The Unspoken Truth Of Anna Kendrick
Whether you know her as Becca from "Pitch Perfect," Natalie from "Up in the Air," or simply recognize her voice from the "Trolls" franchise, Anna Kendrick has made waves both on screen and on stage.
As someone who prides herself on doing all her own singing, Kendrick grew up a Broadway baby before she even broke into the film industry. She has carried those talents with her through some of her works like the "Pitch Perfect" franchise or her on-screen musical performance of "The Last Five Years." Between indie action films like "Mr. Right," dramatic stints like "Alice, Darling," comedies like "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates," and cult classics like "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," Kendrick's filmography and acting talents cover all the bases.
However, though most people will recognize Kendrick and her starring and supporting roles — we're looking at you, "Twilight" — many people might not know how Kendrick got her start or some of the quirky facts about her chaotic life. Some of her hobbies, workplace rules, and other niche experiences have created the actress we know and love. Read on for the untold truth of Hollywood and Broadway darling Anna Kendrick.
Broadway baby
Anna Kendrick did not start out doing on-screen acting. Though she always enjoyed acting and began pursuing it at a young age, she started by auditioning for Broadway shows. She landed the role of Dinah Lord in the original Broadway cast of "High Society," based on the 1939 stage comedy "The Philadelphia Story" and the 1956 musical film adaptation, "High Society." The musical premiered on Broadway in 1998.
The plot follows an Oyster Bay socialite, Tracy Samantha Lord, who is planning a wedding to another high society member, George Kittredge. Her family comes to town for the wedding, including her mother, her Uncle Willy, and her grumpy little sister Dinah (Kendrick). When Tracy's ex-husband shows up to interrupt the proceedings, chaos ensues.
Kendrick's performance brought quirks, childlike humor, and a whole lot of sass. With a few key songs like "Throwing a Ball Tonight" sung with the rest of the family, "Little One" sung with her sister's ex-husband, and "I Love Paris" sung with her sister, Kendrick not only had a large amount of stage time, but plenty of opportunity to show off her pipes, too.
She had some early award nominations
Anna Kendrick's performance, while beautiful in its own right, earned a lot of critical acclaim, too. Though this is not unheard of for young actors, like Frankie Michaels winning a Tony at age 11 or Evanna Lien nominated for a Tony at age 8, it is certainly a feat to be proud of.
At just 12, Kendrick was nominated for outstanding featured actress in a musical for the Drama Desk Awards and won a Theatre World Award for the performance, too. However, where she really made waves was with her Tony Award nomination for best featured actress in a Musical. At the time, she was the second youngest Tony nominee in history, not only earning herself recognition for her acting efforts but making history as well.
In an interview with Backstage, Kendrick commented, though, that if she had to give her young self any advice within her career, she would tell her: "Stop procrastinating on learning the lines. You don't get good at memorization until you're older, so you have to really work on memorization now." However, it's clear Kendrick memorized her lines enough, as she earned much buzz around her talents following these award nominations and wins.
She wrote a memoir titled Scrappy Little Nobody
Whether the person has a great deal of life experiences to share or wants to write an expose on someone they worked with in the industry, most actors end up writing a memoir at some point or another. Some memoirs, like Jeanette McCurdy's "I'm Glad My Mom Died," pack a heavy punch with intense content that makes you empathize with the unsuitable conditions the actor faced, whereas others, like Anna Kendrick's "Scrappy Little Nobody" have an unparalleled sense of charm and witty humor.
"Scrappy Little Nobody" debuted in 2016 and features personal essays from Kendrick about every stage of her life. From her Broadway Baby days to the glitz and glam of the red carpet, Kendrick documents many of her personal experiences and feelings while coming to fame. Her honesty and charm have been a clear part of her personality from the moment she stepped into the public eye, but her candid discussions of her costars, drug use, orgasms, and more introduce you to Kendrick's more private side and make you feel like you're conversing with a friend. To coincide with the book, Kendrick released the audiobook version with her own voice reading the book, making it feel all the more personal.
She went from Reddit tutorials to a Billboard chart topper
When "Pitch Perfect" premiered, it took the world by storm. The film instantly was a hit, with viewers of all ages enjoying the a capella versions of some of their favorite songs. However, none such song created a cultural reset the way Anna Kendrick's version of the 1931 Carter Family song, "When I'm Gone," played on a plastic cup. It was as if everyone who watched the movie tried to learn the tutorial of the cups to sing the song, just like Kendrick did. People made clever spins on the original routine and generally latched on to the song as it made its way from the screen to the radio.
