Anne Hathaway credits Jessica Chastain’s stage performance as inspiration for Mother Mary

• Anne Hathaway’s dance in Mother Mary was inspired by Jessica Chastain’s A Doll’s House.
• Charli XCX wrote the music for the film and served as a consultant for Hathaway.
• The film explores an intense relationship between a pop star and a fashion designer.
  

Anne Hathaway has revealed that her haunting performance in the new psychological drama-thriller Mother Mary was deeply influenced by her friend and fellow Oscar winner, Jessica Chastain.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the 43-year-old actress credited Chastain’s "danse macabre" in the stage production of A Doll’s House as the catalyst for her own "possessed" dance routine.

Hathaway noted that seeing Chastain on stage right before filming began "blew her mind" and pushed her to go deeper into the dark, physical demands of her character.

In the film, Hathaway plays the titular Mary, a pop superstar embroiled in a psychosexual affair with a fashion designer, played by Michaela Coel.

To achieve the authenticity required for the role, Hathaway sought to master the art of looking as though "something else is coming through" during her performances.

Beyond the physical choreography, she aimed to capture the raw, transformative energy of a woman consumed by external and internal forces, describing the process as more than just a typical performance.

To further prepare for the musical aspects of the role, Hathaway consulted with pop sensation Charli XCX, who wrote the original music for the film.

Hathaway told PEOPLE magazine that their conversations focused not only on the songs themselves but also on the reality of being a global pop icon.

This preparation helped anchor the film’s exploration of fame and obsession. Mother Mary, which also stars Hunter Schafer and FKA Twigs, premiered to critical acclaim in late 2025, with many critics highlighting Hathaway’s dance as a standout sequence.