This story was originally published on September 9, 2015.
Anne Hathaway has been negotiating a high-powered Hollywood career as she transitioned from teenager to insecure twentysomething to confident thirtysomething, all while under increasing scrutiny from gossip magazines, paparazzi, and the ultra-reactive internet. She can joke now about her awkward Oscar co-hosting gig with James Franco in 2011 (even though, as one critic noted, “Hathaway worked her derriere off”). She’s a pro at skillfully shutting down tasteless interview questions, as she did when Matt Lauer opened with a weirdly slut-shamey reference to an upskirt paparazzi photo of her in 2012. These qualities might not be as meme-worthy as Jennifer Lawrence tripping at the Oscars, being witty after tripping at the Oscars, flipping her middle finger backstage at the Oscars, or riding a jet ski with Amy Schumer. But they certainly exude another kind of cool — the kind that comes with striving for excellence and not having to apologize for it.
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