Before cementing herself as one of the most versatile stars in the acting realm, at the beginning of her career, Anne Hathaway was mostly known for playing the typical Disney princess roles. Following the success of The Princess Diaries and Ella Enchanted, which pushed the actress to stardom, it’s reasonable to see why the actress once feared getting typecast.

But when she was offered to play the lead alongside Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland, she denied the offer. However, The Dark Knight Rises star was adamant about starring in the project despite rejecting the lead role, which would go on to make a mammoth total at the box office.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway struggled to find her way back in Alice in Wonderland

Despite rejecting the lead role in Alice in Wonderland, which went on to make around $875 million in profits, almost 11 times her net worth, Anne Hathaway had her eyes stuck on another role in the film. In order to avoid being typecast, she wanted to challenge herself with more difficult roles and was adamant about getting the role of White Queen in the Tim Burton film.

But it wasn’t easy for the Interstellar star, as even though she was the favorite for the lead role, she wasn’t on Burton’s initial list for the character she wanted to play. Hathaway recalled,
“When Tim [Burton] came on board he had the cast he wanted and, of course, that didn’t include me.”

However, after the actress, who was the top contender for the role, lost the job due to scheduling conflicts, Hathaway got the opportunity to grab it. And despite being nervous about the job, she had a great time working alongside Tim Burton.

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

After exiting from her comfort zone to tackle more difficult roles, Anne Hathaway was initially nervous about playing the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland. And considering that most of the film was shot on a green screen, which was a new experience for the actress, it’s understandable to see why she initially felt nervous about the whole thing.

However, things eventually worked out after the filming began and she went on to commend Tim Burton for his style and said working under his leadership was an interesting experience for her. Hathaway said,

“Tim Burton was totally open to everything. He is not a director who says ‘no’ very often. He likes to play, he likes to explore. Even if he might disagree with you or if he doesn’t understand where you want to go, he will give you the opportunity to try. He is very easy to get along with. He is very interesting, very funny and he is a rule breaker.”

Anne Hathaway as White Queen

In hindsight, avoiding the lead role in the highly successful adaptation turned out the right movie for the actress, as it wasn’t long before Anne Hathaway would shift her focus to more challenging roles.

Alice in Wonderland is available to stream on Disney Plus.