Opening this weekend is director Kirk Jonesâ What to Expect When Youâre Expecting. The star-studded ensemble comedy tells the intertwining story of five couples that are having very different experiences while expecting babies. The cast also includes Anna Kendrick, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jennifer Lopez, Rodrigo Santoro, Joe Manganiello, Chace Crawford, Matthew Morrison, Brooklyn Decker, Thomas Lennon, and Wendy McLendon-Covey. For more on the film, hereâs the trailer and a TV spot.At the recent Los Angeles press day I was able to speak with Anna Kendrick twice. The first time was a video interview alongside Chace Crawford (click here if you missed it), and the second time was a more in depth interview with just her. During our wide ranging conversation we talked about what she collects, how she made seven movies last year, what it was like to film What to Expect When You're Expecting with such a huge cast, upcoming films like Get a Job, End of Watch, and a lot more. Hit the jump for more.And if you missed the video interviews I did with the rest of the cast, here's Cameron Diaz with Matthew Morrison, Elizabeth Banks with Ben Falcone, and director Kirk Jones.Collider: So I guess the most important question is: How has the last 24 hours been for you?Anna Kendrick: Yeah, yesterday got weird. I started talking about a lot of inappropriate stuff that I wouldnât normally [talk about] for a film that I was trying to pretend that Iâm all classy [on], but it got inappropriate. It was great. I started talking about how I hate babies, it was weird (laughs).Iâm sure thatâs going to come back to bite you in the ass in either People Magazine or one of those weekly rags.Kendrick: Yeah. I thought thatâs sort of like saying youâre not a dog person, to me, in which case Iâm like âWho are you? Where are you from that youâre not a dog person.âSo you agree that youâre either a dog person or a cat person?Kendrick: Uuuh. . . I dunno. I donât have a problem with cats, I just want a dog.Sure, I think thereâs pros and cons to both animals. What kinds of things do you collect?Kendrick: This is a stupid one, but itâs like an OCD thing, itâs not as much something I enjoy. If I see a chapstick that Iâve never tried, I have to buy it. And then once that doorâs been opened, I have to check the whole store to see if there are more chapsticks that I donât have.So youâre very expensive as far as what you collect.Kendrick: Yeah, exactly (laughs).You drop real money.Kendrick: I have priceless collections of chapsticks.I have not heard the chapstick one.Kendrick: Yeah, itâs weird.Do you have a favorite flavor? Or a favorite company?Kendrick: I like Bertâs Bees. Their Pomegranate is really nice.And Iâm sure people will seek it out now. I want to open the door on the last year, it seems like when I look at IMDB you have been working a lot.Kendrick: Yeah, I made seven movies last year.I was gonna say.Kendrick: That was a mistake.Are you all of a sudden realizing âIâm going to have to promote all seven of these?âKendrick: (laughs) Yeah thatâs actually kind of scary, because the promoting is no fun. The making is always fun, the promoting is not so fun. I was also just really tired, I just over extended myself and I shanât be doing it again. But talking about all the movies and genuinely keeping them straight is gonna be tricky. Most people arenât going to be like me, asking about specific projects. Most people are there for the project at hand. Iâm of course the curve ball that ruins everything.Kendrick: (laughs) Youâre the worst.Yes, lets quote that one, âYouâre awful.â Did anyone say to you when you were making this many in a row, âwowâ? Or were you sort of like, âThese are all good rolesâ or âThese are all characters Iâve wanted to play, I really want to make thisâ?Kendrick: I think there was a certain point where several people went, âhey are you gonna die soon, or what are you trying to do to yourself?â But, for example, I was making a movie and the opportunity to do a very small role in a Robert Redford film came up, and obviously I just said âyeah, letâs figure it out, letâs make it work.â And it was not a simple task, but it was important to me to do that because, obviously, thatâs one of those things you want to be able to do in your lifetime. So, yeah, it was a lot of stuff like that where something would seem simple and straightforward and some really wonderful opportunity would fall in my lap and I had to try to figure out a way to get it done.I do want to ask a question about What to Expect: Is it cool being involved in a project where you have so many cast members, where youâre not working all the time? Or was your schedule the way the film was where you shot all your stuff in a short period of time and then you were done?Kendrick: Mine was a little spread out and there were a couple daysâmaybe actually four or five daysâwhere I was in Atlanta but wasnât working. So I just kinda got to hang out and explore during the day and then the âdudesâ group, Amir [Talai] and Tom [Lennon] and Rob [Huebel] and Chris Rock, would go out to dinner at night and Iâd get to go and hang out with these amazing, talented guys. So it was not too shabby for Anna. I just looked at that as âThis is fucking great, I get to hang out with Tom Lennon and Rob Huebal. . .