10 times Anne Hathaway proved she's one of the best actresses in Hollywood

In 2001, Hathaway had her big break when she took on the role of Mia Thermopolis, a teenager who finds out she is the princess and heir to the Genovia throne. Despite mixed reviews, the movie became an instant and beloved classic.

There are many moments in the film that shine a light on Hathaway's ability to play an awkward, shy teenager, including the iconic makeover scene. But she also later revealed that the scene where she fell on the bleachers was completely unscripted.

Hathaway reprised the famous role in 2004 for the sequel, "The Princess Diaries: Royal Engagement."

"Ella Enchanted" was based on a book of the same name, and Hathaway played the lead character in 2004. Ella is a Cinderella-like character who has been cursed with obedience, forcing her to do anything someone tells her to do.

"Anne Hathaway is, well, kind of luminous. She has that big smile and open face, and here she's working with a witty and wicked plot ... She looks like she's having fun," Roger Ebert wrote in 2004.

In 2006, Hathaway struck gold again when she played Andy, an anxious assistant who begins working for a fashion magazine's ruthless editor. In the movie, she held her own against the likes of Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt.

"Anne Hathaway is a great beauty who makes a convincing career girl," Roger Ebert wrote in 2006.

To this day, people still share memes and jokes about this classic film, including the scene where Hathaway's character has a makeover and wears Chanel boots.

In 2005, Hathaway took on the role of Laureen, whose husband begins an affair with another man. The part marked Hathaway's departure from comedic roles to more serious acting gigs.

"Hathaway excels at showing Lureen's journey from cutie-pie to hard case," Peter Travers at Rolling Stone wrote.

Hathaway was so committed to the role that she also later revealed she lied to the casting people and said she could ride a horse to get the part.

"My parents have given me a lot of gifts in my life, and one of them is: If you're ever asked if you can do anything, say yes," she told Out in 2015. "You can learn anything in two weeks if you're motivated enough. So I'd never been on a horse, and I replied, 'Oh yeah, I'm a really good rider.' So I knew I had to learn to ride, and I got really, really, really good."

In "Rachel Getting Married," Hathaway proved she is a force to be reckoned with. In the 2008 movie, she played a recovering drug addict who attends her sister's wedding.

"Get ready for Anne Hathaway, dropping the pretty decorations of 'The Princess Diaries' and 'The Devil Wears Prada' to reinvent herself as an actress with real dramatic chops," Peter Travers at Rolling Stone wrote at the time. "She's raw and riveting as Kym."

The part earned her an Oscar nomination, solidifying her place in Hollywood royalty.

Hathaway lost 25 pounds and cut off her hair for the part of Fantine in "Les Misérables" in 2012. Although she was only in a small part of the movie, she made her mark, showcasing her acting and vocal chops in the career-defining "I Dreamed a Dream" scene.

"Anne Hathaway, as you've likely heard, is breathtakingly good in her small, but unforgettable role as Fantine," Rodrigo Perez at IndieWire wrote in 2012. "She essentially brings the house down with her stirring rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream.'"

She earned the best supporting actress Oscar the following year for her role.

Despite earning the highest accolade and proving herself as an actress, Hathaway still takes on playful roles, showing just how versatile she is.

In 2015, for example, she played a millennial boss in Nancy Meyers' feel-good movie "The Intern," and she took up the comical role of a con artist in 2019's "The Hustle."

"She's one of the few women who can do it all," Nancy Meyers, the director of "The Intern," told People in 2015. "She can do everything."

Several actresses have played Catwoman, so it would have been easy for Hathaway to fade into the background when she took on the role in "The Dark Knight Rises" in 2012.

But Bruce Handy at Vanity Fair described her as "the best Catwoman ever."

"Anne Hathaway owns the role after uttering a single 'Ooops,'" Handy wrote in 2012. "It's an 'Ooops' dripping in sexiness and insincerity ... She's flip, she's funny, and she looks great astride the bat cycle thingee. She kicks credible ass, and she doesn't overdo the cat business. She's just right."

For the anthology series "Modern Love," Hathaway starred in a 2019 episode that chronicles a woman's dating life as she deals with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. The episode was based on Terri Cheney's real-life experience with the disorder.

The story and Hathaway's acting in that episode taught a powerful lesson.

"It's my hope that people watch that scene and realize we all feel that way at times," Hathaway told Glamour in 2019. "We all walk around sometimes feeling like we have an elephant on our chest, but we're not alone. And we're not less than because of that. We're not unlovable because of that."

In 2018, the "Ocean's" franchise got a female-powered reboot, and Hathaway played Daphne opposite an all-star cast, which included Rihanna, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Despite the powerhouse cast, Laura Bradley at Vanity Fair called Hathaway the "crown jewel of 'Ocean's 8.'"

"The actress's knowingly ridiculous performance is a comic triumph—and this heist's most unpredictable element," Bradley wrote. "The role itself is a fun one, but it's Hathaway's performance that elevates it to greatness. As someone who has worked as an actress for decades, Hathaway plays Daphne with a careful combination of self-deprecation and reckless abandon."