Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway: 'I'd Rather Be Strong Than Skinny'

By Courtney Rubin

03/08/2007 at 08:40 AM EST

Anne Hathaway – whose The Devil Wears Prada character was told she was fat at a size six – says she won't get caught up in trying to be thinner.

"Obsessing about weight is a big old waste of time," Hathaway, 24, tells the British edition of Glamour in its April issue.

"It's completely understandable as a teenager to fret about your body," she says. "It's scary because you don't know how it's going to wind up. But I'm not a teenager any more; my body's chosen its shape. I'd rather be strong than skinny for most roles."

Hathaway admits she's not a size zero, adding, "'I've had directors say to me, 'You're the best actress for the role, but you've put on weight recently.' If people can't understand you've put on five pounds, I don't want to deal with them."

Hathaway last year had to lose weight for her Prada role, telling reporters at a press conference in Venice that not eating that extra croissant was "a question of how much you're willing to commit."

The actress – who is transformed from frump to fabulous in both Prada and The Princess Diaries – jokes to Glamour that she's "the makeover queen of my generation."

"My entire film career's been dependent on my ability to look unattractive," she says.