Anne Hathaway Says Beyoncé’s ‘Homecoming’ Helped Her Find Her “Swag” as a Pop Star in 'Mother Mary'
Photo Credit: A24
by Chris Tremblay Apr 16
6 MIN READ
Promoting the upcoming psychological drama‑thriller "Mother Mary", Anne Hathaway has revealed that Beyoncé’s "Homecoming" concert film became a creative touchstone for shaping her performance as a global pop star, including how she sings and carries herself on stage. In a new interview, Hathaway explained that she watched "Homecoming" “so much” and used it as a model not just for musical performance, but for the discipline and self‑belief required to embody a character who can command a stadium.
Hathaway stars in "Mother Mary" as Mary, a superstar singer whose carefully constructed image begins to fracture, a role that requires the actor to sing and perform live in front of hundreds of extras standing in for concert crowds. Director David Lowery has described the film as a pop‑music‑driven story about image, intimacy, and crisis, with the emotional intensity of what some critics have called “sad bangers” translated into cinematic form.
Hathaway said Beyoncé’s "Homecoming" showed her how much intentionality and effort sit behind a seemingly effortless stage persona, which in turn helped her locate the “swag” she needed to sing convincingly as Mary. She highlighted Beyoncé’s relentless preparation and artistry, explaining that watching the concert film helped her understand that even someone as established as Beyoncé still works “that much” to refine every detail, and that this gave her permission to push herself similarly hard even if she does not see herself as being at Beyoncé’s level.
The actor emphasized that much of her “swag” for "Mother Mary" came not from copying Beyoncé’s exact moves or vocal style, but from internalizing the attitude that serious craft and discipline can underwrite a confident, commanding performance. Hathaway framed the process as learning to work as hard as a touring pop star within the controlled environment of a film set, where she had the “safety net” of multiple takes yet still wanted to honor the physical and emotional demands of live performance.
Beyond the musical elements, Hathaway said she drew on her own years in the public eye to connect with "Mother Mary"’s exploration of stardom as both seductive and destabilizing. She described the story as a “cautionary tale” about what can happen when a public persona becomes so dominant that a person risks “losing the plot” of where the performer ends and the constructed image begins.
Hathaway said it has long been a fear of hers that, if the persona takes over and something goes wrong, there may be “nothing really there to catch you,” a sense of freefall that "Mother Mary" pushes to psychological extremes. She joked that the film is “kind of like my worst nightmare,” indicating that she approached the role with an awareness of the pressures that many public figures, including LGBTQ+ artists and fans who navigate intense scrutiny, can experience when their identities are closely tied to their public work.
To bring Mary to life, Hathaway performed musical numbers in front of large crowds assembled for concert scenes, a context that Lowery says quickly made the team realize how small even 400 people can look in a massive performance space. Lowery noted that what might feel like a large crowd on a traditional film set is effectively just the “front row” of a stadium concert, underscoring how much energy and presence a performer must generate to reach audiences at that scale.
Hathaway has said that the sheer amount of work involved in preparing the songs and choreography, then repeating them for camera from multiple angles, gave her new respect for pop stars as “endurance athletes” who manage complex shows in real time, often in demanding costumes and shoes. She stressed that even with the ability to edit together the best takes in a film, the process still required long hours and intense focus, leaving her unconvinced she could pause her life long enough to train for a full‑scale music tour of her own.
In addition to studying Beyoncé’s performance style and work ethic from "Homecoming", Hathaway consulted directly with Charli XCX, who wrote music for "Mother Mary" and has co‑written and performed hits across pop and electronic genres. Hathaway told "People" that she approached Charli with questions about both the specific songs she would perform and the day‑to‑day realities of being a pop star with a demanding schedule and global fanbase.
The conversations led Hathaway to describe pop stars as some of “the most charming people on the planet,” driven by a deep internal need to share their creativity while maintaining enough resilience to withstand the physical and emotional strain of constant performance. That framing positions Mary not only as a character navigating fame, but also as part of a broader ecosystem of performers—including many queer and transgender artists—whose careers depend on translating private experiences into public spectacle in ways that can empower fans yet leave performers exposed to criticism and misinterpretation.
Lowery has said that "Mother Mary" is anchored in the emotional dynamics of pop music, which he views as uniquely capable of turning someone’s “worst day” into something that audiences can dance and cry to at the same time. He referenced a "New York Times" phrase, the “sad banger,” to describe the mood he wanted to capture, where cathartic choruses sit atop lyrics about heartbreak, self‑doubt, and complex relationships.
For audiences who connect to pop as a space for expressing gender diversity, queer desire, and chosen family, that “sad banger” sensibility has long been a way to process marginalization while celebrating joy on the dance floor. By tying Mary’s story to that sound, the film situates her journey in a pop tradition where empowerment and vulnerability coexist—a frame that may resonate strongly with LGBTQ+ viewers who see their own experiences reflected in pop lyrics, visuals, and fandom spaces.
