Those familiar with the intricate movie Love & Other Drugs are aware of the numerous intimate scenes between the leads, Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal. And engaging in such scenes was particularly challenging for Hathaway, given that it was entirely outside her ballpark.
This stress added to the multitude of thoughts running through her mind during filming, making it one of her most dreadful experiences. Thus, Hathaway in various interviews shared how she eventually overcame these challenges, shedding light on her journey.
Filming Love & Other Drugs Was a Dreadful Experience for Anne Hathaway
Navigating the intimate scenes in Love & Other Drugs posed a significant challenge for Anne Hathaway during filming. Particularly, baring it all in front of the camera demanded immense courage and determination from the actor to portray it convincingly. Thus, while speaking to Vogue (via Cosmopolitan) about her experiences, she revealed,
“This movie certainly has a lot of nerve. These are people who have no trouble taking their clothes off — in a way, their bodies are their currency. But they’re terrified of exposing their vulnerability, of becoming emotionally naked.”
She further stated,
“I was a wreck from start to finish. I think I cried every single day. I had to lean so much more heavily on everyone around me than I’m used to. I’m used to pulling my own weight. But I totally fell apart.”
While emotionally challenging, embodying the character physically proved to be the most difficult aspect for Hathaway to tackle.
How Did Anne Hathaway Overcome Her Fear?
In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress shared her journey of overcoming fear, proceeding with the movie, and ultimately delivering a phenomenal performance. She stated,
“I didn’t want to make a big deal about nerves. Of course, there is that revoltingly embarrassing moment when you have to take your clothes off in front of strangers. I mean, I don’t go to the beach in a bikini for a reason. “
Although she thought putting on additional layers of clothing would help, it didn’t. She said,
“So for me, this role was pretty out-there in terms of the way I usually am in public concerning my body. So I thought, “Okay, I’m going to be in control. I’m going to do everything properly, disrobe at the last minute, and in between shots get the clothes back on.” But then I found that every time I put my robe back on, it rubbed all the body makeup off, and that added 20 minutes to filming.”
Despite her discomfort with exposing her body in front of others, the supportive cast and crew assisted her, calming her nerves and helping her overcome her fears.
“As with all things in life, the second you stop making it about you and you make it about everyone else, it just got, dare I say, fun. There wasn’t anything to be nervous about. It was another scene.”
In the end, she learned to approach those scenes as she would ordinarily do if it were any other scene, and everything returned to normal.
Love & Other Drugs is available on Prime Video to stream.
