The actress recalled her nerves as she faced Clooney, 63, for the first scene they shot together. "To other people, he’s capital-G George, you know?" she explained. “He works really hard to make you forget that and feel comfortable.” She admitted feeling “absolutely terrifying” pressure but was quickly put at ease by Clooney’s clever approach.
As they stood on set, Clooney leaned in with a surprising confession: "Do you get nervous on the first day? I get so nervous. Do you get insecure? I get really insecure." Kendrick immediately related, replying, “Yes, I do, George. I do. I totally get nervous. I totally get insecure.” It wasn’t until years later that she realized Clooney’s words were less about his own worries and more about making her feel supported. “He does not get nervous,” she said, laughing. “It was such a gift for him to say that…someone was going to hold space for my anxiety and be cool with that.”
Up in the Air went on to earn six Oscar nominations, including nods for Kendrick, Clooney, and Vera Farmiga. Reflecting on her experience working with Clooney, Kendrick mentioned that he would adjust his own performance to help other actors excel.
Kendrick, who has just made her directorial debut with the true-crime thriller Woman of the Hour, shared that directing and acting in the film was “like directing with a blindfold on.” Despite the challenges, she managed her role on both sides of the camera with resilience, grateful for the learning experiences she’d had early in her career.