Anna Kendrick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Kendrick
Kendrick at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Anna Cooke Kendrick (1985-08-09) August 9, 1985 (age 39) Portland, Maine, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1998–present
Awards	Full list
Signature

Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for playing fun and lovable characters in comedies and musicals. Anna has been nominated for big awards like an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Anna's first main role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society. For this, she was nominated for a Tony Award. She first appeared in a movie in the musical comedy Camp (2003). She also had a supporting role in The Twilight Saga movies (2008–2011).

She became even more well-known for the movie Up in the Air (2009). This role earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. She also starred in the popular Pitch Perfect film series (2012–2017).

Anna has starred in many other movies. These include comedies like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) and 50/50 (2011). She was also in the crime drama End of Watch (2012) and the musical Into the Woods (2014). Later, she appeared in thrillers like The Accountant (2016) and A Simple Favor (2018). She also played a lead role in the fantasy comedy Noelle (2019).

Since 2016, Anna has voiced the main character, Poppy, in the animated Trolls movies. In 2020, she starred in the comedy series Dummy. For this, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Anna also directed her first movie, the thriller Woman of the Hour (2023).

She has sung songs for her movies, including the hit single "Cups" in 2012. Anna has also performed at special events like the Kennedy Center Honors and the Academy Awards. Her book, Scrappy Little Nobody, was published in 2016.

Anna's Early Life

Anna Kendrick was born in Portland, Maine, on August 9, 1985. Her mother, Janice, was an accountant, and her father, William, was a history teacher. Anna started acting in local theater shows when she was six years old. Her older brother, Michael, is also an actor. Anna went to Deering High School.

Anna's Acting Career

Starting on Stage and Screen

Anna Kendrick at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Anna began her career at age 12 in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society. This role earned her a Theater World Award. She was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Later, in 2003, she had a supporting role in the musical A Little Night Music.

Her first movie was the musical Camp in 2003. She played a character named Fritzi Wagner. This role earned her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. In 2007, she played a smart high school debater in Rocket Science. She was nominated for another Independent Spirit Award for this role.

Rising to Fame with Twilight and Up in the Air

Anna became more famous in 2008 with the fantasy movie Twilight. This movie was a big hit. She played Jessica Stanley, a friend of the main character, Bella Swan. In 2009, she appeared in the comedy The Marc Pease Experience. She also had her first main role in the thriller Elsewhere. She played Jessica Stanley again in the Twilight sequel, New Moon.

Next, she starred with George Clooney in the movie Up in the Air (2009). Critics really liked her performance as a smart college graduate. They said she was amazing in every scene. This role led to nominations for many awards. These included the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and BAFTA Awards.

In 2010, Anna played Jessica Stanley again in Eclipse, the third Twilight movie. Later that year, she was in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This movie became a cult classic over time. In 2011, she appeared in the comedy-drama 50/50. She played a therapist helping a cancer patient. Later that year, she made her last appearance as Jessica Stanley in Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011).

Pitch Perfect and Musical Success

In 2012, Anna was part of the cast of What to Expect When You're Expecting. She also lent her voice to the animated film ParaNorman. She starred in the crime drama End of Watch and the thriller The Company You Keep.

Anna Kendrick at a fundraiser in March 2014

Anna's most successful movie in 2012 was the musical comedy Pitch Perfect. She played Beca Mitchell, a college student who joins an a cappella group. The movie was a huge success. Critics praised Anna's performance, saying she was "splendid."

In 2013, Anna was in the romantic comedy-drama Drinking Buddies. In January 2014, she had three films at the Sundance Film Festival. She played main roles in Happy Christmas and The Voices. She also had a supporting role in the comedy Life After Beth. Anna hosted Saturday Night Live in 2014.

In September 2014, Anna had two more films at the Toronto International Film Festival. She starred in the musical romance The Last Five Years. Critics loved her performance in this movie. She also had a supporting role in the drama Cake. Anna then played Cinderella in Disney's Into the Woods (2014). This musical movie was a big success.

In April 2015, Anna competed on the show Lip Sync Battle. She performed "Steal My Girl" and "Booty". She won the competition! In May 2015, she played Beca Mitchell again in Pitch Perfect 2. This movie was an even bigger hit than the first one.

Trolls and Recent Roles

Anna Kendrick at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2016, Anna starred in the action comedy Mr. Right. She also appeared in the comedy-drama The Hollars and the film Get a Job.

Also in 2016, Anna starred in the comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. She voiced Princess Poppy in the animated movie Trolls. She also co-starred in the action thriller The Accountant. Her book, Scrappy Little Nobody, was published in November 2016.

Anna starred in Table 19, released in 2017. She played Beca Mitchell one more time in Pitch Perfect 3, released in December 2017. In September 2018, she starred in the mystery-thriller A Simple Favor.

In 2019, Anna was in the comedy The Day Shall Come. She also played the main character in the Disney+ Christmas comedy Noelle. Anna voiced a character in the animated series Human Discoveries.

Anna returned as Poppy in the 2020 sequel Trolls World Tour. She also starred in the comedy series Dummy, where she was also a producer. For this role, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2020, Anna starred in the HBO Max romantic comedy series Love Life. She also produced this show. She then starred in the science-fiction thriller Stowaway (2021). More recently, she starred in Alice, Darling (2022) and Self Reliance (2023).

Anna's Personal Life

Anna Kendrick lives in Los Angeles.

Anna's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Music Videos

Theater Performances

Anna's Music

Singles

Other Certified Songs

See also

In Spanish: Anna Kendrick para niños