It’s only fitting that Anne Hathaway will play Catwoman in the next Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. The woman is a superhero in more ways than one. During high school, she sang with her school’s choir at Carnegie Hall and performed on stage at Seton Hall Prep. Anne spent a few semesters studying English and Women’s Studies at Vassar College before transferring to New York University. The 28-year-old’s acting career took off after she starred in The Princess Diaries. Anne went on to act in romantic comedies such as The Devil Wears Prada and Valentine’s Day, but she achieved serious street cred from her characters in Brokeback Mountain and Rachel Getting Married.
Photo from Esquire
But perhaps most notable is Anne’s role as a role model. As a teenager, she overcame depression. In 2008, she gracefully moved on when her then-boyfriend was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Her charity work is nothing to scoff at either. Anne works with The Creative Coalition, The Step Up Women’s Network, The Humans Rights and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to name a few.
“It’s rare to see females in leading roles in movies in general, so seeing them as superheroes is inspiring,” junior Anna Meyer says. “It shows that women can be in charge, too.”
Here’s a look at some of our other favorite female superheroes and the incredible lives they lead.
Jennifer Garner
Before starring as Elektra in Daredevil, she played the saxophone and danced as a ballerina in her home state of West Virginia. She enrolled as a chemistry major at Denison University but quickly realized acting was her true passion and later graduated with a drama degree.
Her best-known role is as CIA Agent Sydney Bristow in the TV show Alias. Jen took taekwondo lessons and did many of her own stunts on the show. Alias put her in the spotlight, and she trained even harder to star in Daredevil. Her intensity paid off; the movie was a box-office hit and she met husband Ben Affleck on set. Jennifer played Elektra in her own spin-off movie two years later. The mother of two is as devoted to her charity work as her career. She supports various causes from education to rape and sexual abuse. Currently, she serves as Artist Ambassador for Save the Children.
Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba reached star status with her role in the television series Dark Angel. She found her niche in action movies such as Sin City and Machete. As Sue Storm, a member of the Fantastic Four, Jessica uses the power of invisibility to defeat evil villains. As an international sex symbol, though, it’s tough for Jessica to go undetected. But she does much more than just look pretty. Jessica is the mother of a two-year-old, and in her spare time she works with Habit for Humanity, Revlon Run/Walk for Women and SOS Children’s Villages. She once offered her acting talents for free in order to raise money to fight AIDS. During the 2008 election, she posed for Declare Yourself to help encourage young people to vote. She is also an ambassador for the 1Goal movement in Africa.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie has been kicking butt for most of her life. She has garnered numerous accolades for her performances, including a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Angelina brought the Tomb Raider videogame to the big screen in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The movie made her a star around the world, and she appeared in the sequel two years later. Even members of Team Aniston can’t deny that Angelina is a devoted mother and humanitarian. Her work as Good Will Ambassador for the United Nations has taken her to Cambodia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Beirut, Chad and Sudan. She co-founded the Jolie/Pitt Foundation and donated $1 million to help Haiti after its devastating earthquake.
Charlize Theron
In 2005, Charlize Theron played the title character in the science fiction thriller Æon Flux. The movie failed financially but didn’t keep the Oscar-winner down for long. She was nominated for another Academy Award that same year for her performance in North Country. She grew up in South Africa and remains connected to her homeland. The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project focuses on helping at-risk children and HIV-infected individuals. The organization helps bring health care clinics, soccer fields and clean water to South Africa.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Monster’s Ball really put her on the map in Hollywood in 2001. Just one year prior, though, Halle played Storm in X-Men. She reprised her role in X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand. With the exception of her Razzie award for Best Actress in Catwoman, Halle is a critic darling. She’s worked hard to get to where she is today, prevailing over domestic violence, depression and divorce. The former beauty queen now works to help victims of abuse.
Scarlett Johansson
She’s only 26 years old, but Scarlett Johansson’s resume is as diverse as actresses twice her age. From romantic comedies to dramatic indies, she’s done it all. In 2010, Scarlett ventured into action films as the Black Widow in Iron Man 2. Scarlett is a global ambassador for Oxfam. She has spoken out repeatedly about Hollywood’s promotion of unrealistic body images. Scarlett participated in Bono’s ONE, an anti-poverty campaign. In addition, she campaigned for Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Best known as Buffy the vampire slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar has been taking it easy since giving birth to a daughter with Freddie Prinze Jr. in 2009. The black belt fought her share of battles on the show. Now she is fighting poverty throughout the world with CARE. She supports Project Angel Food and Habit For Humanity. Sarah Michelle is also an advocate for breast cancer research.