Anne Hathaway: ‘I Was Warned That My Career Would Fall Off a Cliff at the Age of 35,’ Which ‘A Lot of Women Face’

Anne Hathaway is 41 years old, which means she has long defied the warning she often heard as a teen actor that her career would not flourish past a certain age as a woman in Hollywood.

When I started out as a child, I was warned that my career would fall off a cliff at the age of 35, which is something I know a lot of women face, Hathaway recently told Porter magazine. The thing that has evolved during [that time] is that more women are having careers deeper into their lives, which I think is fantastic. Obviously, it doesnt mean we should have a ticker tape parade someone said this to me the other day: Theres so much to be proud of and theres so much to fix.'

Hathaways acting career kicked off in 2001 with the breakout success of Disneys The Princess Diaries, which she filmed as a teenager. Roles in teen fantasy classics like Ella Enchanted and Oscar-nominated dramas such as Brokeback Mountain followed.

It is such a sweet feeling to know that youre kind of woven into someones life, Hathaway told the magazine about being an actor. I cant describe the honor of knowing that Im involved in the moments where people need comfort. It makes me really excited that my journey as a performer has connected with people. I love [when] projects have a life beyond their initial release.

Hathaway most recently earned strong reviews for her role in She Came to Me, and shes got the indie psychodrama Eileen opening next month. Shes clearly continued to thrive past age 35. Eileen world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where Hathaway made headlines for discussing her career as a teen actor.

I just remembered one of the very first questions I ever got asked when I started acting and had to do press was: Are you a good girl or a bad girl? Hathaway said at the film fest. I was 16.

Eileen opens in theaters Dec. 1 from Neon.