Anne Hathaway attorney, and her mother, Kate ("née" McCauley), is a former actress. Hathaway's maternal grandfather was WIP-AM Philadelphia radio personality Joe McCauley. Kate is of Irish descent, and Gerald is of Irish, French, English and German ancestry. Hathaway's surname originates in England, and she was named after Shakespeare's wife. She is the second of three children, with two brothers, one older, Michael, and one younger, Thomas. When she was six, her family moved to Millburn, New Jersey, where she then grew up. At age six, when Hathaway watched her mother perform in "Les Misérables" as Fantine, she instantly became fascinated with
Anne Hathaway said that after her breakthrough in "The Princess Diaries", she struggled to find serious roles or ones that were not about princesses. According to Judi Gugliemli of "People", Hathaway used this fear of being typecast as motivation to build a versatile body of work. Gugliemli believes that Hathaway's ability to extensively research her roles is the key to her success. A writer for "The Daily Telegraph" commends her willingness to appear in different genres, ranging from action comedies to dramas. Hathaway aspires to appear in many different films, work with different directors and play diverse roles. She says she would