WTF with Marc Maron Podcast - Episode 531 - Anna Kendrick

Episode Date: September 7, 2014

When Anna Kendrick was 10 years old, she convinced her parents to drive her from their home in Maine to New York City for auditions. That decision has paid off with a pair of huge award nominations, roles opposite some of the world's biggest movie stars and a multi-platinum hit song. Anna and Marc talk about the many highlights of her young career and why she's always worried that none of it is real. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The city's visionaries are turning heads around the globe across all sectors each and every day. They embody Calgary's DNA. A city that's innovative, inclusive, and creative. And they're helping put Calgary and our innovation ecosystem on the map as a place where people come to solve some of the world's greatest challenges. Calgary's on the right path forward. Take a closer look at how at calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com. Lock the gates! Alright, let's do this.

How are you, what the fuckers? What the fuck buddies? What the fucking ears? What the fuck sticks? What the fuck nuggets? Yeah, got it in. Let's close with what the fuck nuggets today. How would that be?

Hi, I'm Mark Maron. This is WTF. Thank you for joining me. Always a pleasure to have you here. Always happy to be in your head through your ear holes. Anna Kendrick is here today. The lovely Anna Kendrick is here. And I do get a little starstruck sometimes, folks.

I do. And I did. But I tried to handle it. All right? You'll see. You'll see. A couple of things that I want to promote, if I could. I'll be at the New York Comedy Festival at the Skirball Center on the NYU campus,

which is the entirety of Lower Manhattan. But I'll be there at the Skirball Center November 7th. We added a second show. The first one is sold out. So if you're in New York and you want to see me and you want to make the drive, I believe it's going to be a good show. I'm feeling strong about it because I haven't been to New York in a few years, a couple of years since I've done a major stand up event there. And I'm going to be working on it.

So if you can't be in New York and you want to see me work out some stuff, I'll be at the Trippany House at the Steve Allen Theater, September 16th, 23rd and 30th and October 14th and 21st. Be doing that stuff. I'm also doing some oddball dates. Look, you can go get all this information at WTFpod and look at the calendar section. But that's what's happening. I haven't talked to you since Joan Rivers passed away. And I didn't know Joan that well, but I think she was one of the greatest real comedians that ever lived, and I am so glad that over the last few years,

she was so appreciated by so many people. I mean, she's been around a long time. She had an amazing career resurgence, and I was privileged enough to do her talk show In Bed with Joan Rivers. I was in bed with Joan Rivers. And we had a great time. And she was a great lady and really a great, great stand-up comedian. And it's sad. And I feel like she had a long life.

And I know that there's some investigation going on about what happened at the hospital. But she did have a good long life. And she did do some amazing work and she will be missed. And that's what I have to say about it. It's interesting because I do this show and when people pass away, they want me to say something and I don't know what to say. It was horrible with Robin. But thank God I had that interview to share with you guys, and I was glad I had that. But I didn't really know Joan, and all I can say is that I thought she was an amazing comedian and a real force in nature. And it's just sad. I don't know that sometimes there's this media feeding frenzy.

Sometimes there's this media feeding frenzy. There's a fine line between a tribute and an exploitation of a sad event. And it all happens so quickly. And I just do what I can here. And I share my feelings here. We lost a great comedian in Joan Rivers. And that's how I feel about it. And I'm glad she had a good long life. And I'm glad that people appreciated her and she will be missed.

So anyways, I want to thank the people of Nevada City for coming out to the show. I did two shows with Nick Thune up at the Nevada City Film Festival and I'd never been to Nevada City and as some of you know, I think I've kind of talked about this before, anytime I go out of town to a place that seems reasonable and quiet and off the grid a little bit, I think, Jesus, why am I not living here?

Why can't I be a farmer? It's sort of an interesting town. I was only there for a day. But apparently it was like the center of the gold rush clusterfuck in northern california and there's just uh there's pieces of equipment there are these giant water cannons and and rock crushers that are from the turn of the century or whenever that happened god forbid i do a little research but this was it this is this is where all those lunatic prospectors just went to just destroy the mountains and find the nuggets. I imagine it determined a lot of the foundation of our monetary standard at that time.

