Hollywood Movies

Anne Hathaway Interview - Get Smart at Wonder Con 2008

with Rebecca Murray

Anne Hathaway joined Steve Carell and director Peter Segal to talk about the big screen version of 'Get Smart' in front of an enthusiatic Wonder Con crowd. Hathaway takes on the role of Agent 99 in the film version, with Carell playing Maxwell Smart.

Get Smart Movie Photos - Get Smart Photos, Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway Get Smart Premiere Photos - Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Get Smart Photos Get Smart Movie Poster - Get Smart Poster, Starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin, Peter Segal Talk Get Smart Anne Hathaway Photo - Get Smart Movie Premiere Anne Hathaway Photo

Transcript: Anne Hathaway Interview - Get Smart at Wonder Con 2008

Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the 2008 San Francisco Wonder Con.

Anne Hathaway ('Agent 99' in Get Smart)

Are you freezing?

Anne Hathaway: "No, I'm nervous, sorry."

You're nervous? What are you nervous about?

Anne Hathaway: "Oh, I'm always nervous about doing these things. Oh, yeah."

After all these years of doing interviews, you're still nervous?

Anne Hathaway: "Oh, completely. When I was up there doing the panel, my heart was just – I was having palpitations. At the moment I was like, 'Please, another question for Steve. My heart needs to calm down.'"

Tell me about taking on a role that was made famous by another actress. Is that an extra weight on your shoulders or do you even think about that when you're doing it?

Anne Hathaway: "Oh, of course you do. I loved Barbara Feldon growing up too, I knew how the fans must feel with the idea that she was being recreated so that was very much in my mind. Not as kind of an insurmountable obstacle, but more as just like a really friendly challenge. I was very excited to try… I mean, you could never recreate what Barbara Feldon did. She was so magical and created an iconic role. But I love the path that she left open for my 99 to follow. So I really, you know, I just tried to do justice to her as well, humbly acknowledging that it was never going to be as good."

How tough was that to find your own take on her?

Anne Hathaway: "You know, I don't want to sound flippant about it, but it wasn't as tough as you think – only because we're in a different time period. You know, Barbara Feldon herself said that she felt 99 was written to be a very traditional woman. It was just that amazing magical quality that Barbara Feldon had that I think made 99 so iconic. I think that, you know, the character 99 influenced women of the generation that passed laws that affected my generation to allow me to play 99 as a totally independent woman. So that's what I mean, just living in the world we live in, it was just easier to create an independent character. It was much harder for her to."

When they're throwing out the improv, which we know Steve Carell does so much, how tough is that for you to hang onto?

Anne Hathaway: "Well, there's that initial moment where you feel… You know on a plane when you feel like you've lost altitude? There's that moment, and then once that's over, you just have to listen really carefully to what the other person is saying and just trust that if you don't know exactly where it's going to go, that the other person has you. I'm lucky because where I fingerpaint, Steve is an extract expressionist with improv. But it was really nice. But with it, somehow I fit in there. I was just very thrilled to get to do it."