Yahoo Movies Anna Kendrick explains career change for new Netflix movie
Anna Kendrick headed behind the camera on new Netflix movie Woman of the Hour to make her directorial debut, and it was a career change that led to an unexpected benefit making the thriller.
The new movie is based on the stranger-than-fiction true story about serial killer Rodney Alcala who, in the middle of his killing spree, appeared on The Dating Game and matched with aspiring actor Cheryl Bradshaw.
Kendrick pulled double duty for Woman of the Hour, starring as Cheryl as well as directing. But it wasn't something she was as concerned about as others thought she might be.
"I think a lot of people wanted me to be more worried about acting and directing at the same time which is understandable as it's a pretty tricky thing," she told Digital Spy ahead of the movie's Netflix release on Friday (October 18).
Related: Anna Kendrick fought for Woman of the Hour's bold opening
"I guess I did just feel like, 'Well I've been acting my whole life, I definitely feel confident that I'll be able to pull this off. The directing part is a question mark, but the acting part I'm not worried about.'
"If anything I really had that feeling of like, 'Well hey, at least the lead actress and the director are gonna show up and be on the same page every day'."
Woman of the Hour has a tricky tonal balance between the surreal events of a serial killer appearing on a dating show, while also highlighting Alcala's horrific crimes and the danger he posed to Cheryl and other women.
For Kendrick, the fact that she was starring as Cheryl as well meant that she could be more confident that the tone was working.
Related: First trailer for Woman of the Hour
"Honestly, I think I would have been very nervous about having to explain to someone else how to act in these scenes because in my head it was so specific and I knew exactly how I wanted it," she explained.
"From the really intense dramatic moments to when I'm in the casting office at the beginning and they call my name, I was like, 'Oh I think I'm gonna pop my head back in this very silly physical comedy way'.
"If it was a different actress and I was having to sort of convince her to do that, I might have felt very silly and just like, 'Yeah, never mind, that's fine. You don't have to do it. That's weird.'"
Kendrick also spoke to Digital Spy about fighting for the dark opening scene of Woman of the Hour, which she admitted was "kind of ballsy".
Woman of the Hour is released on Netflix on October 18.
You Might Also Like
