- Anne Hathaway told V Magazine that in the 2000s, she had to kiss 10 men in one day for a chemistry audition.
- Hathaway said she thought it was "gross" but didn't want to be seen as "difficult" by complaining.
Anne Hathaway said she had to make out with 10 guys in one day for a chemistry audition for a movie in the 2000s.
Hathaway, who starred in several romantic movies in the 2000s such as "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," "Ella Enchanted," and "Becoming Jane," told V Magazine in an interview published on Monday that kissing other actors used to be a normal part of chemistry readings during that period.
"Which is actually the worst way to do it," she said of the kissing test. "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."
Hathaway continued, without naming the movie: "I thought it sounded gross. And I was so young and terribly aware how easy it was to lose everything by being labeled 'difficult,' so I just pretended I was excited and got on with it."
She added: "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."
Experienced female actors such as Hathaway, Kirsten Dunst, and Katherine Heigl have spoken up in recent years about how they were treated by Hollywood earlier in their careers in the hopes it will help change the industry.
Hathaway told V that the making-out element is being phased out of chemistry auditions now.
Hathaway plays the lead but also produced her upcoming movie "The Idea of You," meaning she was able to choose how her chemistry auditions were conducted for her character Solène.
"We asked each of the actors coming in to choose a song that they felt their character would love, that they would put on to get my character to dance, and then we'd do a short little improv," Hathaway said. "I was sitting in a chair like we had come in from dinner or a walk or something, we pressed play, and we just started dancing together."
Hathaway said Nicholas Galitzine, who passed the chemistry test and was cast as her love interest Hayes Campbell, chose a song by the Alabama Shakes, which made her smile.
"And he saw me smile, so he relaxed, and we just started dancing. Nobody was showing off," Hathaway said. "Nobody was trying to get the gig. We were just in a space dancing. I looked over and Michael Showalter, our director, was beaming. Spark!"
Galitzine told People in March at the SXSW festival that he was initially anxious about the dance audition, but the experience was "transformative."
"As an actor you oftentimes go into those rooms with so much trepidation, and it was so open," Galitzine said "And I kind of remember leaving the room going, 'You know, if this doesn't work out, I am really proud of the work that I did, even in this space.'"