Anne Hathaway: Singing role in Mother Mary was ‘terrifying’

By Jenny Garnsworthy, Press Association

Actress Anne Hathaway has said playing the role of a fictional global pop star was “terrifying”.

“It was not comfortable, it did not feel natural,” she told the Press Association.

The actress was speaking at a special screening of psychological drama Mother Mary at the Picturehouse Central in London on Thursday night.

Hathaway added: “We filmed very out of order, in kind of a disjointed fashion.

“So along the way, I built my confidence. But before that came in, it was just like, terrible every day.

“I mean, I felt kind of under-rehearsed. So you’re just like, don’t let it show, just go out there and give everybody a really good time, and if all else fails then you’re going to be edited very well.”

She stars in the film alongside British actress Michaela Coel, who said an intimacy coordinator helped her and Hathaway to be “vulnerable” with each other.

Coel told PA: “We had an intimacy coordinator help us with breathing techniques and being very present with each other.

“And I think that really improved how we allowed ourselves to be as vulnerable as we were with each other in the moment.”

Asked about taking on the role, Coel added: “I have to love the words. Other actors are really good at taking lines that might not be like that great and make them sound incredible. I’m not that actor.

“I really need magic in scripts. I need to be able to eat the words and to sit on my tongue well. I just need a good script.”