Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick is an acclaimed American actress and singer, celebrated for her versatility in film and theater. Born on August 9, 1985, in Portland, Maine, Kendrick began her performing career at a young age, participating in community theater and eventually earning a Tony Award nomination for her role in the Broadway production of "High Society" at age twelve. Her film career gained momentum with notable performances in "Rocket Science" and the "Twilight" series, where her character was expanded due to her talent.
Kendrick's breakthrough came with her role in "Up in the Air" (2009), earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She is also recognized for her starring role in the "Pitch Perfect" franchise (2012-2017), where she showcased her singing abilities, particularly with the hit single "Cups." Throughout her career, Kendrick has been noted for portraying independent and articulate female characters in a range of genres, from musicals to dramas.
In addition to her film work, she made her directorial
On this Page
Subject Terms
Anna Kendrick
Actor
- Born: August 9, 1985
- Place of Birth: Portland, Maine
Anna Kendrick is an Academy Award–nominated actor who is best known for her performances in Up in the Air (2009) and Pitch Perfect and its sequels (2012–17).
Background
Anna Kendrick was born in Portland, Maine, on August 9, 1985, to Will Kendrick, a history teacher, and Jan Kendrick, an accountant. She has one older brother, Michael. Kendrick took dance lessons when she was young and started doing community theater at age six, participating in theater in Biddeford and Portland, Maine, during elementary school. In 1993 she was cast as the “littlest orphan” in the Maine State Music Theater production of Annie Warbucks. When she was ten years old, Kendrick’s parents brought her to New York City to see an agent, after which they began regularly traveling the three hundred miles from Portland to New York so that Kendrick could attend auditions.
In 1998 Kendrick landed a role in the Broadway production of High Society and, at twelve years old, was the only child to appear in the production. She received a Tony Award nomination for her performance and was the third youngest nominee ever for the award. Kendrick graduated from Deering High School in 2003, graduating early so that she could appear in a role at the New York City Opera. After graduation Kendrick moved to Los Angeles.
Career
Kendrick’s film career began in 1993 when she appeared in the movie Camp, about a group of kids at a summer camp for musical theater. In 2007 she landed a significant role in the movie Rocket Science, for which she played a star debater on a school debate team. The fast, articulate delivery of her lines impressed audiences and moviemakers alike. Thanks to her success in this role, director Catherine Hardwicke cast her as Jessica Stanley, friend to main character Bella Swan in Twilight in 2008. Over the course of the Twilight Saga movies, based on the books of the same name by Stephenie Meyer, the character’s role was expanded from the books because of Kendrick’s talent.
Director Jason Reitman, also impressed with Kendrick’s performance in Rocket Science, cast her as Natalie Keener in the movie Up in the Air in 2009. He later admitted that he had written the role specifically with her in mind. In the film George Clooney stars as a consultant hired to fire employees, and Kendrick plays a young coworker who introduces the idea of firing them by videoconference, thus putting Clooney’s job on the line. Kendrick received much praise for her acting alongside Clooney and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her performance. Kendrick received awards for best supporting actress for this role from the Austin Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review, and the Toronto Film Critics Association. Up in the Air also netted Kendrick a Rising Star Award from the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2010.
Kendrick reprised her role as Jessica Stanley in later Twilight Saga films—The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn–Part 1 (2011). In 2010 she also appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, an adaptation of the comic book series Scott Pilgrim. The following year she played a young therapist in the acclaimed comedy-drama 50/50, which tells the story of a man, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is struggling with a cancer diagnosis.
Kendrick appeared in several movies in 2012, including the comedy-drama What to Expect When You’re Expecting and the thriller End of Watch. She also lent her voice to the acclaimed animated movie ParaNorman (2012), for which she played the older sister of a boy who must save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Also in 2012 Kendrick used her notable singing skills to star in the film Pitch Perfect, a comedy about a college a cappella group. In 2013 Kendrick’s musical single “Cups,” a pop version of a song from the Pitch Perfect soundtrack, debuted at number forty-seven on Billboard’s On-Demand Songs chart and rose to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The summer of 2013 also saw the release of the low-budget comedy Drinking Buddies, which relied heavily on improvisation from Kendrick and her costars.
The year 2014 was a busy one for Kendrick, as she landed roles in films that varied from the crime-comedy The Voices to the comedy-drama Happy Christmas, the musical The Last Five Years, and the heavy drama Cake. While she returned to her role as Beca for the sequel Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), she also remained in demand for further versatile roles, including in John Krasinski's The Hollars (2016), the comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), and the comedy Table 19 (2017), the latter of which ultimately received mixed reviews. Meanwhile, as well as publishing a volume of autobiographical essays titled Scrappy Little Nobody, she had lent her voice to a character in the immensely popular animated film Trolls in 2016. After reprising her role as Beca once more for Pitch Perfect 3 (2017), she also appeared in A Simple Favor (2018) and The Day Shall Come (2019).
Kendrick reprised her voice role in two Trolls sequels, 2020’s Trolls World Tour and 2023’s Trolls Band Together. She also starred in the 2021 sci-fi film Stowaway and the 2022 drama Alice, Darling, about a woman in an abusive relationship. The true-crime film Woman of the Hour, which she starred in and also served as her directorial debut, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023.
Impact
Kendrick is known for playing independent, eloquent women in prominent roles. Having received Tony Award, Golden Globe Award, and Academy Award nominations before the age of thirty, Kendrick has proven adept at acting in musicals, comedies, and dramas.
Personal Life
In 2009 Kendrick began dating director Edgar Wright, whom she met on the set of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The couple broke up in 2013. She dated cinematographer Ben Richardson for some time.
Bibliography
"Anna Kendrick." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm0447695/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Collin, Robbie. “Anna Kendrick Is Coming Up for Air.” Telegraph, 18 Nov. 2011, www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/8896799/Anna-Kendrick-is-coming-up-for-air.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Green, Mary, and Michelle Tauber. “Up in the Air’s Anna Kendrick.” People 1 Mar. 2010: 119–20. Print.
Gruger, William. “‘Cups’ Is in Demand.” Billboard 2 Feb. 2013: 55. Print.
Karger, Dave. “The OSCAR Dance.” Entertainment Weekly 8 Jan. 2010: 28–33. Print.
Pollard, Alexandra. "Anna Kendrick on The Day Shall Come, Self-Doubt, and Why America Has Gone 'So Backwards.'" Independent, 7 Oct. 2019, www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/anna-kendrick-interview-the-day-shall-come-cast-release-date-twilight-sexism-a9142031.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Routhier, Ray. “‘Up in the Air’ Oscar Hopeful a Down-to-Earth Star.” Portland Press Herald, 31 Mar. 2010, www.pressherald.com/2010/03/07/up-in-the-air-oscar-hopeful-a-down-to-earth-star‗2010-03-06/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.