In her biography for Hathaway, Rebecca Flint Marx of AllMovie wrote that Hathaway "became a familiar face to millions of moviegoers thanks to her starring role in" "The Princess Diaries" by "provher comedic timing" and in turn opening "a number of doors" for her as a performer. Hathaway suffered from being typecast in "good girl" roles in Hollywood, and struggled to pursue more serious, non-princess roles; this would inspire her to pursue a wider range of films as possible. Hathaway explained that "Because I became so associated with "The Princess Diaries" ... my main [criterion is to look for the opposite of what I last did.” Hathaway commemorates the film's release date every year, thanking "the universe ... because that was the day that dreams came true for me". "Marie Claire" ranked "The Princess Diaries" Hathaway's second greatest film performance, describing the "SHUT UP" her character utters upon discovering she's a princess as iconic. The website NewNowNext credits "The Princess Diaries" with beginning to establish Hathaway as a gay icon, comparing her debut as a "reluctant princess" to that of actress Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday" (1953). The film is credited with reviving Andrews' film career and introducing her to a younger generation of fans, rivaling her career-defining performances in "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music" (1965) in terms of popularity. The film's popularity is credited with "catapult Cabot from writer to celebrity". Cabot remarked that the novels had actually been intended for slightly older readers, but parents who saw the G-rated film would purchase the books for their 6-7-year-old children, unintentionally exposing them to teen content.