In my mind, what happened there was they just extracted all the gold they could and entered that into the economic ecosystem and was part of the great definer of the American monetary system. That's how I'm going to frame it in my head because it seems to work for the analogy I want to make. Now, apparently, the big money-making business up in that part of the woods is weed. A lot of weed growers growing the legal weed, growing the prescription medicine weed, but weed's big business up in the hills around Nevada City to the point where, from what I understand, it's almost picking season and people come from around the world to be

pickers. I get the feeling it's sort of like a stoner summer camp thing that just a bunch of kids from all around the world are going to go pick weed. But it's sort of interesting to me that at one time they were mining gold out of those hills and that becomes sort of the foundation of american capitalism and now they're growing weed to ease us through the inevitable decline of what we've grown to know as the american uh economic system hey things aren't working out all the gold is gone but how about some weed so anna kendrick will be here shortly, and I adore her. And you'll probably hear that. I don't hide that well, nor do I try to. But I'll tell you something.

She's in this movie, Happy Christmas, which is a Joe Swanberg movie. It's in some theaters still, and it's also on demand and on iTunes. And I'll tell you, I saw it, and he went out of his way to shoot this film on 60 millimeter film, which I hadn't even seen in a long time. Do you remember the last time you saw an indie film shot on film? I mean, maybe I don't notice it,

but I would think I would. But I was very impressed with the spirit of the movie. I was fortunate enough, I was up in, and I'll talk to Anna about this a bit, but I was up in San Francisco and I went to a I went to a screening and the screening before the one I went to he was talking on Skype and he was a lovely guy and he had a lot of um a lot of thoughts about why he does the films he does I'd never seen a Joe Swanberg movie and Happy Christmas was the first one I'd seen and it was he does all improvised films and since then I watched his movie Drinking Buddies.

And I think there's a real honesty to his work. And I think he's a great filmmaker. I've not really seen the work of a filmmaker that intimate and with that kind of feeling. And the fact that he did this film improvised, which means it was outlined and shot on film, I mean, it just raises the stakes a little bit. I mean, all these actors had to know, you know, that they, you know, with video, you can just shoot take after take after take and that the moments get

lost. And they, a lot of times I think you're seeing something that might be over rehearsed. Usually you're hopefully seeing the best moment, but who knows? And it really looked different. It was really refreshing to me to see something shot on on on film and knowing that the stakes were were heightened a little bit and it's it's also kind of wild to me that you know just how many expectations one brings to a film from being pummeled their entire life by mainstream films you know there there are moments in the film where i'm thinking like something menacing is going to happen and and it doesn't it's just the emotional ebb and flow of these characters and I'm always a little sort of fucked up when when my brain works like that because even when I was just in Nevada City I was

I was put up in a small cabin and because I see too many movies there was no fucking way I was going to be able to sleep in a cabin by a creek in a lovely little town that used to be a prospector town God knows what kind of murders and horrible things went on there. God knows who's wandering the hills. God knows if one of those dreadlocked lunatics that I gave stink eye to at Ike's. I don't know what's going to happen. And I'm not an old man like that. But you never know what's inside of people.

And you never know when a ghost is just going to come and ruin your life. Got to be careful. Ghosts will do that. So, all right. So, again, I was nervous. I don't know why I get nervous. People are just people. But Anna Kendrick is a special person.

And I was thrilled that she came by the garage. So, let's talk to her now. Calgary is an opportunity-rich rich city home to innovators, dreamers, disruptors, and problem solvers. The city's visionaries are turning heads around the globe across all sectors each and every day. They embody Calgary's DNA, a city that's innovative, inclusive, and creative. And they're helping put Calgary and our innovation ecosystem on the map as a place where people come to solve some of the world's greatest challenges. Calgary's on the right path forward. Take a closer look at CalgaryEconomicDevelopment.com. It's a night for the whole family. Be a part of Kids Night when the Toronto Rock take on the

Colorado Mammoth at a special 5 p.m. start time on Saturday, March 9th at First Ontario Centre in Hamilton. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will get a Dan Dawson bobblehead courtesy of Backley Construction. Punch your ticket to Kids Night on Saturday, March 9th at 5 p.m. in Rock City at torontorock.com. Ow. What did you do for a workout? I went to one of those classes for, you know, it's like ballet based, but it's just pain.

