Anne Hathaway trained 8 hours a day for 'Possessed' in 'Mother Mary', inspired by Jessica Chastain

Hathaway said Chastain's performance in 'A Doll’s House' "blew my mind" and pushed her to go even deeper

Anne Hathaway revealed that she underwent intense preparation for one of the most demanding scenes in Mother Mary, training up to eight hours a day to perfect a haunting, “possessed” dance sequence.

The Oscar-winning actress explained that the physically and emotionally charged scene required months of rehearsal, with choreography designed to feel raw, uncontrolled, and almost exorcism-like. The sequence, notably performed without music in the film, emphasised pure movement and expression, making it one of the most challenging moments of her performance.

Hathaway described the dance as a moment where her character is overtaken by something internal, calling it “messy and violent and out of control,” requiring her to fully surrender to the emotion behind the movement.

To achieve that intensity, she drew inspiration from Jessica Chastain, specifically recalling Chastain’s stage performance in A Doll’s House. Hathaway said the performance “blew my mind” and pushed her to go even deeper into the physical and emotional demands of the role.

Directed by David Lowery, Mother Mary follows a fictional pop star preparing for a comeback while confronting personal and psychological struggles. The role required Hathaway to combine vocal performance with intense physicality, including multiple original songs and demanding choreography.

Despite the grueling preparation, the actress said the key to the scene was not just technical precision, but embodying the feeling of being “taken over” by something beyond control, ultimately delivering one of the film’s most striking and unsettling moments.