“It got to me”: the 2011 performance Anne Hathaway knew would “disappoint a lot of people”
Anne Hathaway has always been a pretty reliable star, with roles spanning everything from musicals to lighthearted romantic comedies, gritty thrillers, and some pretty intense dramas. She can seemingly do it all.
But that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t feel the pressure from time to time, despite the fact that an Oscar win (among many other prestigious accolades) would suggest otherwise. When it comes down to taking on a role, though, there’s always going to be slight trepidation, because whatever you do will be immortalised on screen forever. Even worse when you’re stepping into the shoes of a character who is already a beloved pre-existing figure.
This was the cause of Hathaway’s anxiety when she agreed to appear in One Day, the 2011 adaptation of David Nicholls’ hit novel, which has since found renewed popularity thanks to a Netflix mini-series based on the story emerging in 2024. Yet, before Ambika Mod and Leo Woodhall appeared as Emma and Dexter – whole friendship and on-and-off relationship spanned years, ultimately resulting in tragedy – Hathaway and Jim Sturgess played the characters in Lone Scherfig’s version.
Hathaway’s British accent is questionable, but One Day stands as a pretty moving romantic comedy-drama, even if critics weren’t that impressed. Whether you prefer the Netflix version or the film adaptation, it’s safe to say that the story of One Day has resonated with many people, who can’t help but feel a sense of identification with the character of Emma.
She’s witty and smart, determined to become a writer despite the fact that after university, she winds up working in a rather depressing restaurant. Strong-minded and grounded, Emma was no small role to step into, and Hathaway soon realised the pressures of bringing a popular character from a bestseller to life.
“I didn’t realise how deeply loved the character was when I signed on to play Emma,” she told Bang Showbiz. “I wish I didn’t really know!” It’s never going to be easy bringing a book character to life, because people cast their own ideas onto them while reading. But it’s a risk she was willing to take.
“It became even larger when people kept asking me, ‘So you’re playing Emma? Will you be doing this with the character? Will you be doing that?’ I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, people know every word of this book!’ I quickly realised I was going to disappoint a lot of people. People have their own idea about who these characters are and how they act and how they sound. It got to me.”
Unfortunately for Hathaway, her Yorkshire accent was widely criticised, and while the film’s emotional punch certainly worked on most viewers, the movie didn’t receive the most glittering reviews from critics.
That’s not what Hathaway wanted from the film, with the actor adding, “There were days when I would liken it to walking between two dams with criticism on either side and you just hope, ‘Please don’t crumble today, I really can’t take it.’ There are a lot of things to enjoy. I tried not to let it get to me.” Sadly, success isn’t always going to come when you’d like it to.