However, if you watched a "Cups" tutorial, you might not be much different from Kendrick. Prior to the film, Kendrick actually learned the song via Reddit tutorial from a musical duo called Lulu and the Lampshades. Once she mastered the hand choreography while singing, Kendrick's "Cups (When I'm Gone)" played on the radio with an extended version and added instrumentals. The song, just like the choreography, took off and ended up in the No. 6 slot on the Billboard Hot 100. The song stayed on the charts for about 44 weeks.
Ginny in Rocket Science launched her career
Anna Kendrick has had many crucial roles in her career, and though it was not her first role (see "Camp"), her stint as Ginny in the 2007 indie comedy film "Rocket Science" is what led Kendrick to one of her most notable roles and an Oscar nomination.
Kendrick played Ginny, a gorgeous classmate of the protagonist who gets him to join the school's debate team. Kendrick's usual charm and wit are ever present in this role, and it led director Jason Reitman to fall in love with her as an actor. Though she was in "Twilight" at the same time, Reitman assures his fans that it was "Rocket Science" that made him want Kendrick for "Up in the Air," the 2009 comedy/drama that received much attention and acclaim.
Reitman, in an interview with MTV, said that he saw Kendrick as a standout voice from her generation. "She oddly talks like someone from the 1940s, and she's so witty and smart and sharp, and I needed a girl who could go toe-to-toe with George Clooney, and she was the one," Reitman said. He even went as far as to say he wrote the role with her in mind. Kendrick's proof was in the pudding, though, as she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
She was in a Funny Or Die video
Many celebrities have appeared on the hit comedy channel Funny Or Die, participating in parody songs, sketches, and more. Because of the notoriety of the channel — see stars like Nina Dobrev, Billy Crystal, and more — it's unsurprising that Anna Kendrick also appeared in a Funny Or Die video. Back in April 2013, Kendrick teamed up with D'Arcy Carden and K-pop group F(x) for "Anna Kendrick Goes K-Pop with F(x)."
In the video, Kendrick realizes she needs to win over the K-pop fans if she ever really wants to make it big in the industry, so she heads to Seoul to work with F(x) on improving her game. Between struggling to dance, not being able to master singing in a different language, and not quite loving the makeup and hair, Kendrick certainly struggles. However, as the video goes on, she begins to get the hang of things and even comes up with a move for F(x) to do. The video is adorable and showcases Kendrick's willingness to participate in silly projects for the sake of a good bit.
The Great Kendrick Bake-Off
Anna Kendrick is a woman of many talents if you weren't already aware. Between acting, singing, dancing, writing, and more, there is not much she can't do. In the film, "What to Expect When You're Expecting," Kendrick plays a food truck cook. What most people don't know, though, is that she is an avid baker and a lover of all things sweet. Once, in between shoots, Kendrick spent two weeks working at a pastry shop to hone her skills further and find the enjoyment of baking.
Though her on-screen role was a cook, she feels cooking in real life isn't precise enough for her. Part of why she loves to bake so much is because she loves the way it makes her brain feel. She is not without her baking trials and tribulations, though. In an interview with Food & Wine, Kendrick said, "I take on projects that are more hands-on, like crème brûlée, although I burned myself pretty badly the first time I used a blowtorch. My biggest baking disaster was profiteroles. I couldn't get the pastry to puff up without falling or burning, and I was running around my kitchen panicking."
Anna Kendrick has a hot dog named after her
Anna Kendrick, in addition to her love of baking, is a self-proclaimed avid foodie. Between sweets, craft beer, and Taco Bell, Kendrick's taste buds span the spectrum. However, no foodie can beat the feeling of when the foodie has a particular dish named after them in a restaurant; that is truly the ultimate dream. Kendrick not only had this experience — as a surprise, might we add — but also got to try the dish too.
In 2012, while on a trip to Chicago, Kendrick tweeted: "Just had a hot dog called the "Anna Kendrick" at Hot Doug's in Chicago. My mouth is still burning. Awesome awesome awesome!!" The Anna Kendrick, though now unavailable because Hot Doug's closed in 2014, was a traditional Chicago dog packed to the brim with toppings. Obviously, the hot dog got Kendrick's glowing endorsement, which is truly the only critic who matters when the hot dog is named after her. Although Hot Doug's always changed the Anna Kendrick to different actors' names. Before Kendrick, it was Keira Knightley, and it was changed after Kendrick's time on the menu was through.
