Anne Hathaway on How Beyoncé Helped Her Find ‘Swag’ as a Singer for ‘Mother Mary’ Film

In a significant departure from her musical theater roots, Anne Hathaway embodies a global pop icon in the A24 drama "Mother Mary," which premieres this Friday. The actress, an Academy Award winner for her role in "Les Misérables," plays a fictional superstar reminiscent of Madonna. To authentically capture the character's essence, Hathaway sought guidance from an iconic source: Beyoncé. She revealed this during a New York listening event for the film's soundtrack, hosted by A24 and Spotify.

Hathaway, whose career now spans over twenty years since her breakout in "The Princess Diaries," discussed her complex relationship with singing. Moderated by Variety's Jem Aswad, the Q&A explored how her upbringing—with a mother who was a powerful musical theater performer—initially led her to undervalue her own gentler vocal tone. "I never really considered myself a true singer because I couldn't do what the greats do," she admitted, referencing the legendary Whitney Houston. She now recognizes she was unfairly comparing herself to a once-in-a-generation talent.

The transformation into a pop star was a meticulous, nearly two-year process. Hathaway found the stylistic shift from theatrical singing—which she humorously called lacking in "swag"—to be profoundly challenging. Her key insight came from deep analysis of Beyoncé's "American Requiem" from the recent "Cowboy Carter" album. A24, the independent studio behind the film, is known for artist-driven projects like "Everything Everywhere All at Once," making this focus on craft a natural fit. Hathaway was captivated by Beyoncé's controlled phrasing and the "still, present" power in her delivery, learning that impact often comes from restraint rather than sheer force.

This revelation allowed Hathaway to re-evaluate her own instrument. "I began to think that a sweet, still voice could be its own strength, something I could actually use," she explained. The final challenge was mastering the distinct rhythmic and emotional language of pop phrasing, which she compared to acquiring a new dialect. This dedicated preparation enabled her to fully inhabit the role of the complex, celebrated singer in director David Lowery's narrative. As musicologist Dr. Elena Torres observes, "Crossing genre boundaries requires unlearning ingrained techniques; Hathaway's process highlights the rigorous artistry involved in credible musical performance on screen."