Anne Hathaway reveals she secretly battled illness that left her blind in one eye

The year 2026 is undoubtedly that of Anne Hathaway.

Back twenty years after the release of the first film in the guise of Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada 2, the American actress is also starring in the film Mother Mary by David Lowery, released in the United States, notably alongside FKA Twigs, who was chosen to play Josephine Baker in the cinema, and will play Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, in The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan, expected in France on July 15, 2026.

A busy program which could, however, have taken a completely different turn if the actress had not undergone surgery to treat an illness which almost left her blind in one eye.

Anne Hathaway’s secret struggle

Guests have micro du podcast Popcast from the New York Times on April 23, 2026, Anne Hathaway revealed that her vision was severely impaired throughout most of her thirties due to an early-onset cataract. “Maybe this is too much information,” she began, “but I was half blind for 10 years“.

And continued: “My vision was so affected that I was practically blind in my left eye.I had to have an operation. I only realized the seriousness of the situation once I could finally see clearly. (…) I didn’t realize that it was putting a strain on my nervous system.”

According to the actress, her current vision is a “miracle”. “I appreciate the view, because every morning, waking up and having the chance to see like this is a real miracle. (…) I say to myself: ‘Two generations ago, this would have been unthinkable for someone like me’. So I feel deeply connected to this kind of miracle.”

Anne Hathaway and the milestone of forty

After spending her thirties seeing only one eye, Anne Hathaway, aged 43, embraces her forties with panache. “When I started, I thought I would be a better artist if I was very demanding of myself, she explained in an interview granted to the site People on April 20, 2026. Then, at 40, I sort of changed pace and I no longer wanted to live a complicated life. I just wanted to enjoy the present moment“.

The actress also confided that she was not afraid of getting older. “Natural aging doesn’t bother me. It’s the bad lighting that bothers me,” she declared with humor before sharing a phrase that a filmmaker had whispered in her ear: “Beauty can contain ugliness in it, as long as it contains truth.” A sentence that had a profound impact on her.