Anne Hathaway hopes her kids will grow up to be just like her co-star Tom Holland. The actress, who is a mom of two and expecting her third child, opened up about her admiration for the 30-year-old actor while promoting their new movie ‘The Odyssey‘.
“As a mom in real life, I very much hope all of my children grow up to be as wonderful as my onscreen child. Tom is like a dream son,” Hathaway said during an interview for the film.
Anne Hathaway’s Motherly Instincts Shine in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’
In Christopher Nolan‘s adaptation of the classic Greek story, Hathaway plays Penelope, the devoted queen of Ithaca, opposite Matt Damon‘s Odysseus. Holland plays Telemachus, their son, who has to fend for himself and his mother against a bunch of suitors threatening their kingdom. In real life, Hathaway shares two sons, Jonathan and Jack, with her husband Adam Shulman and is currently expecting her third child.
Hathaway said her real-life protective instincts as a mother bled into her performance. She described herself as a “mama bear” and said “nothing comes between me and my cubs” when talking to People Magazine at the premiere. Since her character’s son is targeted while his father is away, she knew she had to be “protective in more than one way.“
But while the screen mother and son faced mythical danger, the real-life dynamic was one of mutual admiration.
Tom Holland’s Kindness and Work Ethic Earn High Praise From Two-Time Oscar Winner
Hathaway has praised Holland before, not just this time. In a previous profile for Esquire, she compared his versatility to the first generation of movie stars. “He reminds me of the first generation of movie stars who were all a combination of pro-athletes, vaudeville performers, stunt people and wildly hopeful creatives,” she said, adding that he is “really one-of-one.”
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Her latest comments suggest that Holland’s kindness and work ethic go beyond just his physical abilities. That is high praise coming from a two-time Oscar winner who is balancing multiple premieres with an expanding family.
The sweet moment was even clearer at the London premiere, when Holland was photographed wrapping his arms around a pregnant Hathaway in a tender embrace that lit up the red carpet. The affection between them shows a working relationship that has become deeply personal.
Anne Hathaway Balances Motherhood and Hollywood Career
The admiration goes both ways. Holland has also expressed his awe at watching Hathaway work, saying he would stay late on set just to watch her and Damon film a complex IMAX scene, because he was captivated by their focus and discipline.
For Hathaway, who is enjoying a moment where her career is thriving, having Holland as an onscreen child has clearly left a lasting impression. As she juggles her roles as an actress and a mother, if her sons grow up to have even a fraction of Holland’s charm and professionalism, she will consider herself the luckiest mother in Hollywood.
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