Anne Hathaway Shares the Hardest Part of Hosting the Oscars (Exclusive)

Anne Hathaway knows a thing or two about hosting the Academy Awards, and it’s not always an easy gig.

ET’s Nischelle Turner caught up with the 36-year-old actress during the Serenity press day at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey, California, on Friday, where, as a past Oscars host, revealed the hardest part about emceeing Hollywood’s biggest night.

“The next day. Finding out how you actually did,” Hathaway — who hosted the Oscars in 2011 with James Franco — said with a laugh. “Because it feels nice, everybody tells you it's going well while you’re doing it. While you're doing it, it's like doing anything, you know?”

“My approach to all this stuff is really simple: we're lucky,” she continued. “Whether or not it does well or it bombs, this is the stuff of dreams. This is not something to get upset about. Now, that being said, when it really bombs, it does sting a bit. I think it might end up being a net positive over life. Well, the lessons that I learned, the life lessons about who to trust and when to trust them, that's going to be the net positive.”

The 2019 hosting position was first given to Kevin Hart at the end of last year. However, the comedian faced backlash after offensive homophobic tweets he posted resurfaced, forcing him to step down from the position.

“I do just want to go on record and say the LGBTQ community needs all the allies in the world and deserves all the allies in the world,” Hathaway stated, regarding the Oscar controversy.

Hathaway, meanwhile, is currently promoting her latest film, Serenity, co-starring Matthew McConaughey. In the film, McConaughey plays Baker Dill, a fish boat captain living on the scenic island of Plymouth, who receives a visit from his ex-wife, Karen (Hathaway). She is desperate to be rid of her violent new husband (Jason Clarke) and offers Baker millions to kill him. Baker, who shares a son with Karen, is tormented by the decision. The drama reunites Hathaway and McConaughey, who also worked together on Interstellar.

“I wanted to work with Matthew again. I knew that very consciously and I think I manifested it,” Hathaway told ET. “I felt very lucky when I met Matthew on Interstellar because he was -- it's very unusual. You can admire actors from afar, and I had, and to meet someone up close and realize he's living his life. He's found the balance that I'm striving for. So I just knew that I wanted Matthew in my life in some sort of influential way, and I hope that I'd be able to get to work with him, to continue to learn as an actor.”

As for what audiences will think of the thriller?

“I don't think -- I hope I'm right about this -- that an audience has to be spoon-fed a movie before they go into it,” she expressed. “I hope that we can hold it. We can contain our excitement, we can contain our, 'What is it about?' If you've seen the trailer, you have a sense of the vibe, the feeling of the movie.”

Serenity arrives in theaters on Jan. 25.

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