Anne Hathaway has revealed for the first time that she spent a decade virtually half-blind, a health issue she kept largely private until a recent podcast appearance brought it to light.
speaking in New York Times Popcast On April 22, the actress, 43, told hosts Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli that she developed an early-onset cataract in her left eye between the ages of 30 and 40, which left her vision so severely impaired that she was legally blind in that eye during that time.
“Maybe this is too much information,” he said before launching into the topic. “I was half blind for 10 years.”
Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens that typically affects older people, are not unheard of in younger patients, although early-onset cases are considerably rarer.
For Hathaway, the condition meant that her left eye was functioning at the level that meets the legal definition of blindness, and she only fully understood how serious it had become when she underwent surgery to correct it.
“I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until I was finally able to see the full spectrum,” he said.
The experience had also been taking a quiet but significant toll on his well-being.
“I didn’t realize that I was actually taxing my nervous system,” he added. “I’ve calmed down since then.”
The revelation has given him a lasting feeling of gratitude for his vision.
“I appreciate the vision because I literally feel like every day I wake up and I can see the way I do, it’s a miracle,” he said.
“I actually think, ‘Oh, two generations ago, that wouldn’t have been an option for someone like me.’ So, I really feel very connected to that kind of miracle.”
