Kate McCauley Hathaway, an actress, and Gerald T. Hathaway, a lawyer, both from Philadelphia, welcomed their daughter Anne Jacqueline into the world 

 in Brooklyn, New York. She has English, German, and French ancestry, but her primary heritage is Irish.

Her first significant performance was in the brief television series Get Real (1999). She rose to fame for her appearances 

as a little girl who discovers she is a member of royalty in The Princess Diaries (2001) and its 2004 sequel, costarring Julie Andrews and Heather Matarazzo

In addition, she played a significant role in the 2002 film Nicholas Nickleby alongside Charlie Hunnam and Jamie Bell and starred in the film Ella

Enchanted (2004). Hathaway, a formerly prominent soprano in New York, was apparently the favourite to play "Christine" in the 2004 production 

The Phantom of the Opera (2004). She was unable to accept the part, which was subsequently awarded 

Is Anne Hathaway a billionaire?