It's just like searing behind the eyes pain. Ballet based. Yeah. It like makes you question like, do I want to be in shape in shape yeah is this necessary is it that important yeah i mean because right now my body is telling me to stop my body is telling me that i'm gonna murder this instructor and her whole family i'm young what do i need this for i get that a lot the i'm gonna kill you i hate you uh instructor thing like that and it's always the best instructors he's great i'm like i want him to die i want that guy to die yeah but it's ballet like what do you go do a is it a special thing what is it i mean i don't really

know it might the ballet thing might be like kind of a gimmick it's just the usual stuff you know like lift your leg all right until it hurts until you want to kill me yoga ish yeah yeah and where did you do you know ballet um i mean i danced when i was a little kid but i was never good no no and yeah i mean it was like i grew up in maine and so the um we didn't we didn't have like a a huge dance scene um i don't i don't want to i don't mean to like put down modern dance in maine there's not a no i mean actually there there there i shouldn't say there's like there are people in maine who are excellent dancers and there are people who take it really seriously. And I was just not very good.

Right. There's people that take dance seriously everywhere. I went and saw a serious dancing. When was the last time you went to a modern dancing? I went to see something at BAM. Yeah? Oh, in Brooklyn? Yeah.

That was really good. It's wild, isn't it? Yeah. I get emotional about it. Oh, no. Dance is everything to me. If I could do anything, like if you could like magically, you know, do you ever, has anybody ever asked you like if you could be the best in the world at something but no

one could ever know about it? A secret best in the world thing? For sure, mine would be dancing. Because it's so like emotional and beautiful and expressive and like to be able to express yourself. I mean, that's all we ever do is like I just want to be able to express what's going on inside of me. And dancers can do that. Pure.

And their body's their instrument. Exactly. It's so pure. It's pure. It's so pure. Because we express, like expressing myself through comedy, that's just an exercise in hostility and repressed anger. And in hiding things.

It's like a trick. Yeah. In acting, you kind of can inhabit someone else. But dancing. But it's still through someone else and it's sort of within like all the machinations of the of of filmmaking and what that means and dancing is just sort of like oh we're here yeah i'm just doing it i cry every time i see it i cry at musicals though yeah i mean i i enjoy crying in any darkened theater really for any

reason yeah it might not have anything to do with the movie. No. But there's something about dance and about people singing that just kills me. Yeah. And it shouldn't. I mean, like even if it's a happy song, if there's many people singing it and they're moving around on a stage and it's happy, I'm like, oh God, how are they so open? I don't know.

How do they just do that? I think secretly I just want to dance and sing. Why can't open? I don't know. How do they just do that? I think secretly I just want to dance and sing. Why can't I? I don't know. Can you sing? Yeah, I can sing okay. Yeah? Yeah, I do it sometimes.

All right. But it's very frightening. It's horrifying to me. Oh, oh, oh. You mean like publicly? Yeah. I've done it. I feel okay about it.

And I feel like once I got through that initial fear, I feel pretty good about it because I can sing okay, but horrifying why is that I go up there and I I'm not I don't know why I'm asking you but maybe you can give me some well I'm not you know I don't I don't you know you can you can sing you do I but I don't I don't like sing publicly and I certainly don't uh I have I have sung publicly a couple of times in the last couple of years but um sort of like i sang at the kennedy center for the shirley mclean um was getting her kennedy center honors i sang in that um but that was but again totally big gig totally it was amazing we go nuts i i wanted to throw up it was i was so scared and i was with like broadway veterans in my like group you know honoring shirley mclean um and uh and we were all like shit scared we were

backstage like because we learned it all in like 24 hours what was the song um it's my song was it's not where you start it's where you finish um and this was a song she had sung yes yes so um so that wasn't exactly like me expressing something inside of myself and saying like i want you to see who i am and like does the audience accept me like that was not going on you know so that was mostly just like hey like you know i hope your voice sounds good yeah get through it we're gonna get through this don't don't try anything fancy that you haven't done in rehearsal don't get don't get that like hyped up audience thing where you try something and regret it later i'm gonna riff yeah i'm just gonna scat for a while i'm just to go up on that note this time.

I think it's a separate thing. Yeah. Like your fear of. It's a vulnerability. Yes, exactly. Like I think like anything else, if you get comfortable singing, it's not as risky. Like there's something very embarrassing about singing badly or singing out of key. You know, it's hard to come back from.

