Anne Hathaway opens up about feeling 'wrong' when accepting her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress
In 2012, the world was presented with another movie-adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel “Les Miserables.” The Tom Hooper-directed film won awards left and right, particularly for the actors’ beautiful performances -- but it seems that Anne Hathaway thought herself unworthy of her Academy Award.
Hathaway portrayed the self-sacrificing mother, Fantine, and her performance was well received and garnered her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Her rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” was particularly heartbreaking and has been viewed millions of times over various YouTube channels. But in an interview with The Guardian, the 33-year-old actress revealed she felt “wrong” while receiving the coveted award.
READ: Oscars 2013: Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln Lead Academy Award Nominations [FULL LIST, PHOTOS]
“I felt very uncomfortable,” she began. “I kind of lost my mind doing that movie and it hadn’t come back yet. Then I had to stand up in front of people and feel something I don’t feel which is uncomplicated happiness. It’s an obvious thing, you win an Oscar and you’re supposed to be happy. I didn’t feel that way.
“I felt wrong that I was standing there in a gown that cost more than some people are going to see in their lifetime and winning an award for portraying pain that still felt very much a part of our collective experience as human beings. I tried to pretend that I was happy.”
In her acceptance speech, she also touched on the pain that the movie carried with it, particularly surrounding poverty and the injustices of society. Hathaway expressed how she hoped that one day “the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and nevermore in real life.”
Watch "At The End Of The Day" clip from "Les Miserables"
Among others, “Les Miserables” also won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture. Hugh Jackman also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor.