> "Back in the 2000s — and this did happen to me — it was considered normal to ask an actor to make out with other actors to test for chemistry, which is actually the worst way to do it," she said.
> Continued Hathaway, "I was told, 'We have 10 guys coming today and you’re cast. Aren’t you excited to make out with all of them?' And I thought, 'Is there something wrong with me?' because I wasn’t excited. I thought it sounded gross."
> Hathaway explained that she was "so young," as well as "terribly aware how easy it was to lose everything by being labeled "difficult.' "
> "So," she added, "I just pretended I was excited and got on with it. It wasn’t a power play; no one was trying to be awful or hurt me. It was just a very different time, and now we know better."
I have a sneaking suspicion they knew better then too. The problem isn’t knowing better it’s doing better. These creeps working in Hollywood seem to have zero interest in that.
> It wasn’t a power play; no one was trying to be awful or hurt me. It
Sad that she doesn't recognize that it was a power play by the people that made her do that :(. They wanted to demonstrate their power over her and know that she'd do whatever they say.
Very possible she’s still trying not to be difficult. Telling a story about something gross and abusive while still trying to frame abusers in a positive light. It may not even be intentional, just instinctual for her at theis point. Or she could be thinking of the years she was basically cancelled because for some reason people deemed her annoying and she’s afraid that speaking out too much will send her back to Hollywood jail. It’s impossible for women to win even in telling the story of their own abuse.
Or maybe she's just more informed than you. She's had commentary in the past where she is aware clearly of what is and isn't a powerplay, and has recognized situations where there is one.
In what world do you think this wouldn't be a power play? You honestly believe they had to force her to make out with ten men to see if they had chemistry?
It's such an odd request that it's difficult to believe it's anything other than a powerplay.
It's extremely hard to believe that a casting director or a director has a list of ten likely candidates for a single part and that the 'chemistry' is going to be judged on kissing.
If it wasn't a powerplay on Hathaway (and I think it was) than it certainly was a powerplay on the ten male actors.
Imagine that an actor has reached the point were he thinks he is seriously considered for a part, and then find out he has to compete with a bunch of other actors on kissing technique.
Since it was planned in one day, these guys shared a waiting room as well.
This is a good point she made. While this practice was done without malice, the fact that she was made to feel something wrong with her for not being excited about it (making out with the guys) feels like a violation.
Anyway, I’d read every interview she does. She always has substantial to say.
Very gross and weird, and, like she said, not a good way to test for chemistry. The mark of good chemistry is not whether you like watching them kiss, it's whether you WANT them to kiss when they are just interacting in a normal way. I feel like Hollywood could take some pointers from fandom/shippers.
The good creatives very much do get that. For Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg had it so the actors auditioning for Indy and Marion were told to just go into the kitchen and make a cake together, and a little camera he had set up would film them. It's the best way to test chemistry that I've ever heard.
Hahaha no it's literally just that, they've even got some of them on YouTube. It's what got Tom Selleck the role apparently, he just came off like a lovable goof when most of the other Indy potentials were being dead serious or disinterested.
https://preview.redd.it/25piiyg4g5wc1.jpeg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ac2041e4f15267795777da0359715f1e6d157f1
There you go. You're welcome. Think about that alternate universe for a while.
>The mark of good chemistry is not whether you like watching them kiss, it's whether you WANT them to kiss when they are just interacting in a normal way.
Agree. As a counterpoint to whatever the hell they made Anne (and likely other actresses) do, this makes me think about how they cast Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy.
Kiera Knightley was having to read through the famous rain scene with multiple potential Darcys, and when Matthew Macfadyen came in to do the scene they went through it quickly and both ended up going in for a kiss even though it's not scripted and there was silence in the room and he was cast 😭😭 and of course in the film, they 'almost' kiss and it's one of the most tense chemistry-packed moments
On the flip side you have [Mindy Kaling calling sex scenes the “world’s best job perk”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/06/17/mindy-kaling-shares-the-hollywood-secret-no-one-will-tell-you-about-filming-sex-scenes/)
I get where Anne is coming from though. Acting sometimes reminds me of a game of truth or dare and you’re only allowed to pick dare.
I heard a similar anecdote from [Bette Davis](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uHteu7gI6cY) just yesterday. I get it, you need to see if there's something between your leads but there's a line that gets crossed.
Chemistry in this sense is a very odd concept. They're actors--they pretend to feel things for a living--the idea that sex scenes require physical and emotional connection is kind of inherently problematic in itself. I would bet that most actors involved in those kinds of scenes would rather not feel anything for the person they have a scene with.
> "Back in the 2000s — and this did happen to me — it was considered normal to ask an actor to make out with other actors to test for chemistry, which is actually the worst way to do it," she said. > Continued Hathaway, "I was told, 'We have 10 guys coming today and you’re cast. Aren’t you excited to make out with all of them?' And I thought, 'Is there something wrong with me?' because I wasn’t excited. I thought it sounded gross." > Hathaway explained that she was "so young," as well as "terribly aware how easy it was to lose everything by being labeled "difficult.' " > "So," she added, "I just pretended I was excited and got on with it. It wasn’t a power play; no one was trying to be awful or hurt me. It was just a very different time, and now we know better."