Yeah. That's sort of how I feel about anything athletic, though. I think they're not a dissimilar feeling. I could see that. Like where it's not exactly like expressive per se, but I just feel like, oh, I'm just like, I just don't deserve to be on this earth. I can't throw. I should die.

I'm terrible. I'm a bad person but um but you did get scared who were the veterans you were with um sutton foster patina miller um uh karen olivo um these are all broadway people yes it's so weird how much i don't know that was always a thing for you You have a tremendous amount of respect for Broadway? Yeah, I think later in the evening I had some tipsy, drunken, tearful thing with Sutton where I was like, you inspire me so much. I'm just foolish. But is that how you started becoming interested in acting? I mean, was stage acting? Yeah, when I was very young, yeah, absolutely. You took to stage stuff? Yes. Like in Portland, Maine?

Yeah. You know, I know Maine. Oh, yeah? I do. I started my comedy career in Boston. I used to do one-nighters all over Maine. Really? I once drove from Boston to Machias, Maine.

Okay. Do you even know where that is? I do. That's fucking nuts. Yeah. To do a college gig opening for a hypnotist. That is the furthest point east in the United States, driving up that coastline to where things get weird and the gene pool gets tighter. And it's like trippy, man. It's a

beautiful state, but well-traveled. I have done it. I know Portland. Yeah, you've been everywhere, huh? Not everywhere, but I did a lot of weird gigs out there. But I have been a lot of places. But Maine, like Portland, that's a real city it's nice yeah no Portland was amazing I mean I I realized the more of the country that I see the more I realized that I'm really lucky that I grew up in in Portland because uh I just assumed that a greater population automatically translated to more of an art scene more you know kind of sometimes the opposite yeah yeah um because Portland's like 65,000 people. Right.

Or it was when I lived there anyway. Really? I'm sure it's more now. Wow. But I've been to places. You know, I won't name names or anything. But I've been to places that. Or have, I've been really depressed being there.

And I just, I'm like looking at. I just, I'm like, I thought this was like a big city. Well, the weird thing about art scenes is sometimes even if it's in a bigger city, like certain types of creative communities just feel like they're, they're, they're, they're marginalized. So it's not like this thriving art scene. It's a bunch of angry people in a weird theater going like, fuck, no one's coming to our show. How many siblings you got?

I got an older brother who actually works at BAM. Oh really? In Brooklyn? That's a, that's a cool place. Yeah. How'd you grow up? I got an older brother who actually works at BAM. Oh, really? In Brooklyn? That's a cool place. Yeah. How'd you grow up? What were your folks doing? My mom is an accountant and my dad was a history teacher.

History teacher? Mm-hmm. At your school? Well, he was a substitute teacher and he would kind of get like long-term gigs when teachers would go on sabbatical and stuff. Right. So he was sort of all over the place. Like occasionally-

Freelance teacher. I think maybe twice he actually taught a class that I was in. Which was, you know, understandably weird. But that was like kind of short term substitute teaching situations. But he taught French for a year at the all girls school in our area. Can you speak French? I could in high school. I was pretty good.

But man, it just disappears. If you don't work that muscle, it's just. So you grew up with like fairly, well, I don't know accounting, but you know, that's a little specific, but I always picture that if someone has a teacher as a parent, that they're at least open-minded and you know, history teacher and supportive. Oh yeah. No, they were, I mean, my, my parents were very, very supportive, um, and very supportive and very artistic and opened me up to a lot of stuff. My mom is more into the visual arts, which I could never get a handle on. Yeah, I mean, I can't even draw a stick figure. It's really awful.

But are you able to appreciate it? Oh, yeah. I mean, and she. Does she draw? Yeah, yeah, she draws and she paints. But my dad was more into theater and stuff, very into the Irish drama of the world. Really? Yeah.

I mean, we saw a McDonough play, Beauty Queen of Lenon, when I was 12, and we just, like, it was actually kind of amazing because my mother watched me and my dad and my brother just laugh hysterically at Beauty Queen of Lanon. And she was like, you guys are fucking sick. You are disgusting. Is he Irish? Yeah. He is? They're sort of heavy people. Yeah, exactly. Like Irish poetry and Irish theater, it's like, ugh.

But on the other side of that, they seem to know how to have a good time. Yeah. No, very, I think, very into dark humor and finding humor and, like, gallows humor. Yeah, it's been rough for them over there. Yeah. You know, it's a very beautiful place, but it's been hard.

