It's no new news that Anna Kendrick had mostly slipped under the radar in Hollywood for nearly half her adult life. Before she stole all her scenes in both "Twilight" and "New Moon" and garnered an Oscar nomination for her role in "Up in the Air," Anna was the third youngest Tony nominee ever and made a name for her quirky humor in "Rocket Science."
But it's what's going on after her success that is what is interesting. Jason Reitman wrote the role of Natalie specifically for Anna in "Up in the Air" and, though she still auditioned for the role, it really was hers to start with. She admitted in a new interview with Reuters that she's been too caught up in "Up in the Air" and awards season to focus on work, but she is still deservedly receiving some A-list job opportunities.
Last summer, Anna was offered a role in an untitled Seth Rogen and James McAvoy comedy for Mandate Pictures, which starts shooting later this month. Mandate gave her the part without even an audition.
"I'm not a really good auditioner, so it took a lot of the load off me," she told Reuters.
It also should take a stressful load off her shoulders about whether she is a hot commodity in Hollywood. She was recently chosen chosen by Vanity Fair as one of the hot young actresses to keep an eye out for.
With so much buzz surrounding her now, it's hard not to see Anna feeling a little unloved by the "Twilight" crowd. Not only did they say she was the "Twilight" actor least likely to win an Oscar (choosing Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson over her, despite her Oscar buzz and now nomination), but her character Jessica Stanley doesn't have much shelf life beyond the third film, "Eclipse."
"I honestly feel like Jessica is one of those characters that if she wasn't in the movie, nobody would miss her," she said. "At the same time, I feel a certain affection for the films so if they ask me, I would love to. I don't have my fingers crossed either way."
She added, "I've been really lucky to not be defined completely by that series."
And yet, in spite of all that, I remember being at Comic-Con in 2008 when "Twilight" first debuted the entire cast and, despite the fact she was not on the panel, hearing a buzz around the exhibit hall floor that the girl who played Jessica was near the "Twilight" booth. Though Anna was not well known by mainstream audiences before "Twilight" and "Up in the Air," she was at least beloved by "Twi"-hards for just being a part of the film.
Would you miss Anna Kenrick if she didn't appear in "Breaking Dawn"?
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