Anne Hathaway Unveils Shocking Casting Ordeal That Involved Kissing 10 Actors During An Audition, Which She Calls "Gross"

Anne Hathaway just dropped a casting story that sounds like a Hollywood horror movie, minus the makeup. For her audition, she says she had to kiss 10 actors in a single go-round, and she calls it “gross” like she’s still processing the whole thing.

Here’s the complicated part, Hathaway wasn’t describing a dramatic villain moment or some power trip. It was framed as how auditions worked back then, and now we know better. In her new movie, “The Idea of You,” she’s also the producer, so she’s not only looking back, she’s shaping how chemistry gets tested, including that song-and-dance improv setup.

And once you hear how she picked the co-star, the contrast makes the whole ordeal hit even harder.

Actors had to go through this kind of audition back then.

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.via Getty Images

Anne Hathaway isn’t just taking the lead in 'The Idea of You.'

She’s also wearing the producer hat, directly influencing who plays the co-starring role. Adapted from Robinne Lee’s novel, the movie features Hathaway as a 40-year-old single mom swept off her feet by the frontman of a global boy band sensation.

Hathaway also shared how the chemistry reading was done.

We asked each of the actors coming in to choose a song that they felt their character would love, one that they would put on to get my character to dance, and then we’d do a short little improv.I was sitting in a chair as if we had come in from dinner or a walk or something; we pressed play, and we just started dancing together.

Ultimately, Nicholas Galitzine won the part. He was chosen after dancing to a song by Alabama Shakes.

via Getty Images

The audition format she used with the actors, choosing a song, pressing play, and improvising in a chair like they just came in from dinner, sounds light years away from kissing roulette.

It’s the same kind of awkward fallout as a friend bailing on concert tickets, and the question of reimbursement after the VIP offer.

That’s why it matters that Nicholas Galitzine won the part after dancing to Alabama Shakes, because it shows the gig wasn’t about performing anything messy, it was about finding a spark.

Hathaway remarked that she immediately felt Galitzine was perfect for the role upon his entrance. He saw me smile, so he relaxed, and we just started dancing. Nobody was showing off. 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 has shared his thoughts on their joint audition, expressing his initial intimidation. However, he noted an almost spiritual connection with Hathaway, sharing a sense of humor and simpatico, which made the experience surprisingly easy despite the initial nerves.

'The Idea of You' will be released on Prime Video in May 2024.

And when Michael Showalter, their director, was “beaming” during Hathaway and Galitzine’s dance moment, it makes her “gross” casting memory feel even more unfair in hindsight.

Anne Hathaway's recounting of her audition ordeal brings to light the troubling nature of casting practices in Hollywood.

Nobody should have had to kiss 10 people to prove they could make movie magic.

After Hathaway’s “gross” kissing audition, check out whether to ask a friend to repay concert ticket money.