Anna Kendrick Admits 'Alice, Darling' Role Felt 'Incredibly Cathartic,' Opens up on Tragic Past
"Pitch Perfect" star Anna Kendrick recalls a dark time in her life amidst her upcoming role as an emotionally-abused woman in "Alice, Darling".
Kendrick began her early career performing in theater productions and rose to prominence during her role as Jessica Stanley in "The Twilight Saga" and recently, as the lead role in the "Pitch Perfect" film franchise.
In an interview with People, the 37 year old actress opened up on a new role that stood out for her personally. Kendrick is set to star as the lead role in the thriller film "Alice, Darling", Mary Nighy's directorial debut.
Kendrick will be portraying an emotionally abused woman stuck in a relationship with her "successful" boyfriend Simon, who is portrayed by actor Charlie Carrick. In line with the film's theme, Kendrick opened up about a similar experience with a former romantic partner, who allegedly "emotionally and psychologically" abused her during their relationship.
"My body still believes that it was my fault," she recalled. "So even with this concrete jumping off point for me, to walk out of that relationship knowing that I wasn't crazy, it's incredible the way that recovery has been so challenging."
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The former partner remains unnamed in Kendrick's recount of the experience. The "Pitch Perfect" actress went on to share her initial feelings when director Nighy first discussed the role with her, and how this particular role stood out among her past work. She later on opened up about the troubling experience to director Nighy.
"Usually, it's just I read a good script and I like the people involved, and I make the movie," she says. "And it was really surprising timing that we found this script at that moment in my life. And in fact, I remember my first Zoom meeting with Mary Nighy, the director, disclosing to her what I was going through. And I even said to her, 'This all happened very recently."
Despite the trauma that Kendrick dealt with, she revealed that portraying her character felt "incredibly cathartic" amidst the surprising timing of the film in her life.
Anna Kendrick is set to star in "Alice, Darling" alongside Charlie Carrick, Wunmi Mosaku, Kaniehtiio Horn, and other cast members. The film will premiere internationally at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022.
