Even if you had never heard of Anna Kendrick, after hearing INTO THE WOODS Director Rob Marshall gush about her talent you would want to see her portrayal of Cindrella, as well as any other piece of work she just might happen to be in.
He started our interview last week by saying, “It's easy to talk about Anna because I adore her. That voice is extraordinary and I think everybody in the cast looked up to her because of that. She comes from a very rich background with her Broadway experience as a child. To have that gift is amazing. The thing that surprised me the most about Anna is her range as an actor – the fact that she was able to open up with this piece and show such depth and vulnerability and agility and complexity.”
Rob said that Meryl Streep called Anna's role the most complex character in the film because of what she’s dealing with. Rob agrees that it took great internal depth and that although Anna is an Oscar nominated actor who has done enormous amount of beautiful work on film and on stage, but her role as Cinderella is an exposing thing as an actor, to be able to let the audience in. She lets us into this person who’s indecisive and not sure and wrestling with what she’s feeling. “It’s a very brave personal, beautiful performance and I'm very proud of it. Very proud of her.”
When asked about playing a “different kind of Cindrella” in INTO THE WOODS, Anna said “It’s funny because I think a lot of girls dream of playing Cinderella and a certain kind of girl dreams of playing Sondheim's Cinderella.” She said she is glad that some people are surprised by her but she is a Cinderella that has existed since about 1987 and so she didn’t have a sense of responsibility about it.
“I think that something that we do to ourselves as women, especially modern women, instead of trusting our instincts we have a tendency to feel a responsibility to weigh every option and look at things from every angle and ask our mom and ask our sister and ask our friends and we find ourselves in situations or committing to certain things that our gut is telling us is not going make us happy or is going be harder in the long run.”
That made it fun for Anna to play a character who is talking herself into and out of things and by then actually realizing what's important. “She is in a situation where an entire community has to come together and decide what’s really important to them then it becomes pretty easy to say goodbye to this guy who’s sort of a tool.” – – I love how Anna doesn't mince words and lays it all out on the line.
Anna was then asked about WHY she is doing musicals and she answered because they are MAKING musicals. “It's a grand time to be alive and working. I'm so grateful that Rob ushered in an age when people would make a movie musical. I do feel quite greedy at times, but it's only because I am worried that I’ll have this handful of opportunities and then since these things are cyclical and people get spooked – what if they stop making movie musicals? It’s not the plan to make them exclusively for the rest of my life, but they just mean so much to me and I love being a part of it while as long as anybody will let me.”
Said Rob, “It’s in your blood. Anna has it in her blood. You either have it or you don’t. What does Mama Rose say? You either have it or you ain’t.” Anna Kendrick definitely has it!
Like INTO THE WOODS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyIntoTheWoods
Follow INTO THE WOODS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intothewoods
INTO THE WOODS is rated PG and is now playing in theaters everywhere!
Kecia says
I have heard SO many good things about Into the Woods! And, I can’t see or hear about Anna without having “Cups” in my head 🙂
Chrystal @ YUM eating says
I am glad to know i am not the only one!
Dusty B says
These two were definitely fun and I loved watching his admiration for her and her talents 🙂
Christie says
Anna Kendrick is just beautiful in person! I loved her character in the movie too!
Tiffany (A Mom's Take) says
I just saw this and LOVED it. I also loving getting to know a little more about the director and Anna. Anna did such a great job in this film.
Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
I think I am going to see this tomorrow. It sounds like such a good movie.
MommaDJane says
I love Anna Kendrick. I was first introduced to her in the Twilight Saga that I watched with my teen. Then Pitch Perfect. She is also pretty hilarious on Twitter.
deb says
Anna sounds like such a lovely person. My daughter is really looking forward to seeing this movie.
Pam says
Anna was excellent in this movie. It was really, really good!
Jeanine says
I can’t wait to see this! Also, I love Anna. I think shes totally awesome, and I’m slightly jealous here! Hope to see this asap!
Shell says
This looks like a great movie. I can’t wait to see it! Very neat that you were able to do this.
Candy O says
Oh I can’t wait to watch this movie! I love movie musicals and Anna Kendrick!
Melanie S. says
It looks like a fun movie; I remember wanting to see the musical when I was younger, but no one would take me 🙂
Shannon Gosney says
I can’t wait to see this movie in the theater with our kids. That’s so awesome that you got to meet them and interview them in person!
Chrystal @ YUM eating says
I can’t wait to see this movie. But at the rate I have been seeing movies lately, I will most likely have to wait for DVD.
Beth@FrugalFroggie says
She was recently on WWHL. She was very funny. I can see how people can be drawn into her.
Kathleen Bunn says
I have got to get to the theater to see this movie. I have heard it is nothing but amazing!
Kristin says
I just took my kids to see this movie and we loved it! We adore Anna as an actress and she was fantastic.