Anne Hathaway has revealed a comical behind-the-scenes blunder from her audition for The Dark Knight Rises—she spent an entire week preparing to play Harley Quinn, only to discover mid-meeting that director Christopher Nolan actually wanted her for Catwoman.

The Oscar-winning actress recently shared the story on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, explaining the elaborate reasoning that led her to the wrong conclusion.

"I knew I was meeting with Chris for the female role in the Batman trilogy, the next installment," Hathaway recalled. "I thought that I'd gamed it out, because I was just like, 'It can't be Catwoman because Michelle Pfeiffer was so iconic… It's going to be Harley Quinn!'"

Convinced of her theory, Hathaway devoted a full week to channeling the chaotic energy of the Joker's notorious partner-in-crime. She committed fully to the character, even donning what she described as "weird jester flats and a striped top" for the meeting.

However, approximately two hours into what she assumed was a productive conversation, Nolan dropped a bombshell. "Chris is like, 'So, the part's Catwoman,'" Hathaway said. Her response was instantaneous: "'Transform!'"

The actress described a rapid-fire personality shift worthy of a true professional. "I just then decided that I was like, 'Well, this top is very sensual.' And I was going to be very… like a psychopath. I changed personalities like a psychopath."

Despite the awkward mix-up, Hathaway's quick recalibration proved successful. She landed the coveted role of Selina Kyle and earned widespread praise for her performance in the 2012 blockbuster, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide and concluded Nolan's acclaimed Batman trilogy.

The role marked the beginning of a significant creative partnership between Hathaway and Nolan. He later cast her as NASA scientist Dr. Amelia Brand in the 2014 sci-fi epic Interstellar. Hathaway has credited Nolan with supporting her during a difficult period in her career, following intense public backlash after her Oscar win for Les Misérables.

"A lot of people wouldn't give me roles because they were so concerned about how toxic my identity had become online," she told Vanity Fair in 2024. "I had an angel in Christopher Nolan, who did not care about that and gave me one of the most beautiful roles I've had."

The director and actress are set to reunite once again for The Odyssey, scheduled for release on July 17 from Universal Pictures. One hopes that this time, Hathaway knew exactly which character she was playing before walking into the room.