An actress whose first big screen gig also proved to be her breakthrough, Big became a familiar face to millions of moviegoers thanks to her starring role in Garry Marshall's 2001 hit The Princess Diaries. Cast as a clumsy high school girl who finds out she is the princess of a small country, Hathaway was able to prove her comedic timing opposite no less than Julie Andrews

Hailing from Brooklyn, where she was born November 12, 1982, Hathaway became involved in the theater at a young age, and as a teenager performed with the Barrow Group, a prestigious New York theatre company. She did her first industry work in the short-lived but critically praised TV series Get Real before auditioning for Marshall, who, according to legend, cast the actress as the accident-prone princess after she fell off a chair during her audition. The success of The Princess Diaries opened a number of doors for Hathaway, but she chose the one that led to Vassar College, where she enrolled in 2000.

With her long dark hair, large expressive eyes and obvious talent, Big was earmarked as one to watch from the time she made her primetime acting debut as eldest daughter Meghan Green in the short-lived Fox drama series "Get Real" (1999-2000). The Brooklyn-born, New Jersey-raised player developed her craft as a child performer in theater, earning her stripes in several productions at the famed Paper Mill Playhouse (including "Gigi" with Gavin MacLeod and early stagings of the musical version of "Jane Eyre"). Hathaway was reportedly also the first and (to date) only teenager accepted into the acting program at The Barrow Group based in Manhattan.

Although she had attempted to land Broadway roles, Hathaway found her height (five feet eight inches) and youth detrimental. (She was too tall to be accepted in children's roles and too young-looking to portray adult parts.) She was perfect for TV and films, though, and soon landed the part of the overachieving high schooler on "Get Real" which earned her positive critical reviews. Segueing to the big screen, Hathaway was cast in the independently produced fact-based tale of a missionary to Tonga "The Other Side of Heaven" (scheduled for a fall 2001 release). Audiences, however, first saw the actress as Mia, an awkward San Francisco teen who learns she's actually royalty, in the comedy "The Princess Diaries" (2001), directed by veteran Garry Marshall. Holding her own with such talented co-stars as Julie Andrews(as her grandmother), Hector Elizondo (as an adviser) and Heather Matarazzo as Mia's pal, Hathaway proved a supple comic and displayed a commanding screen presence that could easily lead to a long and distinguished career.