Anne Hathaway Opens Up? Explains Why She Nearly Couldn’t Shoot ‘The Idea of You’s’ Most Important Scene

“I didn’t know how I was going to do it,” Anne Hathaway confessed to Entertainment Weekly about filming the emotional ending scene in her new movie ‘The Idea of You‘. The scene depicts a hopeful reunion between Hathaway’s character Solène and her younger former lover Hayes (played by Nicholas Galitzine) five years after their scandalous relationship previously ended. In this article we talk about: Anne Hathaway Opens Up, Explains Why She Nearly Couldn’t Shoot ‘The Idea of You’s’ Most Important Scene.

Hathaway reveals that she became very sick while shooting the movie’s finale, leaving her nearly too physically depleted to finish the pivotal scene. “The most difficult scene for me was that ending, just because it was the end of shoot and I’d gotten really, really sick,” she explained. “I was not just running on empty, I’d eaten the tank, and I was just physically [doing] poorly, and I didn’t know how I was going to do it.”

Support From Costar Nicholas Galitzine Got Hathaway Through

Fortunately, Hathaway’s costar Nicholas Galitzine provided critical support that helped motivate her to push through filming. “Nick was such a rock,” Hathaway said, turning to Galitzine. “I don’t know how you did it.”

She shared that her illness got so bad that at one point, “we didn’t know if we were going to even be able to finish the day, because I was doing so badly.” However, Hathaway reassured director Michael Showalter that with one last surge of energy, she was confident she could finish the scene.

Showalter turned on evocative music right before yelling “action,” while Galitzine “just poured energy in me,” Hathaway recalled. “In that moment, I felt I had just enough energy to handle whatever came my way—I simply couldn’t afford to mess up. Your support and performance were exceptional; you guided us through it, providing ample material for me to react to.”

The Difficult Experience Still Moves Hathaway to Tears

Remembering that grueling day still brings Hathaway to tears even now. “It’s hard for me, because I … sorry,” she said, cutting off as she began crying. “I wasn’t prepared for that moment. Typically, I’m the one looking out for others on set. So, feeling vulnerable like that and being so well-supported by Nick and Michael truly touched me. Their kindness meant everything to me in that moment.”

Hathaway stopped to collect herself several times as she continued crying. “Oh my God, this is so embarrassing,” she finally said with a laugh through her tears.

“No, it’s not embarrassing,” Galitzine reassured her. “This was a really connective process and I think Annie and I had to rely on each other and Michael a lot. Filming that scene will really live with me for a long time because we’re always searching for moments of true presence with each other and true humanity. The fact that it was at the end, it was transportative in a way, and it was just Hayes and Solène at their rawest and realest with each other. I’m so proud.”

Galitzine Praises Hathaway’s Dedication to the Role

Galitzine went on to praise Hathaway effusively for the dedication she brought to her performance. “I was so blown away by her talent, by who she is as a person,” he said. “We were there for each other, and I think that’s Hayes and Solène — they were there for each other.”

The Tearful Scene Mirrored the Characters’ Emotional Reunion

The real-life difficulty of shooting that climactic scene seemed to mirror the fictional characters’ own emotional reunion after years apart. The ending of The Idea of You shows Hayes returning to see Solène five years after their scandalous May-December relationship previously ended. Now that Solène’s daughter is older and less affected by tabloid coverage of her mom’s love life, and now that Hayes has moved on from his boy band past, the two finally have a chance at a real relationship.

Whereas the 2017 novel that inspired the film saw the central couple permanently split up, the Prime Video adaptation allows for a more optimistic conclusion. “The movie doesn’t go so far as to say they ‘live happily ever,’ but Hayes returns to Solène’s art gallery five years in the future, just like he promised, even though she didn’t believe he would,” Entertainment Weekly wrote. “Now their path toward a happy ending is clear.”

Bringing that pivotal scene to life was clearly an intense process for Hathaway and Galitzine. But the end result seems well worth it for finally allowing Solène and Hayes their hard-won reunion. After all the fictional characters endured, it’s fitting that portraying their emotional climax also pushed Hathaway to her limits while highlighting her dedicated performance. I sincerely hope you like reading this “Anne Hathaway Opens Up, Explains Why She Nearly Couldn’t Shoot ‘The Idea of You’s’ Most Important Scene” article.

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