Anne Hathaway Calls Taylor Swift a ‘Genius’
Ms. Anne Hathaway has said Ms. Taylor Swift’s music helped shape her preparation for A24’s upcoming film Mother Mary, in which she plays a pop-star character. The actress described the role as drawing from several major artists and said one Swift track in particular shifted how she listened to the singer’s work.
In comments she said were made to The New York Times, Hathaway explained that director Mr. David Lowery, whom she called a “die-hard Swiftie”, gave her a “crazy long” playlist to convey the emotional effect the film’s music could have.
Hathaway said Swift’s 2022 hit “Anti-Hero” stood out from the playlist and became a turning point in her relationship with the artist’s catalogue. “I always really, really liked Taylor, but that was the song where I was like, ‘Oh no, wait, she’s taking hold of my brain,’” Hathaway said, adding that she later went “much deeper into her music” and concluded: “Oh, she’s a genius.”
The actress also said she has since come to know Swift, and recalled that when she attended The Eras Tour, the singer arranged for a handwritten note to be delivered to her seat. Hathaway’s latest remarks follow earlier discussion of how Taylor Swift’s Reputation Tour inspired an Anne Hathaway film project, highlighting the singer’s wider influence in pop culture beyond music.
Despite her admiration, Hathaway said she does not see herself as a pop star, explaining that acting allows her to share personal experiences “through a filter” and an avatar, while a pop star’s public image is more directly based on themselves. Mother Mary is expected to add to A24’s slate of music-adjacent films, with Hathaway’s role positioned as a high-profile portrayal of contemporary pop stardom.