âTheyâre all very funny people; when youâre out to dinner with them are they constantly trying to one-up each other or are they just shooting the shit about movies they like?Kendrick: Well I actually worked with Tom and Rob on âRalph-a-Paloozaâ and was sort of in awe just watching them do their thing. I think at first it sort of looks like theyâre on all the time or something, but then you just realize [theyâre] not even trying, [theyâre] just breathing funny all the time. So itâs madding in a sense, but it doesnât feel competitive and weird. If anything Iâd say thatâs more the unemployed, in-their-20s, actors set. That kind of Frat-boy, Jackass mentality. Jackass the show, not just jackassery. Theyâre very established and they know that theyâre good at what they do so theyâre not competing with each other, theyâre just being awesome and I am fortunate enough to get to witness some of it.When you land a role, or you know youâre going to play a character, are you the type of actor that likes to start breaking down the character as soon as possible?Kendrick: If itâs a long way off Iâll kind of delve into it semi-intensely when I first get it and get really excited about it and find a place where Iâm excited and enthusiastic and then put it away until itâs much, much closer. So kind of a combination of both, because I donât want to get burned out on it. I guess itâs like howâs youâll listen to your favorite song just until youâre almost getting sick of it, and then itâs so fun to rediscover after a couple of months.Whatâs the most research youâve done, or the most prepared youâve ever been, for a role?Kendrick: Well this was the first time that Iâve ever had lessons set up for me. Like cooking lessons, a bunch of them, as though we were training to be Iron Chefs or something. And then when we shot the scene they were like, âOh donât even worry about it, the camera canât see your hands.â So as far as specific research, next time Iâm going to find out specifically what weâre shooting. Iâm going to talk to the cinematographer first (laughs).I want to ask you about Get a Job, and a few of the other projects you have. Have you wrapped on Get a Job?Kendrick: Yes.And what was that experience like making that one?Kendrick: That was so fun. It was also the first time I got to play, like, a dirty stoner. She doesnât start out that way, but she sort of ends up that way, and let me tell you, I want to do that all the time. It was the best thing ever. The hairstylist told me not to wash my hair, so I got to run around being really dirty just having the excuse of âOh, this is for a role.â But that was so freeing and fun and I want to put it out in the universe that I would like to play more stoners.I know they filmed that in the valley and you had a nice little cast with that one.Kendrick: Yes, absolutely. Miles Teller, Nick Braun, Chris Mintz-Plasse, and Brandon T. Jackson were like The Four Musketeers. It was adorable to see; they were all so in love with each other, it was fantastic. Most of your scenes were with who?Kendrick: With Miles. I did work with Bryan Cranston, and the rehearsals for that were embarrassing because I kept forgetting that I was in the scene and would just be laughing along with the director. So Iâm sitting at this table rehearsing while the directorâs in the corner, but Iâm acting like Iâm just hanging out watching Bryan Cranston do this thing, like Iâm just the peanut gallery. Heâs kinda talented, heâs okay.Kendrick: Yeah, itâs insane. Heâs so fun to watch.Have you seen a screening or a cut of End of Watch?Kendrick: Yes, I saw a screening of it and it was very bizarre coming out of it because I realized it was the first thing Iâve ever done that was super intense and serious. I came out of [the screening] physically feeling ill because it was so intense, and I was so tense through the whole movie that my back hurt (laughs). So I was like, âis that good? Did we do a good job? Is that okay?â Because usually you come out of a movie and your like, âThat was fun, right everybody? That was a good movie, maybe?â And this was like, âI feel awful, thatâs good right?âSo what are you doing for the rest of the year?Kendrick: I donât know, which is great. I just moved so I have a mattress on the floor and thatâs it. So Iâm happy to just have a second.
Anna Kendrick Talks WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING, GET A JOB, END OF WATCH, and Her Desire to Play More Stoners
Anna Kendrick Talks WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING. Anna Kendrick talks about What to Expect, Get a Job, End of Watch and more.