Anne Hathaway Recounts 'Gross' Audition Day in Her Youth

In making the rounds to promote her new film The Idea of You, Anne Hathaway has recounted a "gross" auditioning experience from her youth. The 41-year-old tells V Magazine that when she was trying out for parts in the 2000s, "it was considered normal to ask an actor to make out with other actors to test for chemistry—which is actually the worst way to do it." Hathaway didn't name the film, notes Variety, but she recalls being told, "'We have 10 guys coming today and you're cast. Aren't you excited to make out with all of them?' And I thought, 'Is there something wrong with me?' Because I wasn't excited. I thought it sounded gross."

However, Hathaway says she agreed to the request because she was young and inexperienced and feared being labeled as "difficult." She contrasts that with the present-day, when she arranged a much different audition in her role as producer on the new film. "We asked each of the actors coming in to choose a song that they felt their character would love, that they would put on to get my character to dance, and then we'd do a short little improv." Nicholas Galitzine chose a song by the Alabama Shakes and got the role. (More Anne Hathaway stories.)