Yeah, exactly. I just noticed your what the fuck... Ring? Ring. Who fashioned that for you? Some dude. Oh. A fan.

A fan? Yeah. You get jewelry from fans? I get all kinds of shit from fans. Do you get stuff like that? Come on, you get stuff. I get some stuff, yeah. Yeah, I can't even imagine the stuff you get.

Okay, okay. There's no way of shit. There's no way of telling this story that doesn't make me sound like a dick, but whatever. You can be a dick. Yeah, okay. Okay, so, and I promise you, like, on paper, this is the craziest thing I've gotten or thing that has happened. It was my birthday recently, and a couple of people managed to get my home address. They can just do that.

Because once it's on the internet, it's impossible to kind of get rid of it. So a couple people for my birthday, and it was, they include in the message, like, I'm sorry if this is an invasion of privacy. It's like, well, it is. It is. they include in the message like i'm sorry if this is an invasion of privacy it's like well it is it is and if you would have just sent it through the appropriate channels it would have been a lot sweeter and less creepy but anyway so what happened a couple people sent things and you know like a teddy bear and you know stuff like that and and i and i and i sort of just on principle you sent it to my home and it's not appropriate and i and i just kind of get rid of it and and and i'm and i don't even want to give it to like a friend or you know like to it because because you never know if there's anthrax in the teddy bear i don't know like yeah and and no

there's probably not but it's just it just goes in the trash you know it's too weird to like to be like oh well you know i'll just give it to a child my friend has a baby like i'm sure he'd love this teddy bear no no i'm you know i don't want to be. Like I'm sure he'd love this teddy bear. No, no. I'm saying, you know, I don't want to be wasteful, but it goes in the trash. And, um, and I got one, uh, that was like a long letter about how he really felt like we should be together. And, um, if he, if I would just give him a chance and, and he didn't want to do it over social media because he thought that that would pressure me because it would be public. Right, right. Sure, but sending something to my house. He wants to do it right.

Yeah, exactly. Wants to be a gentleman. And he sent me a pair of diamond earrings. Get the fuck out of here. For real ones? For real diamond earrings. Okay, but I... You went and checked.

I did go and check. Right. I was just like, these have to go in the trash. Like, I can't... I cannot... I cannot wear them. I can't like, these have to go in the trash. Like, I can't, I cannot, I cannot wear them. I can't give them to someone. It's too weird. Like these, on principle, if the teddy bear goes in the trash, these go in the trash.

So you had to throw away the dung ear. So I had to throw, yeah. So if you send it to my house, it's going, it's going in the trash. Go through the appropriate channels where it can go through the proper security vetting. And we can test the teddy bears for anthrax and they'll make their way to Anna.

Also, also, Did that guy stop bothering you? Also, I mean, I have, I didn't,

I don't like to look too much into it. If something becomes a problem, I have had like people, you know, look, you know,

I've hired someone to investigate someone, you know, because this one guy was getting really psycho. Yeah. But, but mostly i just don't think about it and that's been fine so far so until that changes that well you're one of those people because of but can you imagine if i kept the earrings and then i'd have to like marry this guy no of course there would be no other way yeah you'd have to you'd have to you'd have to go on say fallon or something go like hey

i'm wearing the earrings. I haven't heard from you yet. You know where I live. Come on, don't be a pussy now. Oh, God. No, it's tricky because you're one of those type of actresses that has a vulnerability and you seem kind of accessible and you're kind of quirky.

So I'm sure there's just like you know a ton of guys it's just like oh she's like so perfect for me like just it's funny you say that because i have had a number of guys when i was with like a gentleman um come up to me and say um oh uh just so you know you're like on my list of like five people, you know, because my girlfriend and I have like the five people that we could sleep with, whatever. Oh, really? Yeah. If that came up?

