Usually when a Hollywood actress talks about misogyny, she's calling it out in men - but in a startling new interview, Anne Hathaway admits she's been guilty of sexism and misogyny in her own past dealings with female directors.
Speaking to ABC News, Hathaway reflected on her experience filming the2011 romantic drama One Day, saying that in retrospect, she had difficulty trusting the abilities of director Lone Scherfig because she was a woman.
Asked which filming experience she'd learned the most from, she nominated working with Scherfig, saying "I really regret not trusting her so easily."
Jodie Whittaker, screenwriter David Nicholls, director Lone Scherfig, actors Jim Sturgess, Anne Hathaway, Rafe Spall and Romola Garai attend the European premiere of One Day. Photo / Getty
"I am to this day scared that the reason I didn't trust her the way I trust some of the other directors I work with is because she's a woman," she said.
"I hope people understand that it's hard to admit."
"I'm so scared that I treated her with internalised misogyny, and I'm scared that I didn't give her everything she needed because I was resisting her on some level."
Hathaway conceded it was a difficult topic to talk about: "I'm getting red talking - this feels like a confession - but it feels like something we should talk about."
Hathaway admitted that in the past, when reading scripts from debut female directors, she'd focused on the negative.
" ... And when I see a first film directed by a man, I focus on what's right with it. I focus on where he could go with the next one, and I focus on where she failed to go," she said.
"I can only acknowledge that I've done that and I don't want to do that anymore ... I, before I realised this, had actively tried to work with female directors - and I still had this mindset buried in there somewhere."
Director Lone Scherfig. Photo / Getty
Hathaway said she'd never actually apologised to Scherfig for her assumptions - but said she planned to contact her after the interview.
"I'm going to call her as soon as I'm done, I hope I haven't put her on the spot by mentioning it."
Hathaway was keen to point out her assumptions never affected her working relationship with the director, who went on to helm films including The Riot Club and the newly-released British drama Their Finest.
"It wasn't an issue of professionalism, it wasn't an issue of ... nothing. I hold her in such a dear place in my heart and I think she does for me too."
