Chris Pine, Julie Andrews and more reminisce about working with the late director.
Garry Marshall was adored by fans and celebrities alike.
The beloved filmmaker, who died in 2016, was the subject of the TV special, The Happy Days of Garry Marshall, which aired on Tuesday. The late creator of Happy Days and Mork & Mindy was honored with stars like Penny Marshall, Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Julia Roberts and more recalling their time with Marshall.
Anne Hathaway, who was only 18 when the director chose her to star in The Princess Diaries, teared up while remembering how Marshall helped her become a star.
"I show up [to the audition] and I looked around, there were so many other young actresses there, and I knew all of them. They were all recognizable. And here I am, this nobody walking in," Hathaway shared. "Garry showed the auditions to his granddaughters, Lily and Charlotte, and said, 'Which girl do you think should be the princess?' And Lily and Charlotte said that I should be the princess. And he said, 'That girl's name is Annie. Why do you think she should be the princess?' And they said, "Because she's got the best princess hair.'"
"I had no idea what I was doing. I was just doing my best. And Garry really crafted that performance to be the best it possibly could be. And that's how I was introduced to the world," the now Oscar winner recalled. "The Princess Diaries changed my life."
Hathaway then explained that the reason the movie impacted her life was "because Garry Marshall directed it, because he was the one leading me every day, because he was the one teaching me, because he went out of his way." As she continued she started to get emotional, adding, "Because he went out of his way to make sure that I knew why it was important to be a good person in this business. I realize that in situations when you go onto sets and things are stressful and people are freaked out and people are fighting, you can still bring the joy, 'cause Garry taught me how to bring the joy."
While reflecting on her time on set, Hathaway also mentioned how she loved when Julie Andrews could curse.
"Oh, my favorite memory of working with Julie Andrews, and I think the best memory, is whenever she would curse," she said with a laugh. "It was delightful! I would feel terrible, but I would kind of pray for her to flub lines."
Andrews, on her end, chimed in saying, "It depends what cursing you mean…When did I do that? I'm sorry, but I'm out to lunch about swearing, I guess."
What made the sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, even more memorable for Hathaway was that she suggested the famous scene where the girls would slide down the stairs on a mattress during the sleepover. Hathaway's version included pillows, but Marshall switched it to a mattress for safety reasons, and it became a staple in the film.
"It was the heightened, most magical version of this thing that I'd done growing up, and I couldn't believe it," the actress expressed.
Chris Pine, who was Princess Mia's love interest in the second film, also shared anecdotes from his experience. The movie was his first film in Hollywood, and one he will always be grateful to be a part of.
"It's now nearly 20 years later. I now have, like, young girls, I have teenage girls, have girls in their 20's that come up to me that know me from this film," he remarked. "That this film was a very important part of their growing up. I know that my entré into the world of cinema, which is my life now, he gave me my shot and he will always be the one that did that and I'm thankful for that."
Elsewhere in the special, Roberts also began tearing up as she shared a sweet story about a gift Marshall gave her after filming Pretty Woman.
"Garry gave me a necklace and he gave me a great card that he wrote for me. And the necklace had a diamond heart on it," she said getting emotional. "And it's so that I would always remember that wherever I was that there was someone that loved me and is on my side."
ET was on the set of the 1990 rom-com also starring Richard Gere, watch the set visit in the video below.
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