Anne Hathaway was casted for the role of Fantine in the 2012 movie Les Misérables based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. The actress was playing a mother living on the street who had to sell her hair, teeth, and eventually her body to support her daughter Cosette.

Anne Hathaway made some sacrifices of her own to be a convincing character. She said, "I had to be obsessive about it — the idea was to look near death. Looking back on the whole experience — and I don't judge it in any way — it was definitely a little nuts. It was definitely a break with reality, but I think that's who [my character] Fantine is anyway."

She lost 25 pounds (11 kilograms) in two weeks by eating only dried oatmeal paste. Also, she didn't settle for a wig and cut her hair off. The makeup artist and the director tried to talk her out of it but the actress thought it would help her comprehend the mother's state better. Well, she absolutely did as she was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.