Anne Hathaway was shown love and appreciation by Mindy Kaling for gracefully handling Today’s Interview with Matt Lauer.

Anne Hathaway and Sandra Bullock appeared together in 2018’s heist comedy movie Ocean’s 8 directed by Gary Ross. The movie was the fourth installment and a spin-off from Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series. The ensemble cast also included Mindy Kaling, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Awkwafina alongside Hathaway and Bullock.

The power-packed female-led movie received a positive response from the audience upon its release. It was however stated at the time that the movie wasn’t as smooth as its predecessors but the cast and their chemistry together blended well enough for the audience to enjoy. During the promotion of Ocean’8, the cast came across a host whose comments sickened the actresses.

Still from female-led Ocean’s 8

Mindy Kaling appreciates Anne Hathaway for handling the 2012 Matt Lauer Interview with grace

Mindy Kaling played Amita, the jewelry maker in Gary Ross’ Ocean’s 8, and had formed a close bond with the actresses during the time of filming. At the Elle’s Women in Hollywood Celebration in Los Angeles in 2022, the actress took the opportunity to appreciate and applaud fellow co-actress Anne Hathaway for handling an interview conducted back in 2012 with then Today Show host Matt Laurer.

Kaling said during her speech (via People),
“From the age of 18 years old, Hathaway has been objectified regularly and despite loving her as a performer I’ll tell you when I fell in love with her. On Today show, next morning Matt Lauer said to her in this chastising, someone-has-been-very naught way, ‘Anne Hathaway I’ve seen a lot of you lately.”
The host subtly noted about the up-skirt-picture taken by the paparazzi of Hathaway at the premiere of 2012’s Les Misérables. Kaling continued her speech and called Lauer ‘lame uncle at Thanksgiving’ adding that he continued to ask Hathaway about what is the lesson she had learned from that incident referring to the media ambushing her.

Anne Hathaway and Helen Bonham Carter in Ocean’s 8

The Office actress explained that the host was somehow trying to imply that Hathaway was at fault for the picture. She added,
“Annie simply responded, ‘It kind of made me sad on two accounts’. One that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of someone in a vulnerable moment and rather than delete it and do the decent thing, sells it. And I’m sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants.”

The host was later fired from NBC in 2017 after it was revealed that there had been complaints about ‘inappropriate s**ual behavior in the workplace.’ In 2019, Variety published an excerpt from Ronan Farrow’s book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators which alleged that Lauer had r**ped a former news employee in his hotel room.

Matt Lauer made Sandra Bullock uncomfortable with his crass remarks

The Idea of You actress wasn’t the only one who was disgusted with comments by host Matt Lauer, in fact, her co-star and one of the biggest and successful actresses Sandra Bullock had also been the victim of his crass remarks. During an interview in 2009, Sandra Bullock appeared on Today Show to promote her movie The Proposal in which she starred alongside Ryan Reynolds.

Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson and Rihanna

Matt Lauer commented as he welcomed back the actress on the show;
“The major thing that’s changed since you were here last—I have now seen you naked.”
Bullock responded by stating,
“I’m sorry about that. Were you able to sleep afterwards?”
The host continued to talk to the actress about the nude scene pointing out that she was naked in most of the movie which she denied and stated that she was ‘emotionally naked’ in most of the movie. Lauer also reminded the actress that she had told him that she’d never appear nude on-screen to which Bullock explained that she’s an actress and explained that it fit the comedy aspect of the movie.
Sandra Bullock stayed neutral and calm during the interview even though fans later noticed how uncomfortable she might have been. Fans appreciated the actress for finishing the interview in the classiest way and later noted (via The Things) that she would never appear on another Today interview with Matt Lauer.

Ocean’s 8 is available to stream on Apple TV+, Vudu, and Google Play Movies.