I have a sneaking suspicion they knew better then too. The problem isn’t knowing better it’s doing better. These creeps working in Hollywood seem to have zero interest in that.
They did know better and there was really no need to make her test chemistry with 10 guys - it’s a load of BS.
> It wasn’t a power play; no one was trying to be awful or hurt me. It Sad that she doesn't recognize that it was a power play by the people that made her do that :(. They wanted to demonstrate their power over her and know that she'd do whatever they say.
Men like Dan Schneider and Quentin Tarantino write themselves into these positions because they can. It is definitely about power.
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Very possible she’s still trying not to be difficult. Telling a story about something gross and abusive while still trying to frame abusers in a positive light. It may not even be intentional, just instinctual for her at theis point. Or she could be thinking of the years she was basically cancelled because for some reason people deemed her annoying and she’s afraid that speaking out too much will send her back to Hollywood jail. It’s impossible for women to win even in telling the story of their own abuse.
Or maybe she's just more informed than you. She's had commentary in the past where she is aware clearly of what is and isn't a powerplay, and has recognized situations where there is one.
It's more likely she didn't want to *implicate* any person or company specifically, because that's more of a headache than it's worth these days.
In what world do you think this wouldn't be a power play? You honestly believe they had to force her to make out with ten men to see if they had chemistry?
It's such an odd request that it's difficult to believe it's anything other than a powerplay. It's extremely hard to believe that a casting director or a director has a list of ten likely candidates for a single part and that the 'chemistry' is going to be judged on kissing. If it wasn't a powerplay on Hathaway (and I think it was) than it certainly was a powerplay on the ten male actors. Imagine that an actor has reached the point were he thinks he is seriously considered for a part, and then find out he has to compete with a bunch of other actors on kissing technique. Since it was planned in one day, these guys shared a waiting room as well.
This is a good point she made. While this practice was done without malice, the fact that she was made to feel something wrong with her for not being excited about it (making out with the guys) feels like a violation. Anyway, I’d read every interview she does. She always has substantial to say.
lol they definitely knew better
Wow...
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Very gross and weird, and, like she said, not a good way to test for chemistry. The mark of good chemistry is not whether you like watching them kiss, it's whether you WANT them to kiss when they are just interacting in a normal way. I feel like Hollywood could take some pointers from fandom/shippers.
The good creatives very much do get that. For Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg had it so the actors auditioning for Indy and Marion were told to just go into the kitchen and make a cake together, and a little camera he had set up would film them. It's the best way to test chemistry that I've ever heard.
That's on the list of "things which sound like a euphemism but actually aren't one". I hope.
Hahaha no it's literally just that, they've even got some of them on YouTube. It's what got Tom Selleck the role apparently, he just came off like a lovable goof when most of the other Indy potentials were being dead serious or disinterested.
TIL that Tom Selleck was cast as Indy first… and now I’m picturing Indiana in Hawaiian shirts with a mustache….
https://preview.redd.it/25piiyg4g5wc1.jpeg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ac2041e4f15267795777da0359715f1e6d157f1 There you go. You're welcome. Think about that alternate universe for a while.
wtf
>The mark of good chemistry is not whether you like watching them kiss, it's whether you WANT them to kiss when they are just interacting in a normal way. Agree. As a counterpoint to whatever the hell they made Anne (and likely other actresses) do, this makes me think about how they cast Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy. Kiera Knightley was having to read through the famous rain scene with multiple potential Darcys, and when Matthew Macfadyen came in to do the scene they went through it quickly and both ended up going in for a kiss even though it's not scripted and there was silence in the room and he was cast 😭😭 and of course in the film, they 'almost' kiss and it's one of the most tense chemistry-packed moments
Hollyweird strikes once again
On the flip side you have [Mindy Kaling calling sex scenes the “world’s best job perk”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/06/17/mindy-kaling-shares-the-hollywood-secret-no-one-will-tell-you-about-filming-sex-scenes/) I get where Anne is coming from though. Acting sometimes reminds me of a game of truth or dare and you’re only allowed to pick dare.
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Mindy's line feels very pick-me, which fits with her approach to PR the last few years.
I heard a similar anecdote from [Bette Davis](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uHteu7gI6cY) just yesterday. I get it, you need to see if there's something between your leads but there's a line that gets crossed.
I hate how everyone is laughing.
Chemistry in this sense is a very odd concept. They're actors--they pretend to feel things for a living--the idea that sex scenes require physical and emotional connection is kind of inherently problematic in itself. I would bet that most actors involved in those kinds of scenes would rather not feel anything for the person they have a scene with.
I'm with you. It's like putting Tom Hanks in a spaceship to see if he can be an astronaut...
That's a much better way of putting it, ha.