Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway is well-known for her glamorous style and youthful looks. Her career began with a fairy-tale role in The Princess Diaries, and she continued to play princesses and queens in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and Ella Enchanted. Then came roles with a more grown-up feel, like in the film adaptation of Becoming Jane and in the drama film Rachel Getting Married. In the latter, she earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Kym. Hathaway is also a UN Women goodwill ambassador and supports various charities.
But the star recently shared some views on aging that were not well-received on the internet. The 39-year-old actress spoke about how people compliment her for looking so young but that it is “not a compliment she wants to hear.”
Hathaway also mentioned how aging is very personal for everyone and how some people have a more challenging time than others. It is something that everyone experiences in their way and at different speeds. She went on to say that it is “shameful” that people are so obsessed with the idea of celebrities getting older.
This did not go down well with a specific section of people on the internet, who quickly started calling out the actress for her comments. They pointed out that it was hypocritical of her to talk about how much she dislikes hearing the compliment “for her age” and then turn around and post a photo of herself looking fantastic at 39, which many people consider an age where one still looks great.
Some of the most critical reactions to Hathaway’s statements were posted on Twitter, with some calling her out for being a hypocrite and supporting the concept that people shouldn’t get older. Others said the actress isn’t the only person aging well at this stage and should be applauded.
One user compared her to Gemma Chan, another 39-year-old actress doing great with aging. They noted that both can look great at their age because they are “unproblematic.” This led to a debate on whether it is right to congratulate some actresses for aging well while others don’t and what kind of message it sends about the genders.
Other fans of Hathaway were quick to point out that she is a talented actress with a long and successful career. They also emphasized that she advocates for the environment and other social causes and has a very active public life. Her work ethic and commitment to her craft should be celebrated, not dismissed, as it is being done here.