Anne Hattaway won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 for her role in Les Misérables. Her acceptance speech was emotional and accessible at the time, but the actress revealed she lied to the audience and did not felt happy at all.
In an interview with The Guardian, Hattaway was asked about her feelings and thoughts on people’s reaction to her time in the spotlight during Oscar season when she won for Les Misérables. In the acceptance speech, Anne got to share a glimpse of her true feelings when she said that she deeply hoped that someday “the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and nevermore in real life.”
“I felt wrong that I was standing there in a gown that cost more than some people are going to see in their lifetime, and winning an award for portraying pain that still felt very much a part of our collective experience as human beings. I tried to pretend that I was happy and I got called out on it, big time. That’s the truth and that’s what happened. It sucks. But what you learn from it is that you only feel like you can die from embarrassment, you don’t actually die,” confessed Hattaway to The Guardian.
The suffering of Fantine
The fictional character created in 1862 by Victor Hugo portrays the pain of different social stigmas and human conditions, including being an orphan, a poor girl abandoned by the man who got her pregnant and, eventually, a prostitute who sells not only her sexuality but also her hair and teeth.
The character sacrificed her health and dignity to protect her child. The archetype of devoted motherhood immerse in painful circumstances, however, is not fiction.
This suffering is among the most complicated and broad social issues, where women are forced whether by a third party or by specific conditions into prostitution, usually to get money for their family’s survival. In many cases, the prostitute is the victim of the phenomenon.
Anne Hattaway’s path on charity
The actress has supported several NGOs and initiatives, including 10×10 Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, Clinton Foundation, Creative Coalition, Feeding America, Friends Without A Border, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, It Gets Better Project, Lollipop Theater Network, Naked Heart Foundation, Oxfam, Step Up, The Hollywood Cookbook, The Trevor Project, White Knot for Equality and World of Children Award.
Hattaway was claimed as one of the Women’s Rights Honoree in Elle Magazine’s “Women in Hollywood.” She also contributes to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other health causes, like the American Cancer Society.
Her support in The Girl Effect and Step Up has also provided possibilities to the women’s rights’ non-profits. The Girl Effect works with empowerment programs for impoverished young women, while the Step Up Women’s Network aims to connect women and girls with happiness and success.
Source: The Guardian