Anne Hathaway's Catwoman inspired by Lamarr
Anne Hathaway based her Catwoman performance in the latest Batman movie on Hedy Lamarr, the glamorous 1940s film star who first inspired the character.
The Devil Wears Prada star is the latest actress to take on the role of the Caped Crusader's feline nemesis, following in the footsteps of Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt and Michelle Pfeiffer, in Christopher Nolan's upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.
Hathaway has now revealed she went back to the character's roots
for her portrayal, basing her performance on late Hollywood legend
Lamarr, who was cited as the inspiration for Catwoman by comic book
artist Bob Kane.
She tells the Los Angeles Times, "I know this sounds odd, but her
breathing is extraordinary. She takes these long, deep, languid
breaths and exhales slowly. There's a shot of her in (1933 film)
Ecstasy exhaling a cigarette and I took probably five breaths
during her one exhale. So I started working on my breathing a
lot."
Hathaway also admits she isn't fazed by stepping into such a famous
role as each actress to have played Catwoman gave the character
their own unique stamp.
She adds, "What's come before doesn't limit or even affect this new
version. It doesn't affect me because each Catwoman - and this is
true in the comics as well - she is defined by the context of the
Gotham City created around her... Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman was
informed by Tim Burton's Gotham and Eartha Kitt was informed by
Adam West's Gotham. You have to live in whatever the reality of the
world is and whatever Gotham is."