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Anne Hathaway Asks Fans To Stop Calling Her ‘Anne’
Anne Hathaway wants everyone to stop calling her ‘Anne,’ and she’s revealed her real name.
Anne Hathaway has spent more than two decades as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars.
To fans around the world, she is instantly associated with iconic films like The Devil Wears Prada, Interstellar, and The Princess Diaries.
Having heard her name shouted on red carpets and printed across magazine covers for years, she’s now revealed the truth.
The Oscar-winning actress recently admitted that she actually dislikes being called Anne.
Fans everywhere were shocked to learn that she no longer wants to be called Anne.
It was particularly shocking since Hathaway is currently enjoying a massive career resurgence.
The movie that changed Anne Hathaway’s life forever
Hathaway’s rise to stardom began with Disney’s beloved 2001 hit The Princess Diaries.
The film introduced audiences to Mia Thermopolis, an awkward teenager who discovers she is secretly the heir to a royal throne.
The role instantly transformed Hathaway into a household name and launched her Hollywood career almost overnight.
Looking back on the anniversary of The Princess Diaries, Hathaway described landing the film as the moment her dreams finally became reality.
“I remember [the day], and I give thanks to the universe, a big open-hearted thank you because that was the day that dreams came true for me,” she said.
“There are a lot of aspects to my life that are very real, but also a lot that are very fairy tale. That was the day that my fairy tale started.”
Following the success of the movie, Hathaway quickly became one of Hollywood’s most in-demand young actresses. But rather than staying in the lane of family-friendly films, she deliberately began pursuing more mature and dramatic roles.
That decision ultimately helped her evolve far beyond her Disney beginnings.
From Disney star to one of Hollywood’s biggest actresses
After The Princess Diaries, Hathaway carefully reshaped her image by taking on increasingly challenging roles.
She starred in critically acclaimed projects like Brokeback Mountain before becoming a global sensation again in The Devil Wears Prada, where she played aspiring journalist Andy Sachs opposite Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt.
The fashion-world comedy-drama became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of the most beloved movies of the 2000s.
Hathaway continued building an impressive résumé with films like Rachel Getting Married, Love & Other Drugs, and Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic Interstellar.
Then came Les Misérables, the role that earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress after her emotional portrayal of Fantine left audiences stunned.
Throughout her career transformation, Hathaway often spoke about growing alongside her audience.
“It’s lovely to think that my audience is growing up with me,” the actress once said.
And audiences absolutely did.
Over the years, Hathaway became attached to some of Hollywood’s most successful films, helping her become one of the industry’s most bankable stars.
Now, in 2026, Hathaway is once again dominating headlines thanks to several major upcoming releases — especially one sequel fans have been waiting nearly two decades to see.
Why Anne Hathaway is suddenly everywhere again
Hathaway has introduced herself to a new generation of viewers in recent years.
In 2024, she starred in Prime Video’s romantic comedy The Idea of You.
The movie adapts Robinne Lee’s bestselling novel.
The story follows Solène, a 39-year-old single mother, who falls for younger pop star Hayes Campbell, played by Nicholas Galitzine
The movie sparked a huge online discussion after its release.
It also reminded audiences why Hathaway remains one of Hollywood’s most charismatic stars.
However, The Devil Wears Prada 2 currently generates the biggest buzz around Hathaway.
Hathaway reunited with Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci for the sequel.
Fans quickly obsessed over Hathaway’s return as Andy Sachs.
Behind-the-scenes photos fueled excitement across social media, and fans praised Hathaway’s updated fashion-forward wardrobe.
Social media users also celebrated her modernized version of Andy Sachs.
Many viewers said Hathaway stepped effortlessly back into the iconic role.
Hathaway also has several other major projects in development, including Mother Mary and the thriller adaptation Verity.
Despite her enormous success, Hathaway recently revealed a personal frustration.
Why Anne Hathaway doesn’t actually want people calling her Anne
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Hathaway finally explained why hearing the name ‘Anne’ has always felt strange to her.
“I’ve known you for a pretty long time now,” Fallon said. “I’ve heard people call you Annie, like your good friends. Do I call you Anne or Annie?”
Hathaway immediately made her preference clear.
“Call me Annie! Everybody, everybody, call me Annie – please!”
The actress then explained that the confusion started when she was just 14 years old and applying for her Screen Actors Guild membership card.
At the time, using her legal name professionally simply seemed like the obvious decision.
“They asked me, ‘What do you want your name to be?’ And I’m like, well, it should be my name. My name’s Anne Hathaway,” she recalled.
“And so that seemed like the right choice. But it never occurred to me that for the rest of my life people would call me Anne.”
According to the actress, only her mother calls her Anne and even then, it’s usually not a good sign.
“The only person who ever calls me Anne is my mother, and she only does it when she’s really mad at me,” Hathaway shared.
“So every time I step out in public and someone calls my name, I think they’re going to yell at me.”
She also admitted that people on movie sets often avoid using Anne entirely because it simply doesn’t suit her personality.
“People are so lovely – they don’t want to be presumptuous, and so they come up with workarounds on set because the truth is nobody’s comfortable calling me Anne ever. It doesn’t fit,” Hathaway explained.
“I’m an Annie. And so people call me, like, Miss H; people call me Hath. So feel free to call me anything but Anne.”
Even after decades of fame, awards, and billion-dollar success, Hathaway wants to be called her real name.
Related Article: Chris Pratt Doesn’t Like Being Called Chris And Says It’s Not His Name
Related Article: Devil Wears Prada 2 Accused Of Being ‘Racist’ As Fans Urged To Boycott Sequel
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