Long before The Odyssey, Anne Hathaway voiced Princess Penelope in The Simpsons—a role that earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. The surprising career coincidence has resurfaced as the actress wins widespread praise for playing an entirely different Penelope in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster.

While the two characters share the same name, they could not be more different. One is a fairy tale princess from the long-running animated sitcom, while the other is the devoted wife of Odysseus in Homer's ancient epic.

The unexpected connection recently came to light during a The Odyssey cast interview, leading to one of the conversation's funniest moments and reminding fans of a little-known chapter in Hathaway's career.

During a quote-guessing game with the Nerdist in which the The Odyssey cast had to identify whether a line came from Homer Simpson or Homer's ancient epics, a surprising fact about Anne Hathaway's career was revealed. After Lupita Nyong'o correctly guessed The Simpsons, the host reminded Hathaway that the quote came from the very episode that earned her a Primetime Emmy Award.

"At least we know Anne doesn't sit around watching her old work all the time," Matt Damon joked after the reveal, drawing laughs from the rest of the group.

When asked who she had voiced in the Emmy-winning The Simpsons episode during a game with Nerdist, Hathaway revealed that it was Princess Penelope, prompting surprised reactions from the rest of the cast. Lupita Nyong'o could only respond with, "Really? Wow," as the group realized Hathaway had already played a Penelope years before joining Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

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Hathaway voiced Princess Penelope in The Simpsons Season 21 episode Once Upon a Time in Springfield, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for her "memorable" guest appearance.

Nearly 15 years later, Anne Hathaway has returned to the name Penelope in a role that could not be more different. Her portrayal of Odysseus' faithful wife has earned widespread acclaim, with critics and audiences praising the emotional depth, quiet resilience and warmth she brings to one of Greek mythology's most iconic characters.

The praise comes as The Odyssey continues its record-breaking theatrical run. According to Variety, Christopher Nolan's epic debuted with $264.1 million worldwide, including $124.5 million domestically and $139.6 million internationally, making it one of the biggest openings of the filmmaker's career following the historic success of Oppenheimer.

While one Penelope earned Hathaway an Emmy and the other is helping anchor one of the year's biggest cinematic events, the two performances have unexpectedly become connected. With The Odyssey breaking box office records and Hathaway earning widespread praise for her portrayal of Greek Mythology's one of the most fascinating characters, the coincidence has become an intriguing footnote in an already remarkable career.

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Do you think Anne Hathaway delivered one of the best performances in The Odyssey? Let us know in the comments!