She uses a body double
Anna Kendrick has been in countless projects that fall within many different genres. Though many of her films feature comedic scenes, some have more romantic or intense content that might require some compromising scenarios. However, though many actors participate in nudity within their projects, Kendrick has made it clear that nude scenes are not anywhere on the horizon for her career.
For example, Kendrick's HBO Max series "Love Life" features many sex scenes and romantic scenarios. Though Kendrick believes sex scenes are fine, the nudity part is not her bag. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Kendrick explained that she isn't interested in nudity, which hasn't changed no matter what project she signs onto. "I've never had a problem with simulated sex scenes — that feels like it's about the character, whereas I only get one body, so nudity is more about me," Kendrick said in the interview. For this particular series, she was partnered with many people for intimate scenes, which was a new experience for her, but still OK — sans nudity. It's important to note that Kendrick doesn't judge others who participate in nude scenes, but she prefers not to strip on screen. If nudity is required, she will certainly use a body double.
She won Lip Sync Battle
By now, most people are familiar with the popular competition show, "Lip Sync Battle," where famous figures compete against one another for the bragging rights of the best lip sync performance to a song of their choice. Though Tom Holland and Zendaya's lip sync battle is arguably the most well-known, a firm contender is Anna Kendrick versus actor John Krasinski, who went head to head in 2019 on the show.
Krasinski's "Proud Mary" packed a heavy punch — complete with a full costume change into a silver flapper dress, excellent dance moves, and nearly perfect lip syncing. However, Kendrick came to win with her performance of Jennifer Lopez's "Booty," where she donned a sexy black jumpsuit, brilliantly synced backup dancers, face for days, and enough personality to bring the whole house down. She even brought out Lopez to seal the deal and ensure she had the most show-stopping performance. Kendrick's efforts were not in vain, as her theatrics helped her take home the title of "Lip Sync Battle" winner.
She's obsessed with The Strokes
Something interesting for fans of people in the music industry is hearing about what other artists and genres those musicians enjoy. For Anna Kendrick, she has a wide range of tastes. It can range from songs like "Cups (When I'm Gone)" to Jennifer Lopez's "Booty" to indie hits from bands like The Strokes. In fact, Kendrick is so obsessed with The Strokes that she not only saw them in concert but fully camped out for tickets when they came to her hometown of Portland, Maine.
In an interview with Time Out Dubai, Kendrick was asked if she was ever a fangirl. In response, she talked about how she camped out for tickets when The Strokes came to her hometown. "I was in the front row, just staring Julian Casablancas down like a weirdo. The one time our eyes met I thought I was gonna explode," Kendrick said. Though it might not be exactly the band you would think she'd fangirl over, Kendrick's wide range of music tastes makes her fans expect the unexpected.
Real experience influenced Alice, Darling
One of Anna Kendrick's best performances and most poignant performances comes from her role as Alice in "Alice, Darling." The film follows Alice, who is pushed to the brink of emotional ruin by her psychologically abusive partner, Simon (Charlie Carrick). As a result, she goes on vacation with her two best friends and rediscovers her sense of self while gaining perspective on how Simon impacts her life. As Simon continues to push her and enact vengeance, Alice is put through trials and tribulations to make it out alive.
Though most films that deal with heavy topics like this require a lot of research or emotional abuse coordinators, Kendrick revealed that she actually had real-life experiences that shaped how she approached the character. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kendrick talked about how often people can't discern emotional abuse from physical abuse because one is technically more tangible than the other. However, Kendrick talked about how, because of her own experience in an abusive relationship, she was able to dive deeper into the character and find an intense need to create this film and show people that this experience is real, valid, and worthy of seeking help. "I said that I love that it really relied on Alice's experience rather than cataloging evidence of the behavior from Simon. Wunmi (Mosaku, Kendrick's co-star) said, 'But Anna, you're the evidence,'" Kendrick told the Times.
She's charitable
If there's one thing Anna Kendrick isn't, it's shy. She is never shy about performing or sharing her opinions. Part of that comes from standing up for causes she believes in, which, unsurprisingly, she does plenty of as well. She has publicly supported charities like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the American Cancer Society. However, one of her charitable acts struck close to home.
In 2016, Kendrick funded 31 classroom projects in schools all over Maine, her hometown state, through the online education charity DonorsChoose.org. There were 74 requests for project funding in Maine Schools, and Kendrick contributed to fulfilling them. Each project financially ranged from a few hundred dollars to over $2,000. Between field trips and 3D printers, the projects greatly ranged. There was never a clear explanation for why Kendrick funded the projects she did. However, she likely wanted to assist her home state of Maine in educating its youth, as she is very involved in other charities that help children.