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Making the transition from child star to adult actress is not for the faint of heart. Many have tried, and many are still trying to pick up the pieces of their broken lives. But Anne Hathaway has always managed to stay above the fray. The 31-year-old was just a teenager when she took on the role of Princess Mia in Disney's The Princess Diaries, securing her place in the hearts of American children. And now she's back in yet another movie for children, Rio 2, which opens April 11.
The Stir caught up with Anne at the movie's world premiere in Miami, where she was celebrating the reprisal of her role as Jewel in the sequel to the popular animated film.
After finding love in the first Rio, Hathaway's character is now married with three kids, and the film follows the family on an epic adventure into the Amazon where their city kids learn to reconnect with nature and family.
We watched a 6-year-old wait patiently at the edge of the "blue" carpet (this is, after all, a movie about a family of blue macaws) just for a glimpse of "Princess Mia," and flush with delight at a wave from Hathaway herself. We had to ask -- how has she managed to maintain a reputation in Hollywood that allows American parents to feel comfortable when their kids watch her films.
On being a child star:
The pressure felt overwhelming when I was 18 and was much further away from knowing who I was and knew that I had to, as we all do, go on a journey of self discovery in order to figure out who I was. I was going to make mistakes and I was going to try things that I wouldn't necessarily recommend that children try. And so, I felt a great awareness that I must keep my private life private because I didn't want to have to justify everything to kids. I really, really felt strongly that I didn't want a kid to engage in destructive behavior because they might have seen me do it.
On being a role model to kids now:
Now that I'm a lot closer to a mommy age and I think I'm getting there, I think it's the greatest thing in the world. It's an honor to be a part of kids' cultural landscape. And if I've had a positive impact on someone, that's wonderful.
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I'm just trying to live a life honestly and authentically, and that's the pressure I put on myself now. But I do love making films that are a part of not just childhood memories but family memories.
On HER favorite family memories:
I go to Cape May, New Jersey with my family, and it's really special. My grandmother fell in love with it when my mom was about 5. And so my mom spent all of her summers there and has friendships there from when she was 5, and then they grew up together and had kids.
And then, when I was a kid, I met them and so now I have lifelong friendships. And my mom's siblings, my aunts and my uncles, they always go down. And now they have kids who have kids. And so, we're just a tribe down in Cape May, and it's just so wonderful. And we ride our bikes around and we have barbecues.
I always try to make it there for at least a few days every year just to kind of reconnect with family. And I've gotten to go on some pretty sweet vacations in my life, but that one for family, that's a place that really feels like home.
On why the paparazzi can't mess with her family vacation:
Man, that's the best thing about Cape May: those are my people. They won't be in LA. Cape May is definitely going to be Team Hathaway on that vacation.
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What is your favorite Anne Hathaway movie?
Image via Blue Sky Productions
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