Saturday, June 23, 2012

Anna Kendrick biography

Anna Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress. She rose to fame after her performance as Natalie Keener in Up in the Air, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her other work includes The Twilight Saga, Camp, Rocket Science, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 50/50, and the Broadway musical High Society.

Career

Kendrick "caught the [acting] bug" at the age of 10, when she caught a bus from Portland, Maine, to New York City so that she could attend auditions. Kendrick's first acting role was as Dinah in the Broadway musical High Society in August 1998 when she was 12 years old, a performance for which she earned Theatre World Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award nominations, making her the third-youngest Tony Award nominee.
Kendrick went on to appear in a number of other theater productions, including the musical A Little Night Music, before making her film debut in the 2003 musical comedy Camp, for which she was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 2004 Chlotrudis Awards and Best Debut Performance Independent Spirit Award for her portrayal of Fritzi Wagner.
In 2007, she appeared in her next film, Rocket Science, in which she portrayed Ginny Ryerson, a fast-talking high school debater. Although she says she found the role intimidating and challenging after watching an actual national collegiate championship debate, her performance was praised by critics and she was nominated for a 2007 Independent Spirit Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress.
In late 2007, she auditioned for the role of Jessica Stanley in Twilight, a 2008 film adapted from the first book of the novel series by Stephenie Meyer. She had intended to do a mix-and-match audition with various actors, but was too ill and had to leave; she was, however, brought in for a later session where she was given the role. Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg said that the characters Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory from the book were combined to create the role. Kendrick reprised her role as Jessica in the Twilight sequel, New Moon.
Kendrick's theater singing experience gave her the opportunity to star in her next project, 2009's The Marc Pease Experience, where she appears opposite Jason Schwartzman and Ben Stiller as a high school senior involved in musical theater.
She appeared in the 2009 films Elsewhere, in which she plays her first lead character, a girl whose best friend (played by Tania Raymonde) goes missing, and in director Jason Reitman's Up in the Air, based on Walter Kirn's 2001 novel of the same name, alongside George Clooney and Vera Farmiga. For her role in Up in the Air, the National Board of Review named her Best Supporting Actress and she has also picked up nominations from numerous critics awards and The Golden Globes and The Screen Actors Guild and the Academy Awards.
She reprised her role as Jessica Stanley in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg devised a graduation speech for her character that was not part of the novel. She appeared in Edgar Wright's adaptation of the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim, titled Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Kendrick played Stacey Pilgrim, the sister of the lead character.
In 2010, Kendrick appeared in LCD Soundsystem's music video "Pow Pow" as a "shape-shifter" who collects "the souls of wicked men". In October 2010, she attended the 2010 Top Glamour Awards in Mexico where she won for "Best International Actress".[citation needed]
In 2011, she starred in the dramatic comedy 50/50, alongside Joseph Gordon Levitt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Seth Rogen. She also reprised her role as Jessica Stanley in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.
In 2012, she played the part of Rosie in the screen adaptation of the consummate baby guide, What To Expect When You're Expecting.
It has been reported that in 2012 she will star opposite John Francis Daley in Rapturepalooza, that she has been cast in The Archivist, to be directed by Robin Wright, and that she will voice a character in the stop-motion animated feature, ParaNorman. She also will star in Pitch Perfect, where she plays a rebellious and goth-like college student who discovers her voice in her school’s female a cappella group and in a political thriller called The Company You Keep starring Shia LaBeouf.

Personal life

Kendrick was born in Portland, Maine, the daughter of Janice, an accountant, and William Kendrick, a history teacher. Kendrick and her older brother, actor Michael Cooke Kendrick, who appeared in the 2000 film Looking for an Echo, both attended Longfellow Elementary School, Lincoln Middle School and Deering High School in Portland Kendrick is of English, Irish, and Scottish descent.
As of 2009, she is in a relationship with director Edgar Wright, whom she met during the production of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Fun Facts

Younger sister of Michael Cooke Kendrick.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1998 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Musical) for "High Society." She was the second youngest nominee (after 1991's Tony winner in the same category, Daisy Eagan) in Tony history,

Close friends with Adam Lambert.

Says she is inspired by Parker Posey, Molly Shannon and Amy Poehler.

 

Filmography

 
Film
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Camp Fritzi Wagner Nominated: Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress, Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance
2007 Rocket Science Ginny Ryerson Nominated: Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress
2008 Twilight Jessica Stanley Nominated: People's Choice Award for Favorite Breakout Movie Actress
2009 Elsewhere Sarah
2009 The Marc Pease Experience Meg Brickman
2009 The Twilight Saga: New Moon Jessica Stanley Won: Teen Choice Award for Most Fanatic Fans (Shared with the Twilight Cast)
Nominated: Empire Award for Best Newcomer,
Teen Choice Award for Best Scene Stealer Female
2009 Up in the Air Natalie Keener Won: Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Glamour Woman of the Year Awards: Editors Special Award
Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress
Palm Springs Film Festival Rising Star Award
North Texas Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress,
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role,
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast,
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Denver Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Denver Film Critics Award for Best Acting Ensemble,
Detroit Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Detroit Film Critics Award for Best Breakthrough Performance,
Empire Award for Best Newcomer,
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture,
Irish Film and Television Academy Award for Best International Actress,
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress,
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture,
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role,
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress,
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Teen Choice Award for Best Scene Stealer Female,
Utah Film Critics Association Award for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role,
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress,
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Performance,
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2010 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Jessica Stanley
2010 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Stacey Pilgrim Nominated: Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble
2011 50/50 Katherine McKay
2011 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 Jessica Stanley
2012 What to Expect When You're Expecting Rosie
2012 ParaNorman Courtney Babcock (voice) Post-production
2012 End of Watch Janet Post-production
2012 Pitch Perfect Beca Post-production
2012 The Company You Keep Diana Post-prdouction
 
Television

Year Title Role Notes
2003 The Mayor Sadie Winterhalter television film
2007 Viva Laughlin Holly Episode: "What a Whale Wants"
2009 Fear Itself Shelby Episode: "The Spirit Box"
2012 Family Guy Nora (voice) Episode: "Internal Affairs"
Broadway Stage
Year Title Role Notes
1998 High Society Dinah Lord St. James Theatre (April 27, 1998–August 30, 1998)
Won: Theatre World Award for Featured Actress in a Musical
Nominated: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical,
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
2003 A Little Night Music Frederika New York City Opera
Music-Video
Year Title Artist
2010 Pow Pow LCD Soundsystem

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