Alongside Hathaway, Michaela Coel plays Sam, a fashion designer and Mary’s estranged best friend, whose creative partnership and personal history form the emotional spine of the film. Coel recalled that during their first table read, before the two had even met properly, the script plunged them into such intense scenes that they became a “blubbering mess,” something she credits to Lowery’s writing and the way it forces characters into vulnerability quickly.
Coel said she and Hathaway are “in the flow right now,” describing a working relationship that felt intuitive and creatively open as they explored the blurred boundaries between friendship, collaboration, and control. For queer and questioning viewers used to reading layered subtext in relationships between women on screen, this dynamic—set against the heightened backdrop of pop iconography—may invite interpretations that go beyond any single label while still honoring the characters’ emotional stakes.
While Hathaway’s personal performance “swag” drew primarily on Beyoncé’s "Homecoming", Lowery has acknowledged that Taylor Swift’s "Reputation" concert film also served as a major reference for the way "Mother Mary" approaches large‑scale stagecraft. He told "Empire" that the team broke down three songs from "Reputation" shot by shot, using them as a practical guide to estimate visual‑effects budgets and to understand the logistical complexity of stadium performances on a much smaller film budget.
Lowery said he “could go on about "Reputation" all day,” explaining that he often asked collaborators to imagine what Taylor Swift might look and move like 10 or 15 years into the future as one possible reference point for Mary, though the character remains fictional and distinct. He added that when production wrapped, Hathaway gave him a beaded bracelet reading “Anti‑Hero,” in the style of Swift’s friendship bracelets, suggesting how deeply this pop universe—spanning Beyoncé, Swift, Charli XCX, and others—informed the film’s visual and emotional language.
"Mother Mary" is scheduled to open in select U.S. theaters on April 17, 2026, before expanding to a nationwide release on April 24, positioning it as a spring counter‑programming choice for viewers seeking a character‑driven, music‑anchored drama. Early promotional materials frame the film as a psychological and emotional deep dive into celebrity and artistry rather than a straightforward music biopic, signaling that the concert sequences inspired by "Homecoming" and "Reputation" serve the story rather than existing as stand‑alone spectacle.
For fans of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, and other pop innovators whose music has long been embraced in LGBTQ+ clubs, pride events, and online spaces, Hathaway’s comments suggest "Mother Mary" will speak to the intersection of fandom, identity, and performance that has made pop culture a home for many marginalized communities. By centering a character who finds her “swag” through intense preparation and honest engagement with the risks of fame, the film invites audiences to consider both the exhilaration and the cost of building a life around the stage.
Finding “swag” through work ethic
Hathaway said Beyoncé’s "Homecoming" showed her how much intentionality and effort sit behind a seemingly effortless stage persona, which in turn helped her locate the “swag” she needed to sing convincingly as Mary. She highlighted Beyoncé’s relentless preparation and artistry, explaining that watching the concert film helped her understand that even someone as established as Beyoncé still works “that much” to refine every detail, and that this gave her permission to push herself similarly hard even if she does not see herself as being at Beyoncé’s level.
The actor emphasized that much of her “swag” for "Mother Mary" came not from copying Beyoncé’s exact moves or vocal style, but from internalizing the attitude that serious craft and discipline can underwrite a confident, commanding performance. Hathaway framed the process as learning to work as hard as a touring pop star within the controlled environment of a film set, where she had the “safety net” of multiple takes yet still wanted to honor the physical and emotional demands of live performance.
A cautionary tale about persona and self
Beyond the musical elements, Hathaway said she drew on her own years in the public eye to connect with "Mother Mary"’s exploration of stardom as both seductive and destabilizing. She described the story as a “cautionary tale” about what can happen when a public persona becomes so dominant that a person risks “losing the plot” of where the performer ends and the constructed image begins.
Hathaway said it has long been a fear of hers that, if the persona takes over and something goes wrong, there may be “nothing really there to catch you,” a sense of freefall that "Mother Mary" pushes to psychological extremes. She joked that the film is “kind of like my worst nightmare,” indicating that she approached the role with an awareness of the pressures that many public figures, including LGBTQ+ artists and fans who navigate intense scrutiny, can experience when their identities are closely tied to their public work.
The grind behind the glamour
To bring Mary to life, Hathaway performed musical numbers in front of large crowds assembled for concert scenes, a context that Lowery says quickly made the team realize how small even 400 people can look in a massive performance space. Lowery noted that what might feel like a large crowd on a traditional film set is effectively just the “front row” of a stadium concert, underscoring how much energy and presence a performer must generate to reach audiences at that scale.
