Anne Hathaway has credited her husband, Adam Shulman, for inspiring her performance as Penelope in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Speaking about the role, the Oscar-winning actress said her own marriage helped her understand the deep love and unwavering devotion that define Penelope, who waits two decades for her husband Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, to return home.
“I am one of the luckiest people on the planet Earth. I met my soulmate, and we decided to get married and have a family,” Hathaway told Justin Sylvester during the Live from E! Stream at the film’s New York City premiere on July 14.
Even Matt Damon Relied On Real Life Relationships For Inspiration
The 43-year-old actor added that both she and Damon relied on their real-life relationships while bringing the legendary couple to life on screen.
“We both kind of started playing these characters in this deep love relationship, knowing that it was possible,” she said, referring to Damon’s marriage to Luciana Barroso Damon.
Appearing on ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’, Hathaway revealed that she and Shulman were surprised to learn they were expecting another child. “It’s amazing. We knew what we were doing, but we were so shocked it worked,” she joked.
“We were so shocked it went this way, so we’re calling this one our buzzer-beater,” she added with a laugh.
Anne Hathaway On ‘Love Of Her Life’
Hathaway and Shulman first met at the Palm Springs Film Festival in 2008 and married in 2012. Reflecting on their relationship in an earlier interview, Hathaway had said, “I knew from the second I met him that he was the love of my life.”
The actor also praised Shulman for supporting her during a busy year that saw the release of five films-‘Mother Mary’, ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, ‘The End of Oak Street’, ‘Verity’ and ‘The Odyssey’.
In an interview with People in April, Hathaway also credited her husband for his support. “He and I both know that it’s probably never going to happen like this again,” Hathaway said. She added, “And the way he stepped up, I mean, in every possible way, he’s the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met.”
The actress continued, “I’m so lucky that he’s my partner that I spend my life with. If I didn’t know that before this past year, I think I really know it now because with absolutely everything he’s just, he’s on it. He holds it down. I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m bragging, but he’s a dream partner to me.”
The Odyssey Cast And Release Date
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey features one of the most star-studded ensembles in recent years. Matt Damon leads the film as Odysseus, with Anne Hathaway portraying his devoted wife Penelope. The cast also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Himesh Patel, Samantha Morton, Cosmo Jarvis and Corey Hawkins.
Based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, the highly anticipated film is scheduled to hit theatres worldwide on July 17, 2026.
