The Princess Diaries films are some of the most treasured Disney movies of the early 2000s. Children, teenagers, and adults have found plenty to enjoy and laugh at in each movie. As it turns out, the cast has had plenty to say about their experiences working on The Princess Diaries.
Even though the movies were filmed way back in 2001 and 2004, some cast members remember their experiences like they happened yesterday. Let's see what they have to say about bringing Princess Mia's beloved story (created by Meg Cabot) to the big screen.
11 Robert Schwartzman Loved The Experience
In 2016, Glamour spoke with Robert Schwartzman, who played Michael Moscovitz in The Princess Diaries. The outlet informed Robert of his character's continued involvement in Meg Cabot's books. The author released her first adult story for Mia in 2015, Royal Wedding, in which Mia and Michael are engaged.
While Schwartzman would need to get all the details on his role if the third movie brought him back in, he didn't hold back on his love for the first film. Robert Schwartzman said, "I just see [Anne Hathaway] how I remember her. She's just really ambitious. On set, she was working her ass off. I loved working with her. I love working with [director] Garry Marshall. It was a great experience, and it feels like just yesterday."
10 Anne Hathaway Had To Fight For Different Kinds Of Roles
Anne Hathaway has said a lot of things about The Princess Diaries through the years, and she's pretty honest about her feelings. She has praised the films over and over again--she had a ton of fun making them and understands how fabulous they are.
However, Hathaway revealed to Glamour in 2013 that she was typecast for her work as Princess Mia for some time. "Of course, after Princess Diaries, I was labeled a good girl, and for the first eight years of my career I had to fight to get any other kind of role. But I like fighting for a job, actually," Hathaway said.
9 Julie Andrews Had A Ball
In 2001, Dame Julie Andrews was interviewed at a press junket and said of The Princess Diaries, "I had such a great time. Who couldn't enjoy wearing all those clothes, and million-dollar tiaras and posing around; it was great."
Andrews shared that she believed Garry Marshall's mission was "to make everybody happy. He does it splendidly, he doesn't let a soul go untended or unnoticed," she recalled. While playing Queen Clarisse, Andrews loved the set's parades, picnics, and parties, too.
8 Sandra Oh Loves Her Quotable Scene
Sandra Oh recreated one of her Princess Diaries scenes in 2020, and fans have gone wild giving it their own spin on TikTok. It seems that she has always appreciated her time as Principal Gupta. Oh told Decider in 2016 that she had seen a young man walking on the street.
The man spotted her, said "You're Principal Gupta!", and proceeded to do the phone call line: "Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, the Queen is coming." The actress reflects on that exchange as "fantastic" and "a great moment." On Late Night with Seth Meyers, Sandra Oh also fondly reminisced on Garry Marshall's directive to "go and make funny."
7 Erik von Detten's Dates Typecast Him
In 2018, Romper got an exclusive from Erik von Detten. They were relieved to find that von Detten is just as cool as ever, but one thing about playing Josh Bryant was difficult for him.
The actor said, "I'm sure there were a fair amount of girls that I was perhaps dating after that point that were probably too quick to judge me as that character." Fans definitely know better now, but they'll always love to hate Josh Bryant.
6 Anne Hathaway Is Grateful For Garry Marshall
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In addition to detailing her time playing the part of a princess, Anne Hathaway has talked specifically about working with Garry Marshall, and she paid a tribute to him after his passing in 2016. Hathaway said of the prolific director, "...he treated me with grace and patience and respect and always, always love. I’m so happy I made three films with him...Before we made The Princess Diaries, he told me, ‘You never know if a movie is going to be a hit or not. The only thing you can control is the memories you make when shooting it. So, let’s make some good memories...That advice changed my life even more than the film did.”
Those are powerful and kind words, and it's amazing that Marshall has such a significant positive impact on those he directed.
4 Julie Andrews Got To Help Craft Genovia
Someone had to make Genovia the regal place that it was in the world of the films. Garry Marshall trusted Julie Andrews to help define the royal ideal. Andrews fondly remembers suggesting that the country should grow beautiful pears and have beautiful lace (made by nuns), and then there were lace and pears!
On ABC's The Happy Days of Garry Marshall, Andrews said she thought, "I think I'm going to enjoy this very much. And of course, I did."
3 Mandy Moore Loved Playing Lana
At the 2001 press junket, an interviewer asked Mandy Moore, "Was it fun to be that nasty a girl?" (emphasis on the nasty part). Mandy said that it was fun because she was able to work out aggravation and stress in her life, and she said she liked "just being able to go to set and I have an excuse to get all of that out."
It was an exciting time for Moore, who was just launching her music career and filming A Walk to Remember around the same time.
2 Heather Matarazzo's Thoughts On Mandy Moore
The 2001 press junket includes a joint interview with Heather Matarazzo and Robert Schwartzman, who played Lilly and Michael Moscovitz, respectively. Heather Matarazzo was painfully truthful about how she perceived Mandy Moore before filming The Princess Diaries.
Matarazzo basically explained that she expected Moore to be stuck up and even called the actress "Britney" to make fun of her. Moore didn't miss a beat, Matarazzo realized that Moore was pretty cool, and the actresses became fast friends.
