Anne Hathaway officially entered the supporting actress race for The Odyssey after Universal Pictures decided to campaign her performance as Penelope in that category.
The move clarified where the studio planned to position Hathaway during the Oscars 2027 race. Matt Damon, who played Odysseus, remained the film’s lead acting contender, while Hathaway joined Samantha Morton in the supporting actress category.
Anne Hathaway is officially entering the supporting actress race for The Odyssey
According to Variety, Hathaway’s placement created the possibility that The Odyssey could earn two supporting actress nominations. Morton, who played Circe, also received a campaign push from Universal.
The strategy meant both actresses would compete in the same category, but Oscar history includes several films that have earned multiple supporting actress nominations.
Hathaway had already won the supporting actress Oscar in 2013 for Les Misérables. A second victory for The Odyssey would place her among a very small group of women who have won the category twice.
Dianne Wiest previously won two supporting actress Oscars for Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway. Shelley Winters also achieved the feat with The Diary of Anne Frank and A Patch of Blue.
Universal also positioned The Odyssey for recognition beyond Hathaway’s performance. The studio planned campaigns across several acting and technical categories, with Damon competing for lead actor consideration.
John Leguizamo and Robert Pattinson also entered the supporting actor conversation, according to the source.
The Oscar push followed a major year for Hathaway. She appeared in Mother Mary before returning as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada 2. She also starred in The End of Oak Street and took the title role in Verity, which was scheduled to open on October 2.
The Odyssey crossed $1.6 billion worldwide and became a central part of Universal’s awards campaign. The film marked Christopher Nolan’s first release after Oppenheimer, which won Best Picture, while Nolan won Best Director.
For Anne Hathaway, however, the studio had now made one key decision clear: her performance as Penelope would compete in the supporting actress category.
