Press Conference interview with Anne Hathaway, winner in the Supporting Actress category at the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2013.
Q. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the winner of the Bafta for Best Supporting Actress, Anne Hathaway. Hello there.
A. Hi.
Q. Congratulations.
A. I have a death grip on this thing.
Q. It must be very heavy to hold with one hand.
A. Do you want to see?
Q. I can try -- oh my god, I'm going to break it. Yeah, you should take that back, immediately. Congratulations.
A. Thank you.
Q. How does it feel?
A. I'm overjoyed and it's -- I'm such an airhead right now. Well, that's not really new.
But it feels -- it feels incredible. I'm -- I'm surprised, I'm so surprised. I mean -- I'm sorry, I'm still collecting myself.
Q. When your name is read out for the first time, does your head empty of all thought at that point; are you thinking: I have a speech, I have a speech, it's here somewhere and now it's gone?
A. Yeah, yeah -- it was just the -- the vaguest rumblings of something and then -- and it all -- it all empties out right away and you have to -- you know, there's the Clooney factor as well and I just -- you know, I go weak in the knees for him and so -- it was all a bit too much.
Q. I was watching it here, I was weak at the knees myself. It was a tough one. When you were actually on set doing I Dreamed a Dream, how tough was it, because how many takes did you do, in the end of that?
A. Well, I -- I thought we had done about 20, but Tom later told me it was 11. I'm not sure he was counting all of them. But, you know, I'm not usually -- I'm -- I'm not a moaner, I love my job and I consider myself the luckiest person in the world that I get to do it, but I will say this was a tough one, singing that song, because there was no relief or -- from the pain of the -- that the character is going through, to think: Oh, have I just done that one all right? With each take, I was just getting angry -- angrier and angrier, because the more real it felt, the more full of rage I was, on behalf of my character, and as my character, so that was actually -- it surprised me how tough a day that was.
Q. Did you have time between takes to acclimatise or did you have to go straight back into it?
A. No, I -- there was time in between, but I made a decision on this film, unlike other films where I've played characters that are in an emotionally intense place, that is -- because my part only filmed over five weeks, I decided to stay -- um, sort of under water, as it were, with it, with all the feelings, rather than come up for air and -- so, whether or not I had time between takes, I didn't utilise it to relieve my -- my -- the pressure.
Q. Yeah, sure. Any questions at all for Anne?
Yes, let's start over here.
PRESS: Hi, congratulations. Tell us about your experience of filming in the UK and also especially in Winchester; do you remember that bit?
A. (coughs) I am so sorry, excuse me. I do -- I am coming down with laryngitis. Anyway -- shut up, Hathaway!
I -- this is my third film in the UK in three years. I've actually worked more over here than in the States as of late, and I -- I -- I don't know how to say it without sounding like I'm comparing the two places but I just had the most divine experiences. I've had deep and lasting friendships with the people that I've worked with, I feel that I've gotten to work with the best of the best, and benefited from it.
Q. Okay, yes, please.
PRESS: Hi. Congratulations, first of all.
You got married sort of about six months ago and since then you've pretty much cleaned up every award show you've been to. Would you say your husband is a bit of a lucky charm?
A. Oh, definitely. Definitely. In -- in way more ways than awards.
Q. Yes, please.
PRESS: Angela Bishop from Australia. An enormously emotional experience for you to be on this film. Did the fact that you had Rusty and Hugh around, were they able to give you some lighter moments when you needed them?
A. Definitely, definitely. Hugh is -- he's so kind and -- I really think that he actually is -- is part magician; I think he carries magic inside of him. With everything that he had going on, with having the entire film on his shoulders, playing a part that -- I mean, I can only imagine what it took to be that person every day for months on end -- still cared about everyone around him, made time for them all, made sure that everyone was having a laugh, having a good time, and he really set the tone on the set that we all aspired to then reach.
The biggest surprise of the entire experience was what a sweetie pie Russell Crowe is. He was integral to cast bonding, cast unity. He would have us all round his place on the weekends and we would just sing for hours and we -- we all bonded that way. He has become a dear, dear friend, and I feel very blessed to have him in my life.
Q. Young chap at the back?
A. Hello! Oh, come on, tell me everything about yourself.
PRESS: Congratulations. Where are you planning on keeping your award?
A. I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead. I kind of have this fantasy, because this year I've being lucky enough to have received a few pieces of hardware, I think I'm going to get a tool shed and keep it in my garage and so when I open it up, then it will just sort of -- like, maybe I can cue it up with some music. But -- but for right now, I'm not sure -- they're sort of -- they're all living in my kitchen.
Q. Yes, please, down here?
PRESS: Hi Anne, congratulations. So, how are you feeling now you've won all of the awards pretty much, so we've just got the Oscars left? Do you think about that? Does it make it easier because you've won so many now?
A. I -- I know at this time of year you must all be pretty tired of us trying to -- to put this -- our emotions into words, but I really have to say, getting to do the -- excuse me, I'm going to -- getting to do the work, getting to play this character, and this cast, getting to have had this opportunity, it's the most sublime experience and I don't know how I got so lucky. This is spectacular, I love it. This is not what it's about though, so I don't think ahead; I'm just so happy to be here in the conversation at this time of year. Whatever happens in two weeks happens in two weeks. It won't be the worst thing that's ever happened to me if I don't win and, with my husband by my side, it won't be the best thing that's happened to me either, so I'm feeling very good about whatever comes.
Q. A gentleman here in the second row.
PRESS: Obviously you played a very -- you played a very emotional character in Les Mis.
A. Yeah, I'm sorry -- God, in this country too, I'm tearing up. Sorry.
PRESS: Is it difficult not to take your work home with you? Is it difficult to get home and just not be emotional at home? Do you find yourself breaking down at silly things because you've been in tears all day sort of thing?
A. I didn't break down when I got home but I didn't get very light either. One of the best things that happened on this job, I think one of the most serendipitous and one of the bonds for my soul, was my best friend from middle school lives here and she had her first child. So whilst it wasn't exactly the giddiest of times for me off camera, in my home life, I did get to go and share in her joy and meet her son and take part in that miracle. And so -- I mean, life felt very big, it felt like it was operating in -- you know, in very extreme ways, but that was kind of the way that I (inaudible) -- spent time with -- with my friends, who were like my family.
Q. The last question from Joe, please.
PRESS: Anne, congratulations. Award season is this long road that you're walking down. I wonder how it feels to have had this incredible experience, as you said, to then get to sort of live it with your co-stars and your director and everything as you go, what that experience feels like?
A. I don't mean to -- I don't want to sound arrogant but I've -- I've been down the awards road once before, and I was the only person from my film -- which I was disappointed by -- to receive recognition. It's so much more fun when you can do it with your group. Because when you work on a film, you're spending -- I mean, you can spend 16 hours a day with people, you know, sometimes 6 days a week, for months on end. You get to be a family. And it's an intense amount of time and then it's over, but you have a bond like no other. And to -- to get to see this, to get to celebrate them, to see their work singled out the way I wanted, my collaborators' work -- sounded fairly sinister -- my colleagues' work! -- to be singled out the last time -- it is such a thrill.
The other day, when we were at the Oscar nominee luncheon, I got emotional when Hugh came up on stage because I'm just -- I'm so proud of him and happy for him, and I think it makes the experience all the richer.
Q. Congratulations once again. Anne Hathaway.
Watch Anne Hathaway's acceptance speech and backstage interview
Download this transcript
Supporting Actress Winner Press Conference Transcript in 2013
