When it came to taking on the role of Selena Kyle aka Catwoman for the upcoming Dark Knight Rises, actress Anne Hathaway says he looked to a classic movie star for inspiration. Speaking the LA Times, Hathaway says that Hedy Lamarr serves as a key inspiration for her take on Catwoman.
“I know this sounds odd, but her breathing is extraordinary,” Hathaway says. “She takes these long, deep, languid breaths and exhales slowly. There’s a shot of her in [the 1933 film] ‘Ecstasy’ exhaling a cigarette and I took probably five breaths during her one exhale. So I started working on my breathing a lot.”
Hathaway also revealed that she’s been studying Catwoman in the comic pages since she was cast in the role.
“I really got into the comics after I was cast and I like that when she made her first appearance she meets Bruce Wayne and says ‘Let go of me or I’ll claw your eyes out,’ and he says, ‘Careful, claws in or papa spank,’” Hathaway said. “So I’m glad we’ve come a long way since then. I’m not saying anything against Bob Kane, though.”
Hathaway added that the script for the film in a strong one, full of the typical symbols incorporated by director Christopher Nolan.
“Gotham City is full of grace,” Hathaway said. “You look at Heath’s performance as the Joker, there was a lot of madness there but there was also a grace and he had a code there. There’s a lot of belief and codes of behavior in Gotham and my character has one, too. A lot of the way she moves and interacts with people is informed by her worldview. Chris has given us all such complex, defined, sophisticated worldviews that it’s just a matter of doing your homework and getting underneath the character’s skin.”
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