Back in 2011, Anne Hathaway shocked Hollywood when she took to LA’s Orpheum Theatre stage to sing a song in perfect French with a co-star from her past.
As Anne’s latest film, ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ hits cinemas this spring, countless fans have been flocking back to this clip, surprised by the sheer magnitude of her talent.
Racking up more than 3.7 million views to date, Music Man readers can watch Anne’s surprise French duet unfold in the viral video above…
Anne meets her ‘Havoc’ co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt on stage before a live audience, the pair rekindling their vibrant chemistry before inviting fellow friend Lorraine Hoey to join the gang for a show-stopping song.
As a jazzy, old-school violin soundtrack plays out, the American movie superstars shock the audience when they begin singing “Le Petit Soldat” in perfect French—language, accent and all. It’s a testament to an actor’s talent as they embody characteristics and voices the polar opposite of their own, and make their performance sound more authentic than you can imagine.
But Anne Hathaway’s vocal talent should come as no surprise: in the midst of breaking into the mainstream in her early film roles, ‘The Princess Diaries’ and the original ‘Devil Wears Prada,’ Anne also starred on Broadway, notably 2002’s ‘Carnival!’ and 2009’s ‘Twelfth Night.’ In 2012, she even landed a lead role in the film adaptation of the musical ‘Les Misérables.’
After hearing her sing this traditional French number with Joseph, one top commenter on the viral YouTube clip couldn’t help but write, “Amazed that Anne Hathaway is a trained soprano singer. I thought her casting in Les Miserables was a gimmick, but it looks like the role actually went to the best person.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is no stranger to singing either, whether he’s performing a Pixies hit in the rom-com, ‘500 Days of Summer,’ or taking to the stage to cover legendary songs from the likes of Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and Nirvana.
He and Anne have shared an enduring friendship since co-starring in the 2005 crime drama flick, ‘Havoc’ and the iconic 2012 Batman installment, ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ Just two years ago, news broke that Joseph would be directing Anne in an AI thriller which is yet to be released, so film fans had better keep their eyes peeled for the next Joseph-Anne collab!
Anne Hathaway is clearly as versatile onstage as she is onscreen, and this surprise French duet only reinforces her effortless charm. If you want to discover more clips and background on her performance, check out the useful links below.