'Anne Hathaway I've Transformed So Much'

The Princess Diaries made her a star at age 18. But fame wasn’t always easy—or kind. Now the Serenity actress is opening up about her struggles in the spotlight—and how embracing love and motherhood helped her find joy again

- Jess Cagle

Anne Hathaway was only 18 years old when The Princess Diaries made her world-famous. Since then we’ve watched her grow up—from an insecure young star to a self-assured 36-year-old woman who’s comfortable in her own skin. “When I look back on the last 10 years,” she says, “I am really proud of how hard I’ve worked to get to a place where I feel good.” She has also become one of Hollywood’s most interesting stars both onscreen and off: having a ball playing a phony, ruthless celebrity in Ocean’s Eight; telling Ellen DeGeneres that she has stopped drinking for the next 18 years, while her now-2-year-old son Jonathan is living with her (because morning mom duty is easier without a hangover); and going head-tohead with critics of her trippy new movie Serenity on Instagram. “We keep it real around here,” she wrote. “Some critics get @serenityfilm and, like me, find it interesting, moving, ambitious and different, and for some it just doesn’t work....I endorse the movie, many critics don’t. Anyway, wasn’t my @givenchyofficial skirt for the premiere rad?” In the latest episode of The Jess Cagle Interview, a PeopleTV video series, Hathaway opens up to People’s editor-in-chief about fame, motherhood, her most memorable roles and how she’s changed. Here are excerpts.

In her new thriller Serenity she plays a mysterious woman who hires her ex (Matthew McConaughey) to kill her abusive husband.