Like if I was, you know, and I just kind of like, oh, what a coincidence. Glad to make the list. But it's funny because at first it feels like kind of very flattering that I, you know, but at the same time, I feel like no one would go up to Jessica Biel and say that. Like you say that to like Ellen Page because she seems like sweet and accessible and lovely. And you feel like, oh, she'll like laugh and think that this is cute. Well, I'll be honest with you. like laugh and think that this is cute cute well i'll be honest with you i saw jessica beale recently on a plane and i was you know i i couldn't ever talk to her at all no no no no i met her very very briefly and i was just like how is it how do you how are you doing that yeah whatever

you like just sitting there how are you just sitting there like you do it was fucking crazy it's like magic it's like black magic it's some weird birth thing like they're they're these people that are born into the world and you see them on the street and you're like and you're like oh thank you that i got to see you today that's right it's like seeing some rare animal you're like oh there's one be very quiet don't don't get don't distract her and we'll be able to watch her for a little longer. But yeah, I could see Ellen in you. And like, there's a, like Janine's like that. You know, Janine has like, when I'd work with Garofalo, you know, you just get these flocks of dudes.

And oddly, they don't look threatening because they don't look like they get out much, a lot of them. They're like, hey, what's good? I just want to, you know, and it's endearing. But, you know, you never know when one of them is going to. Right. You never know which one is crazy. But also the fact that that list thing, I mean, that's also basically saying, yeah, fuck you. If you're into it.

Are you into it? I have thought about you in the shower. At least once. This morning. I'm kind of mad I did because I didn't think I'd run into you. What am I doing? So I'm kind of done for today. But tomorrow.

So I'm kind of done for today, but tomorrow... But, all right, so you're that girl for a lot of people. Sweet. Mission accomplished. Yeah, you did it. All right, so you're growing up in Portland, and how does the first break come? Are you a good student? Because you started very young acting, so did you... Yeah, I like a i was like a pretty good student like kind of a's and

b's situation i wasn't like you know when you got a dad as a teacher you're either gonna go either way either you're gonna fuck it all up or at least do pretty yeah yeah you did pretty yeah i did pretty yeah um and uh i started i mean i did like community theater when I was little. Like how little though? Because it seems like you were like insanely young. I did, I think I did my first play. I did Annie. I was one of the orphans when I was like six.

Right. Where? In Portland? In Portland. Yeah. I mean, you know, real like local productions of stuff. Real productions. Yeah.

Yeah. And then I did like a couple more kind of regional theater things. And then I auditioned for some stuff on, on Broadway when I was like 10. So your parents are swiping you down in New York. Yeah. Yeah. I mean,

I think they were like the way that I've come to think of it is that they were sort of bewildered, but supportive. So they, way that i've come to think of it is that they were sort of bewildered but supportive um so they uh they were like into it and helpful and and they and they like would drive me down for auditions and um and at first people that my like you know this agent that was like a children's agent that was willing to to take me on um like wanted to send me up for commercials and stuff and oh man was i bad at that really just when you were a kid like you know looking back on it i'm kind of amazed that i that i didn't just go like yeah okay you want me to stand here and be like l'oreal kid

shampoo is the greatest sparkles whatever i was like why would i be this excited about you're already thinking like an actor can you give me some direction is there some way to get me excited no and casting directors would like when you would be

I don't know if you've done like a lot of commercial auditions but like when you're in like a group of like six you know well for me kids you wouldn't be in a group of six kids

you know when you're in a group of six kids and they're like Mark please stop coming in this L'Oreal shampoo is for kids it's for children i know but i should have a right ages yeah yeah exactly um so uh i would be like in a group of of six kids and they would specifically like call me out for being they'd be like anna can you know look down at their little card of who's in the room like anna can you be like a you be like a little more, a little more excited and a little more happy?

And I would kind of just try to do it. But I was like, what the fuck is going on? I'm sorry. I cannot get behind this shampoo. But I mean, it wasn't like out of some sense of superiority or anything. I just was like, well, how can they do this? How can they like just be on? And I can't.

You weren't cut out for that. No. You're lucky in a way. So I stopped going to commercial auditions and only auditioned for like musicals because I, at that age, like, you know, one thing, you know, there were some girls who could be really excited about shampoo and I could like fill a room with sound. And I don't mean that to be like 12 year old, like retroactive bragging, but for such a small person,

I had a pretty big voice. You could belt it out. Yeah. So mostly then we stopped coming like, you know, six hours to audition for some commercial, like, and we would only come down for,

Broadway stuff. For like, for Broadway musical stuff or national tours and stuff like that. I wasn't like only Broadway for me. Right. But just anything with singing. Cause wasn't like only Broadway for me. Right. But just anything with singing because I felt like, oh, I actually have a shot. Right. You know.

