Anne Hathaway has been named the “most beautiful woman in the world” of 2026 and has revisited one of the most uncomfortable questions she faced in 2012.
Anne Hathaway has been chosen as the “most beautiful woman in the world” of 2026 by People, a recognition that arrives alongside a new photoshoot and an interview in which the actress reflects on key moments of her career — from filming ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ to one of the questions that unsettled her most during the promotion of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.
In the conversation, Hathaway also looked back on her experience filming the first instalment of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, a film that still holds a special place in her career. The actress explained that she loved working on the project, although she admits that at the time she experienced the process with a degree of stress and anxiety. Even so, she remembers it as one of the most enjoyable experiences of her career, particularly because of the people she worked alongside.
She also shared warm words about her co-stars. Speaking about Emily Blunt, she described her as a wonderful person. Of Stanley Tucci, she highlighted his quick wit and humour, while her comments on Meryl Streep revealed deep admiration. Hathaway admitted that she does not always express directly how much she reveres Streep, but considers her a figure of excellence — someone who never settles and continually pushes herself to grow as an artist. The upcoming sequel, set to be released on 1 May, adds another layer of relevance to these reflections.
However, one of the most discussed moments of the interview came when Hathaway revisited the promotional tour for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, the 2012 film in which she played Catwoman. At the time, much of the public conversation surrounding her role focused on her physical appearance and the character’s iconic fitted suit — something that, in hindsight, has become a clear example of the type of questions that frequently shaped interviews with women in Hollywood.
When asked whether those questions had bothered her, Hathaway was direct. She explained that what made her uncomfortable was the framing — specifically, the emphasis on how much weight she had supposedly needed to lose to fit into the suit. That, she clarified, was not at all the conversation she had with director Christopher Nolan. As she recalled, Nolan told her explicitly that he did not care about her losing weight, but rather wanted her to be able to perform all the action scenes herself.
That distinction was crucial for her. More than the physical aspect itself, what she found frustrating was the way the question was posed. She disliked being asked, “How much weight did you have to lose?” instead of “How much strength did you have to gain to play that role?”. The difference, while subtle, completely shifts the narrative — moving the focus away from thinness as an aesthetic requirement and towards the preparation, endurance and physical capability needed to build a character like Catwoman.
Her words revive a conversation that remains relevant today. Beyond the title of the most beautiful woman in the world, Anne Hathaway uses this moment to highlight how the industry and media have often reduced actresses’ work to their appearance. In doing so, she redirects the focus to where she believes it should always have been: on discipline, strength and the talent behind the performance.
