Anne Hathaway spent a week prepping Harley Quinn for Nolan
Anne Hathaway spent a week channeling Harley Quinn before her Dark Knight Rises meeting with Christopher Nolan—only to learn two hours in that the role was Catwoman, not the Batman villain she had rehearsed. She ruled out Catwoman because Michelle Pfeiffer's version was iconic and arrived in jester flats expecting a very different conversation. The Oscar winner shared the casting curveball on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, offering a rare look at how major franchise auditions can hinge on wrong assumptions.
Key Takeaways
- Hathaway prepped seven days in full Harley Quinn mode before meeting Nolan for the Batman trilogy's next installment.
- Nolan did not reveal the part was Catwoman until roughly two hours into their conversation.
- She won the role and earned acclaim as Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises, launching a long collaboration with Nolan.
- Hathaway has credited Nolan with reviving her career after online backlash following her Les Misérables Oscar win.
- The pair reunite in The Odyssey, opening in theaters July 17 from Universal Pictures.
Why did Anne Hathaway think she was auditioning for Harley Quinn?
On Happy Sad Confused, Hathaway said she was meeting Nolan for the female lead in the next Batman film and had "gamed it out." She ruled out Catwoman because Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal was so iconic, concluding the part had to be Harley Quinn instead.
"I spent a week developing demonic Harley Quinn energy," she said. "I was wearing weird jester flats and a striped top." That preparation shaped how she walked into the room—convinced Nolan was courting her for the villain, not the feline antihero fans would eventually see on screen.
When did Christopher Nolan reveal the role was Catwoman?
According to Hathaway, the reveal came about two hours into their meeting. Nolan finally said, "So, the part's Catwoman," and she responded with an instant pivot: "Transform!"
She reframed her striped top as "very sensual" and shifted gears on the spot. "I changed personalities like a psychopath," she said—turning a week of jester-energy prep into a chameleon audition that ultimately won her the part.
What happened after Hathaway landed Catwoman?
Hathaway's Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises marked her first collaboration with Nolan and drew widespread praise. The duo later reunited on Interstellar and the upcoming The Odyssey, which hits theaters July 17.
Hathaway has long said Nolan helped steady her career during a bruising stretch of online backlash after her Oscar win for Les Misérables. In a 2024 Vanity Fair interview cited by Variety, she said many filmmakers avoided her over "toxic" online narratives—and that Nolan "did not care about that."
Why does this story matter for casting fans?
The anecdote underscores how secretive blockbuster casting can be, even for A-list stars. Hathaway walked in ready for one DC icon and left aligned with another—a reminder that preparation and adaptability still matter behind closed doors.
For more Hollywood casting surprises and franchise news, follow our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.