Oscar winner Anne Hathaway has beautifully credited her real-life romance with husband Adam Shulman for helping shape her performance as Penelope in “The Odyssey”.
The actress revealed that her relationship gave her a profound, authentic understanding of her character’s enduring love, devotion and a 20-year wait for her husband Odysseus, played by Matt Damon in the film.
Sharing that she utilised her own marriage as a creative guide to accurately portray Penelope’s loyalty and patience, Hathaway said: “I am one of the luckiest people on the planet Earth. I met my soulmate, and we decided to get married and have a family.”
The 43-year-old actor said both she and Damon drew from their own happy marriages while preparing for their roles. “We both kind of started playing these characters in this deep love relationship, knowing that it was possible,” she added, referring to Damon’s marriage to Luciana Barroso Damon.
Also read: Matt Damon calls ‘The Odyssey’ his hardest film yet
Hathaway, who shares sons Jonathan, 10, and Jack, 6, with Shulman, also joked about her pregnancy while attending the premiere. The couple is expecting their third child. “Cannot be beat. This is a lovely microphone, but I prefer my accessory,” she said while cradling her baby bump.
Previously, appearing on “Late Night with Seth Meyers”, Hathaway revealed that she and Shulman were surprised to learn they were expecting another child. “It’s amazing. We knew what we were doing, but we were so shocked it worked. We were so shocked it went this way, so we’re calling this one our buzzer-beater,” she joked.
Hathaway and Shulman first met at the Palm Springs Film Festival in 2008 and married in 2012.
Reflecting on their relationship in an earlier interview, Hathaway had said, “I knew from the second I met him that he was the love of my life.”
The actor also praised Shulman for supporting her during a busy year that saw the release of five films—“Mother Mary”, “The Devil Wears Prada 2”, “The End of Oak Street”, “Verity” and “The Odyssey”.
Also read: Anne Hathaway was not the first pick for ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
“He supports me completely. This year in particular was unusual. He and I both know that it’s probably never going to happen like this again,” Hathaway said in an interview in April. “And the way he stepped up, I mean, in every possible way, he’s the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met,” she added.
“I’m so lucky that he’s my partner that I spend my life with. If I didn’t know that before this past year, I think I really know it now because with absolutely everything he’s just, he’s on it. He holds it down. I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m bragging, but he’s a dream partner to me,” Hathaway said.
“The Odyssey”, starring Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon, is scheduled to release in theatres on July 17.