Anna Kendrick Reveals Director Humiliated Her on Set, Calls It a “Power Move”

Anna Kendrick recently opened up about a tough experience with a director who humiliated her on set in front of about a hundred extras. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Kendrick shared that during a scene, the director asked her to improvise, only to abruptly call “cut” and criticize her efforts, calling them unnecessary. The incident left Kendrick feeling singled out, saying, “It really felt like a very specific power move thing to embarrass me, to gain dominance. It was very icky.”

Adding to her frustration, the scene she had improvised ended up featured in the film’s trailer. Kendrick didn't reveal the director or film but threw some shade, saying, “And then the thing that I improvised ended up in the trailer. So f*** you!”

In a positive turn, Kendrick recently made her directorial debut with Woman of the Hour, a 2023 crime thriller. Written by Ian McDonald, the film explores the chilling true story of Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who appeared on The Dating Game during his crime spree. Kendrick stars as Sheryl Bradshaw, a contestant on the show, while Daniel Zovatto plays Alcala. The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, and became available on Netflix on October 18, 2024.