Hathaway has said that the sheer amount of work involved in preparing the songs and choreography, then repeating them for camera from multiple angles, gave her new respect for pop stars as “endurance athletes” who manage complex shows in real time, often in demanding costumes and shoes. She stressed that even with the ability to edit together the best takes in a film, the process still required long hours and intense focus, leaving her unconvinced she could pause her life long enough to train for a full‑scale music tour of her own.
Learning from pop insiders
In addition to studying Beyoncé’s performance style and work ethic from "Homecoming", Hathaway consulted directly with Charli XCX, who wrote music for "Mother Mary" and has co‑written and performed hits across pop and electronic genres. Hathaway told "People" that she approached Charli with questions about both the specific songs she would perform and the day‑to‑day realities of being a pop star with a demanding schedule and global fanbase.
The conversations led Hathaway to describe pop stars as some of “the most charming people on the planet,” driven by a deep internal need to share their creativity while maintaining enough resilience to withstand the physical and emotional strain of constant performance. That framing positions Mary not only as a character navigating fame, but also as part of a broader ecosystem of performers—including many queer and transgender artists—whose careers depend on translating private experiences into public spectacle in ways that can empower fans yet leave performers exposed to criticism and misinterpretation.
Pop music, “sad bangers,” and storytelling
Lowery has said that "Mother Mary" is anchored in the emotional dynamics of pop music, which he views as uniquely capable of turning someone’s “worst day” into something that audiences can dance and cry to at the same time. He referenced a "New York Times" phrase, the “sad banger,” to describe the mood he wanted to capture, where cathartic choruses sit atop lyrics about heartbreak, self‑doubt, and complex relationships.
For audiences who connect to pop as a space for expressing gender diversity, queer desire, and chosen family, that “sad banger” sensibility has long been a way to process marginalization while celebrating joy on the dance floor. By tying Mary’s story to that sound, the film situates her journey in a pop tradition where empowerment and vulnerability coexist—a frame that may resonate strongly with LGBTQ+ viewers who see their own experiences reflected in pop lyrics, visuals, and fandom spaces.
Chemistry at the film’s core
Alongside Hathaway, Michaela Coel plays Sam, a fashion designer and Mary’s estranged best friend, whose creative partnership and personal history form the emotional spine of the film. Coel recalled that during their first table read, before the two had even met properly, the script plunged them into such intense scenes that they became a “blubbering mess,” something she credits to Lowery’s writing and the way it forces characters into vulnerability quickly.
Coel said she and Hathaway are “in the flow right now,” describing a working relationship that felt intuitive and creatively open as they explored the blurred boundaries between friendship, collaboration, and control. For queer and questioning viewers used to reading layered subtext in relationships between women on screen, this dynamic—set against the heightened backdrop of pop iconography—may invite interpretations that go beyond any single label while still honoring the characters’ emotional stakes.
From Beyoncé to Taylor Swift as visual and structural references
While Hathaway’s personal performance “swag” drew primarily on Beyoncé’s "Homecoming", Lowery has acknowledged that Taylor Swift’s "Reputation" concert film also served as a major reference for the way "Mother Mary" approaches large‑scale stagecraft. He told "Empire" that the team broke down three songs from "Reputation" shot by shot, using them as a practical guide to estimate visual‑effects budgets and to understand the logistical complexity of stadium performances on a much smaller film budget.
Lowery said he “could go on about "Reputation" all day,” explaining that he often asked collaborators to imagine what Taylor Swift might look and move like 10 or 15 years into the future as one possible reference point for Mary, though the character remains fictional and distinct. He added that when production wrapped, Hathaway gave him a beaded bracelet reading “Anti‑Hero,” in the style of Swift’s friendship bracelets, suggesting how deeply this pop universe—spanning Beyoncé, Swift, Charli XCX, and others—informed the film’s visual and emotional language.
Release details and audience expectations
"Mother Mary" is scheduled to open in select U.S. theaters on April 17, 2026, before expanding to a nationwide release on April 24, positioning it as a spring counter‑programming choice for viewers seeking a character‑driven, music‑anchored drama. Early promotional materials frame the film as a psychological and emotional deep dive into celebrity and artistry rather than a straightforward music biopic, signaling that the concert sequences inspired by "Homecoming" and "Reputation" serve the story rather than existing as stand‑alone spectacle.
For fans of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, and other pop innovators whose music has long been embraced in LGBTQ+ clubs, pride events, and online spaces, Hathaway’s comments suggest "Mother Mary" will speak to the intersection of fandom, identity, and performance that has made pop culture a home for many marginalized communities. By centering a character who finds her “swag” through intense preparation and honest engagement with the risks of fame, the film invites audiences to consider both the exhilaration and the cost of building a life around the stage.
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