Anne Hathaway is looking for love.
The Oscar winner is one of over a dozen stars appearing in Amazon's upcoming eight-episode romantic comedy anthology series, joining the likes of Tina Fey, John Slattery, Andy Garcia, Catherine Keener, Dev Patel and Sofia Boutella.
Inspired by true stories about real-life people published in the popular New York Times column of the same name, the series explores love in all of its complicated and beautiful forms as each standalone episode brings some of the most beloved stories to life. The writers of the articles, which have also turned into podcast episodes, are being compensated financially.
Rounding out the ensemble cast are Gary Carr, Olivia Cooke, Brandon Victor Dixon, John Gallagher Jr., Julia Garner, Cristin Milioti, Andrew Scott and Shea Whigham.
Each episode focuses on a different story of love, varying from the romantic kind to sibling love to a familial love. In Hathaway and Carr's installment, the episode is titled "Take Me As I Am," and follows a woman, Lexi (Hathaway as a redhead) who is trying to accept that she is bipolar while trying to find love. Hathaway's character is inspired by Maniac author Terri Cheney's real-life journey. Carr plays Lexi's love interest, Jeff.
"All of us have to learn that we're worth loving. I imagine having bipolar disorder is a huge challenge," Hathaway said at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Saturday. "She talks about that. She talks about just needing one person... But giving her that space, being patient, being compassionate and being a true loving person changes everything for her."
"It wrecked me for a month afterwards," she said later of playing her character. "I couldn't find my equilibrium. It was not lost on me that it was a choice I had... I had expanded my compassion for people who don't have a choice in the matter."
For Hathaway, who is pregnant with her second child with husband Adam Schulman, Modern Love was the perfect situation creatively and logistically.
"This felt less like a television episode and more of a short film, so I was showing up for an eight-day film shoot," she said. "I love romantic stories and I don't see them in the cineplexes as much now. We know the ins and outs of romantic films so well, and at the moment, I'm not sure that this three-act structure [in the movies] works as well as it did 20 years ago."
Milioti plays a character who gets pregnant unexpectedly and finds a connection with someone she least expects. "The only person who is there for her is the doorman of her building," Milioti said. "It's friendship and then father-daughter, and then another love with her daughter."
John Carney, who was behind Once and Sing Street, serves as writer, director and executive producer. Sharon Horgan, Tom Hall and Emmy Rossum also directed episodes. Horgan directed the Fey-Slattery episode, which she also penned. Hall also wrote his episode and Rossum will direct an episode written by the late Audrey Wells.
Todd Hoffman executive produces alongside Carney, and Trish Hofmann serves as co-executive producer. Sam Dolnick and Choire Sicha of the New York Times also serve as executive producers and Modern Love column editor Daniel Jones serves as consulting producer.
Watch the official trailer for Modern Love below.
Modern Love premieres Friday, Oct. 18 on Amazon Prime Video.
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