Her body was too tense. She said she had tried to fix it for years. It finally started to open up during the movement lessons with Dani Vitale.

She described it as having her breath stuck in her chest. She made a choking motion while talking about it. As rehearsals went on, she learned how to breathe fully. It happened slowly. She said it was the first time she could finally exhale.

She found new voice through vocal drills

Hathaway said her voice changed while training. She grew up singing soprano notes like her mom. But during Mother Mary, she found that low notes worked better. She started using that range during the film’s vocal sessions.

Her coach had her lie flat and make sounds until something clicked. One day she hit a low note and stayed there. She said that tone felt correct. That sound became the voice of the character and was used in the final recordings.

Film scenes had layered choreography onstage

Hathaway had to perform full-stage numbers in costume. Scenes were choreographed to match original songs. She wore headdresses and tall shoes. The routines were designed to look like real pop shows with flashing lights and recorded vocals.

She worked with the team to match dance and lyrics exactly. Each piece had detailed timing. There were no shortcuts. She learned how to stand, turn, and hit beats while singing. All scenes were rehearsed ahead of filming and shot in real locations.

Anne featured on Vogue’s August 2025 issue

Anne Hathaway was on the August 2025 cover of Vogue. The story was written by Maya Singer. Annie Leibovitz took the photos. Styling was by Tabitha Simmons. She wore Givenchy by Sarah Burton throughout the shoot.

The photos were placed at The Met and other New York City locations. One image showed her near paintings by Manet and Sargent. She also recorded music with Jack Antonoff during the interview. She said she came in after dropping her kids at Little League.

Bradley Cooper shared family details on her

Bradley Cooper talked about Hathaway during the Vogue story. He said their families spent time together during the pandemic. They formed a pod in Manhattan. They had dance parties with their kids in their kitchen.

He said Hathaway never gossips and stays grounded. He also talked about her husband, Adam Shulman, and their two sons, Jonathan and Jack. He said their family felt normal in a good way. He praised Hathaway for being focused while raising children and acting.

James Gray told her to stop planning scenes

Hathaway worked with James Gray on Armageddon Time in 2022. He told her to stop trying to hit emotional moments. He said not to plan each scene. She said this advice changed how she acted in later films.

She said she started acting with fewer targets. She carried this into Mother Mary. That made her stop building scenes in her head before filming. She said she let the directors guide the flow. She no longer added structure to scenes unless asked.

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She began watching Criterion Channel films

Hathaway said she started watching movies on the Criterion Channel. She said she felt like a beginner again. She became curious about different cameras and lenses. She watched during filming breaks and after long studio sessions.

She said she had just watched Saute ma Ville by Chantal Akerman. Later, she saw Akerman’s photo on a tote bag. She said that moment was part of a pattern. She said Jeanne Dielman was also on her list, but should be watched in a theater.

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What do you think of Anne’s pop star era? Drop your thoughts below!

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.