Kathryn Hahn Reveals the Unexpected Challenges of Playing Mother Gothel in Tangled

Kathryn Hahn is stepping into one of Disney’s most memorable villain roles, and this time she is adding singing, dancing and even climbing to her list of talents.

The 52-year-old actress will play Mother Gothel in Disney’s upcoming live-action Tangled. The role gives Hahn a chance to explore skills she has only recently begun showing on screen, particularly her singing.

Hahn first surprised audiences with her musical abilities as Agatha Harkness in Marvel’s WandaVision. Her character performed the catchy song “Agatha All Along,” which revealed that her seemingly friendly neighbor, Agnes, was actually a powerful witch.

Music became an even bigger part of Hahn’s role in the follow-up series Agatha All Along. She led her fellow witches in performances of “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road.” In 2024, Hahn and her castmates also performed the song live at Disney’s D23 event.

Despite her growing reputation as a singer, Hahn says professional singing was new territory for her before WandaVision. She jokingly describes herself as being particularly good at karaoke and says her favorite song to sing is Pat Benatar’s “Any Kind of Deadly.”

Now, Hahn is taking those skills into the world of musical theater on a much larger scale while rehearsing for Tangled in Spain.

“It feels like I’m in Fame right now,” Hahn told PEOPLE. “I’m rehearsing in Spain. I’ve been singing and dancing. It’s so fun. Never thought at this stage in the game that that’s what I would do.”

In Tangled, Hahn will play Mother Gothel, the woman who kidnaps baby Rapunzel after discovering that the girl’s magical golden hair can keep her young. Gothel raises Rapunzel in a secluded tower and convinces her that staying hidden is the safest choice.

The character has two major songs in Disney’s 2010 animated Tangled: “Mother Knows Best” and its darker reprise. Hahn will have the opportunity to put her own spin on both the character and her musical moments in the live-action adaptation.

Singing is not the only new challenge. Hahn is also working on her dancing, which she admits has required plenty of practice.

“Flexibility is a big one for me,” she said. “Grace, natural grace and agility doesn’t come very easily. So that’s been a real fun thing to figure out.”

Despite the challenges, Hahn appears to be enjoying the experience and the chance to take on a role unlike anything she expected at this point in her career.

“She’s such a fabulous part, Mother Gothel,” Hahn said. “It’s all things I never thought I would be able to say I did in my life.”

Disney’s live-action Tangled is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 31, 2028.