Anne Hathaway, 41, says she did “The Idea of You” because she wanted to “tell the story of a woman blooming.”

Hathaway opened up to People about her decision to star in the rom-com during the SXSW premiere of the film on Saturday.

“In the beginning of the film, the character…she’s really scared of going on that adventure because she’s had such a rough experience with her ex-husband,” Hathaway told People. 

“And so to me, I was incredibly moved by the opportunity to tell the story of a woman blooming.”

In “The Idea of You,” Hathaway plays a 40-year-old single mother who falls in love with a 24-year-old boy band member, played by actor Nicholas Galitzine.

“I don’t know why we don’t have more stories about human beings blooming at any age. We’re always coming of age, all the time,” Hathaway added.

During a Q&A session after the SXSW premiere of the film, Hathaway also shared that she was inspired by her character, Solène, and found her journey relatable.

“I wanted to make this movie because it was a great part and a fun premise, and for some reason, we talk about coming-of-age stories as being something that happens to you in the earliest parts of your life, and I don’t know about you, but I feel like I keep blooming,” Hathaway said, per Variety.

The film is based on a book of the same name by Robinne Lee and is set to be released on May 2 on Amazon Prime Video.

The trailer for the film caused a buzz when it was released, with some internet users labeling Hathaway a “cougar” for her role. It even sparked a discussion on “The View” about age-gap relationships. In real life, Hathaway and her costar Galitzine have a 12-year age gap.

Hollywood isn’t particularly kind to older women, and that’s what makes Hathaway’s comments about playing an older character in “The Idea of You” special.

Kirsten Dunst, 41, recently revealed that she took a two-year break from acting because she was only offered “sad mom” roles.

“There’s definitely less good roles for women my age,” Dunst told Marie Claire.

Even Hathaway herself was told that her acting career “would fall off a cliff at the age of 35.”

But ageism against women isn’t just a Hollywood phenomenon; it’s prevalent in other workplaces, too. And it’s not something that only older women face either: A study — published in Harvard Business Review — of 913 women leaders across various industries revealed that women face age-based discrimination at every age.

A representative for Hathaway did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

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Source: The Washington Post