And also I imagine your mom was like, you go in for those commercials, you're like in and out in like two minutes. Exactly. And you just drove six hours. Exactly. And then it's sort of like, well, you want to get lunch in the city? Yeah. But exactly like that.

Yeah. Exactly. You know, my parents worked full time. And so eventually my brother and I would go together. And he was 14 and I was 12. And we would take Greyhound buses. And what was the first gig? The first gig was High Society, which was on Broadway.

And how old were you? I was 12. And that was huge, right? Yeah. I mean, it was huge for me. The show only ran like six months um but i was nominated for tony award so that was obviously like enormous for me that was it yeah all eyes on you yeah i mean at the time like i still didn't really understand what

the fuck was happening like if i like if if i did a show at this age and was nominated for 20 i would like weep and it'd be amazing whereas at the time i was like awesome somebody thought i did a good job it's amazing can i do it again now but like now when you i don't know if you have this but like if you want a job and like all you want to do is just like get the job book the job and then you get it and then the new fear sets in of oh what if i'm not good and you know like getting the job feels like the challenge and then you get it and then the whole new like wave of anxiety sets in of like oh i'm i'm gonna be bad in it and maybe like i i was like they only hired me they couldn't get so and so and

you know you still go through that oh yeah and um and and also now the pressure's on because you know you're you're a known thing. So you're actually competing against yourself in a weird way. Yeah. Like one hit wonder sort of thing. Well, just sort of like, you know, you have, but I think you seem to be someone who is very in control and understands your talent. But it's surprising to me that you still, you feel like you're actually getting something by default.

Because I know that happens, but I wouldn't think it would happen to you. Oh, yeah. I mean, like. Have you heard stories where it's sort of like that was originally offered to? Well, I think people are very careful to make sure that that kind of information doesn't get around. They're trying to protect you. Yeah. Don't fuck with her confidence.

Yeah. She's doing so well. You have a team of people to protect you from yourself and knowing these things i'm but but but some people and some people's teams are like they have a different relationship and they're very open about like oh you know they offered it to so and so you blew it and then she got it yeah and and and then like oh well they didn't want it so actually they're gonna offer it to you and i'm like that i would be like I would just curl up in a ball in my trailer and not be able to do it. I'd be like, they wanted fucking whoever. You couldn't stop picturing that person doing it, how they would do it, how their choice would handle it.

I end up like doing some weird Jessica Biel impression. I'm studying tape of her. Like they wanted her. I think that, I think that, you know, I don't, I'm not in the same game as are but like there's that idea that well what it was offered to so-and-so and they took it and then like yeah oh that that type of insecurity where you actually are like well maybe i can be better like they are like maybe maybe yeah it's horrible so you go from the tonys and then like do you like i don't know the exact uh of your career, but I mean, what happens between the Tonys and Up in the Air? I did a couple more, like, sort of workshops for, like, new Broadway shows, which is, as it turned out, was a mistake because at that age, you would just outgrow it by the time it went to stage.

You would just outgrow it by the time it went to stage. But the bottom line was, is that because of the Tony nomination and your performance, you were integrated into that community as a force to be reckoned with at the age you were at. Yeah, yeah. And you got opportunities to learn. Exactly, exactly. So I was also like, I had plenty of time in between. I had like a totally normal high school experience.

Yeah. Oh, because, okay. I mean mean like i would go to the city to audition for stuff but like you know you had regular friends yeah and you you had uh you know driving around with boys and that kind of sure yeah yeah you were yeah no boys really liked flat-chested theater nerds let me tell you so basically you're attracting the same men now that you were in high school. Yeah. Yeah. Good. I think also part of it is truly I was sort of terrified of boys growing up. So you were really kind of nerdy.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I don't, I mean, yeah, well, I wasn't like, I wasn't like socially comfortable. Yeah. That's for sure. I mean, I don't want to be like, I don't want to say I'm nerdy for cred. I'm not going to let you. Okay, great.

I will question your nerd credibility. But you were a theater girl. And that's its own thing. Yeah. So in high school, you were singing and dancing. And you were hanging out with guys who were confused. Yeah. And that was its own world i like the people i talked to that that come from that i think it's it's sort of sweet because it is its own community and they

there is a sort of interest around expressing yourself i think there's a real gift to the theater nerd life in high school yeah as opposed to you know competing on the the big social field of you know where people get just brutalized at least if you're a theater nerd and the jocks and the bros and the cheerleaders mock you, you can at least seek strength in the other fragile people who are working on the production. And like with any group of people in any town,

you know, there's like, there would be jerks on the football team and nice guys on the football team. I don't know. I didn't fucking know them. Was there much theater football crossover? No. The one guy?

