Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman, who shared the screen in the acclaimed 2012 Musical Les Misérables, initially met when the latter took on the hosting duties at the Academy Awards in 2009. Hathaway joined him on stage to present the Best Picture nomination for the 2008 film Frost/Nixon with a musical number.
The performance received enthusiastic applause from the audience, which gave her the confidence to take on the hosting duties of the grand ceremony in 2011. However, as things didn’t turn out as great as Jackman’s, Hathaway blamed him for setting her up for disappointment.
Anne Hathaway Blames Hugh Jackman for Her Disappointing 2011 Oscars Hosting
During a conversation with Hugh Jackman on Variety‘s Actors on Actors, The Intern star reminisced about the fun she had performing with him in 2009, which made her eager to accept the hosting gig for the 83rd Academy Awards.
You just made everything seem like it was so much fun so when it came around and they asked me to do it, I was like, ‘I want to be like Hugh. Yeah, I’ll give it a go.’
However, since her performance didn’t meet her expectations or match Jackman’s 2009 hosting, Anne Hathaway humorously blamed her former co-star and friend for setting her up for disappointment.
“How could you? How could you set me up like that?” she added, reflecting on her Oscars hosting experience. However, Jackman assured her that she did a commendable job.
Hathaway took the stage at the 2011 Oscars alongside James Franco to co-host the award ceremony. However, things didn’t turn out as Hathaway had expected.
The dreadful chemistry between the co-hosts received a lukewarm response, with some even dubbing it as one of the worst Oscars hosting gigs of all time. However, despite this, Hathaway and Franco have made light of the experience, as the two also don’t hesitate to make fun of it.
Hugh Jackman Praised Anne Hathaway’s Oscars Hosting Efforts
Further into their conversation, Hugh Jackman recalled being surprised when he found a relaxed and calm Hathaway backstage at the 2011 Academy Awards before she took the stage.
The actor recalled feeling anxious and overwhelmed just before going on stage to host the Oscars and looking out at the audience. In contrast to his experience, the actor recalled seeing Hathaway backstage, saying,
I remember visiting you backstage before you hosted and you were having just so much fun — You were showing me… look at all these costumes I get to wear.
The Princess Diaries star, however, argued that she was just trying to focus on the parts of the show she was confident about while admitting that her optimism didn’t quite pan out.
You know how sometimes your optimism tips into delusion and you’re just like if I’m just really-really nice to everybody everything’s gonna work… It did not work in that case.
The X-Men star, however, reassured her not to be too hard on herself, praising her efforts and recognizing the challenges of hosting the Oscars. “Please don’t be hard on yourself you did a great job,” he told her and Hathaway expressed her gratitude for his support and kindness.
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