Anne Hathaway Shares Touching Memories of Princess Diaries Director Garry Marshall

In a heartfelt Facebook post, actress Anne Hathaway reflected on her experience working with Garry Marshall, the director of the popular Princess Diaries movies, who passed away Tuesday.

Marshall gave the Oscar-winning actress her first big break 15 years ago, when she burst onto the scene as the bookish, klutzy Mia in the modern-day fairytale story. Under his direction, Hathaway transformed into a poised princess — and was catapulted into global stardom. But Hathaway says Marshall had a much more formative impact on her than just giving her acting career its start.

“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,'” Hathaway wrote. “That advice changed my life even more than the film did.”

As recently as March, Marshall stirred the hopes of Diaries fans by teasing a potential third movie with Hathaway. “I was with Anne Hathaway a couple weeks ago, it looks like we want to do Princess Diaries 3 in Manhattan,” he said to People magazine. “Anne Hathaway is very pregnant, so we have to wait until she has the baby and then I think we’re going to do it.”

That recent conversation makes the news of his passing even more emotional.

“Garry was goodness itself,” Hathaway wrote. “He was generous. He was kind beyond kind. He was thoughtful and sweet and so funny you would pee yourself a little. I met him when I was a child who thought she was a grown-up; he treated me with grace and patience and respect and always, always love.”

Hathaway’s note adds to the chorus of fond memories that celebrities have been sharing since his passing. You can read her full note below.