Anne Hathaway praises the cast and director William Oldroyd at the Sundance premiere of her new film Eileen.

The 40-year-old actress started acting as a teenager, first appearing in the short-lived TV series Get Real in 1998 before making her feature film debut with 2001’s The Princess Diaries, with Hathaway currently prepping Princess Diaries 3 adding recently how ‘thrilled’ she is that fans are excited about it.

The actress was at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah participating in a Q&A after the premiere of her new film Eileen, and revealing why she wanted to work with director William Oldroyd

Opening up: Anne Hathaway is opening up about one of the first questions she was asked by the movie press when she was just 16 years of age

Teenager: The 40-year-old actress started acting as a teenager, first appearing in the short-lived TV series Get Real in 1998 before making her feature film debut with 2001’s The Princess Diaries, with Hathaway currently prepping Princess Diaries 3 adding recently how ‘thrilled’ she is that fans are excited about it

‘I’m honored to be in this cast,’ Hathaway began, standing next to castmates Thomasin McKenzie, Shea Whigham, and Marin Ireland.

‘I’m really proud to be in this movie so thank you, everyone, so so very much. I wanted to work with Will after seeing Lady Macbeth. It was an extraordinary piece of work in which I saw complex… sometimes you say words and you don’t know if you’re going to regret it afterward so if this turns into an annoying headline later I’m really sorry,’  Hathaway added as the crowd laughed.

‘I thought it was extraordinary work. I saw a study of female complication that hit me deep, and I felt like Will was a filmmaker that could be trusted to tell complicated stories, especially about females,’ she added.

Honored: ‘I’m really honored to be in this cast,’ Hathaway began, standing next to castmates Thomasin McKenzie, Shea Whigham and Marin Ireland

That meant a great deal to me because I just remembered one of the very first questions I ever got asked when I started acting work, which meant, you know, when I had to do press, was, “Are you a good girl or a bad girl?”‘ she said, as the crowd audibly gasped.

‘I was 16, and my 16-year-old self wanted to respond with this film. Though I did not know that when I read the script, I think a part of me hoped for this exact moment,’ she added.

Her new film Eileen was adapted from the book of the same name by Ottessa Moshfegh and adapted by Luke Goebel.

Good or bad: That meant a great deal to me because I just remembered one of the very first questions I ever got asked when I started acting work, which meant, you know, when I had to do press, was, “Are you a good girl or a bad girl?”‘ she said, as the crowd audibly gasped

Respond: ‘I was 16, and my 16-year-old self wanted to respond with this film. Though I did not know that when I read the script, I think a part of me hoped for this exact moment,’ she added

The story is set in frigid 1960s Boston, following Eileen (McKenzie), who shuffles between her father’s emotionally haunted home and the prison where she works alongside colleagues who have ostracized her.

Hathaway plays Rebecca St. John, described as, ‘an intoxicating woman’ who joins the staff and Eileen becomes more and more interested in her.

The film has been getting strong reviews out of its Sundance premiere as it continues seeking a distribution deal.

Intoxicating: Hathaway plays Rebecca St. John, described as, ‘an intoxicating woman’ who joins the staff and Eileen becomes more and more interested in her

Strong reviews: The film has been getting strong reviews out of its Sundance premiere as it continues seeking a distribution deal

She also opened up earlier at Sundance about being ‘thrilled’ over the level of excitement for The Princess Diaries 3, which was announced in November.

‘We feel the same, and I know it’s probably very frustrating,’ she said of the lengthy process of making a sequel.

‘It’s a process that requires patience, and so everybody should consider themselves a part of the movie business now because this is how long it takes to make things,’ she said.

Thrilled: She also opened up earlier at Sundance about being ‘thrilled’ over the level of excitement for The Princess Diaries 3, which was announced in November

Couple outing: Anne was snapped alongside her husband Adam Shulman on Tuesday as they strolled Paris during the city’s fashion week

Chic: Anne looked typically stylish as she donned a pair of wide-leg blue jeans with a cream-knitted jumper

Sweet: The couple appeared in high spirits as they were snapped departing a taxi in the city