The 30-year-old actress had 'fire in her belly' to convince director Tom Hooper and his production team that she was perfect for the big screen adaptation of the hit musical even though they thought she wasn't in the right age range for any of the female roles, reported Huffington Post online.
"I was told they weren't sure I was young enough for some of the other parts but maybe I wasn't young enough for Fantine. Do you ever have those moments when the fire in your belly just consumes you?
"I said that I needed to get in a room and we would figure this out. So I got my audition and just left it all on the floor; gave it everything," Hathaway said.
The "Princess Diaries" star said that she was terrified while filming her big 'I Dreamed a Dream' musical solo as troubled prostitute Fantine, but her worry soon turned to anger when she saw which version they had included in the official film trailer while watching it with her husband Adam Shulman.