In the USA, her film "Woman of the Hour" has received much positive criticism, but Anna Kendrick has chosen not to take part in either praise or criticism.
I've heard that it's been good, but I don't read reviews. I'm way too sensitive for that, she says to TT from Los Angeles.
Anna Kendrick plays the lead role in "Woman of the Hour". The year is 1978 and Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick), who wants to become an actress, is selected for a dating program on TV. She falls for one of the three participating men, but soon discovers that there is something genuinely frightening about Rodney Alcala.
Her instinct is at least correct – he is namely a serial killer. Several other women have suspected him, but are not taken seriously by those around them.
"Was about to crack"
Anna Kendrick tells us that she has been tied to the project as an actress for several years. During those years, several different versions of the script were made and a lot of details were changed.
We had no start date, we had no money. Suddenly we got it, but we had no director. I was about to crack from the thought of someone else taking over and doing the role. So I pitched myself as a director and pieced together all the bits we had found over the years, she explains.
Kendrick had had a vague dream of directing – but hesitated to take the step because she would then make herself extra vulnerable to criticism from those around her.
If I were to do it, it had to be something I felt passionately about and that meant something to me. This is a story about women's vulnerability and about shame, how women are ashamed to survive.
"Animal instinct"
Directing herself was strange, she notes, but 20 years of experience in front of the camera had given her a decent idea of the job.
I knew what I wanted, and it would have been weird to direct another actor. Now I had one less thing to worry about.
Today's popular culture is teeming with serial killers. Why this fascination?
I think we have an animal instinct to want to look at the most dangerous people. And from there, make sure we protect ourselves.
It is unknown how many women the real-life Rodney Alcala murdered, but it is said that the number could be as high as 130. He was sentenced to death but died in prison in 2021.
Age: 39 years.
Lives: In Los Angeles.
Occupation: Director, actress.
Previous roles: The "Twilight" films, "Up in the air", "Scott Pilgrim vs the world", "End of watch", "Into the woods", "The accountant", "Trolls", "Pitch perfect" films.
Currently with: "Woman of the Hour", which she has directed and stars in. It has a Swedish cinema premiere on 8/11.
