The Princess of Genovia went on to become red carpet royalty in the aughts and beyond
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Since the beginning of her career, Anne Hathaway has had the It factor. The 2026 World’s Most Beautiful cover star burst onto the scene with a star-making role in the 2001 classic The Princess Diaries. Over the years, she has evolved into an in-demand actress, an Oscar winner, a mother of two, a fashion icon and more.
As she prepares for another career-high year with five films — Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, Flowervale Street and Verity — we still love to look back at her decade-defining roles of the 2000s and all the killer style that came with.
Ahead, look back at our favorite throwback photos of this year’s World’s Most Beautiful woman.
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Rising Star
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Ahead of the Princess Diaries premiere on July 29, 2001, Hathaway stepped out for a chic night at the Chateau Marmont.
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The Princess and the Queen
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Hathaway and her on-screen grandmother Julie Andrews reunited at the afterparty for the Princess Diaries premiere.
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Just One Look
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She captivated cameras from day 1 — case in point: a Prada-clad Hathaway at a special screening of Chicago in 2002.
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Ethereal Beauty
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She graced the 2003 Golden Globes red carpet in a dazzling pink Elie Saab gown.
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Curl World
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For a night out at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood, she rocked an edgier look, complete with big hair and a smoky eye.
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Happiest Place on Earth
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For the 2004 premiere of the Princess Diaries sequel, Mickey and Minnie Mouse stopped by to greet Hathaway at a theater in Anaheim, California.
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Statement Tee
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She showed up at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards in jeans and a tee with a message. (In 2004, everybody was wearing a sassy T-shirt.)
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Over the Shoulder
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Her bouncy blowout and classic red lip at the 2005 amfAR and ACRIA event were the epitome of glam.
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Very Nice, Venice
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Brokeback Mountain costars Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal were all smiles at the movie's 2005 premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
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On the Go
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Filming an iconic sequence for The Devil Wears Prada, Hathaway (as Andy Sachs) raced down the New York City streets.
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The Deauville Wears Prada
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A deep side part and a low rise jean (at the Devil Wears Prada premiere at the Deauville Film Festival, alongside Meryl Streep)? Must be 2006.
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Award-Winning Smiles
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Emily Blunt and Hathaway both won Star of the Year after The Devil Wears Prada's box office success.
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Little Black Dress
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She sported a shorter cut — of hair and dress — for the 2008 premiere of Rachel Getting Married.
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Dear Future Husband
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Hathaway and Adam Shulman went cheek-to-cheek at the opening night celebration of Streetcar Named Desire in 2009. They'd marry three years later.
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Dance the Night
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The actress even embodied the decade's empire waist trend onstage, dancing with Raul Esparza during a 2009 performance of Twelfth Night at Shakespeare in the Park.
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