Anna Kendrick recently opened up about an unsettling experience she encountered during her career. While appearing on the October 28 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, taped live at the 92Y, the 39-year-old Pitch Perfect star recalled a moment when a director’s feedback left her feeling humiliated in front of a large group of extras.
Kendrick described the encounter when asked about the worst note she ever received from a director. “A director once told me in front of around 100 extras, ‘Hey, for the next take, just improvise something. Make it up,’” she shared.
Kendrick humorously responded to the situation, earning applause from the live audience
After following the director’s suggestion, she was met with criticism. “When the take ended, the director came over, again in front of everyone, and said, ‘Oof, let’s go back to the script!’” Kendrick recounted. She interpreted the moment as an intentional attempt to undermine her confidence. “It felt like a deliberate power move, as if the goal was to embarrass me and assert dominance. It was just really icky.”
Although she didn’t mention the film or director involved, Kendrick revealed that the improv she performed ended up in the movie’s trailer. “And the bit I improvised? It made it into the trailer. So, f— you!” she said, drawing applause from the live audience.
Kendrick recently took on both acting and directing roles in her debut film, Woman of the Hour, which tells the story of serial killer Rodney Alcala. In the movie, she plays Cheryl Bradshaw, a bachelorette on The Dating Game, who becomes wary of Alcala after their date.
In October, Kendrick told PEOPLE that juggling acting and directing was a challenging experience. “It felt like directing with a blindfold on,” she explained. “After performing a scene, I’d have to run to the monitor, review a brief 30-second clip, and hope there weren’t any surprises when it came time to edit.”
Despite encountering some unexpected challenges in post-production, Kendrick emphasized the importance of staying focused. “We had 24 days to shoot, and we had to work with the resources we had. So, we just kept pushing forward,” she concluded.