No, no. None, right? None. And similarly, there were some really amazing people in our theater program who challenged me and were interesting. And there were some jerks and some idiots. Challenged you how? were some jerks and some like idiots and you know challenged you how well our drama we had a drama um coach who like did our um uh who like directed the school plays and stuff and then there was a drama teacher for like a course in the in our school and the drama teacher was really nice

and great and the drama coach um hated me and didn't cast me in anything he hated you she hated me oh really and you know that um yeah i mean i think at the at well she were you too talented like she sort of cursed at me a lot like she i mean she was really kind of unkind was she bitter i it's it's she's still there is that why you're protecting i don't know i have no idea where she is because i find that interesting that like but i think they're like she used to like say crazy stuff like she used to be like well i would have been a broadway actress if i hadn't had kids and she would like say it in front of her kids and it was like what the fuck she was completely bitter i guess yeah what do you mean guess at that like that sentence in itself so there was a competitive thing like because like it's those kind of adults that fuck people up for life kind

it felt like that a little bit like at the time at I was like, no, no, she's just not casting me because there are people who are better. I'm just not getting in. She doesn't want to put me in the play. This is after you did Broadway. Yeah. And we're nominated for Tony, so you represented. I think she was very good at whatever that domineering teacher thing is that's that makes you think like oh well she knows the she knows best and okay like and then she like would dole out like a little bit of

encouragement and it would just keep you high for like a week and then she would you know swammy so she's a horrible mean person that's what she was she's just like sir here you go you're doing great like you but like even now for me to look back on it and like if somebody told me that that had happened to someone else, I'd be like, oh, that person was just being like a bitch. And but for me, there's still part of my brain that that's like, no, like she. Oh, good. She's still in there rattling around. Yeah, I would I would keep an eye on that part of your brain. OK.

OK. That's that's the part of your brain that'll get you into a really bad relationship and stay in it for a long time. Yeah. And so then I ended up, I graduated from high school early so that I could go to New York. Did you have a high school boyfriend? No. I had a high school crush, like a big, fat, stupid crush, like all-consuming crush. With a theater guy?

He was kind of a theater guy was he a loner guy yeah kind of a you know yeah and i was like i think that would that is a theme that has that has followed me around which is like that people who are um quiet and boring to me is like oh he's tortured and beautiful and Yeah. Yeah. And that followed me around for a while. I think I got rid of that, but that's been a fun theme for me. You like guys that talk now? Yeah. Yeah.

Big fan of verbal communication. But graduated and went to New York to do A Little Night Music at New York City Opera. Now, did you see this as that was, you were okay with the idea or maybe gunning for the life of a stage actress? Mm-hmm. Yeah. That was what you wanted. Yeah.

I mean, all I ever wanted was to make a living. As an actress. Yeah. In whatever form that took. And for a long time, and once i moved to la i was like oh like if i could just like get on a show like then i would like really you know like be um like on like a crime procedural where maybe i got to make a joke once really like that would be like okay because like i just wanted to do the job oh yeah and then like also keep the lights on

did you study? Did you go to college or did you? No, I started, I mean, I started when I was 12 and I had like a handful of bad experiences with acting coaches that I went to and stuff. What kind of bad experiences? Just where I just felt like this is about you showing me what you would do.

And I think there are, I'm sure that there are acting programs and acting coaches who are incredible and giving and open. And I happen to have like three in a row that were just like showing me like what they would do. Because you seem to have this amazing natural talent.

I mean, if you can do song and dance already, that's like, you know, an entire two years of acting school you don't need. You know, like if you can do it, what do you need to take movement class for? I don't know school you don't need. You know, like if you can do it, what do you need to take movement class for? I don't know. I mean, part of me is curious.

Like what would it be like to take a movement class? Like what do they learn? I don't know. Like would you? I mean, but then part of me just thinks it's just getting to do it. Like I've learned so much because I've gotten to work. Like I learn by working.

It's not like I've been learning like sitting in've gotten to work like i learn by working it's not like i've been learning like sitting in front of my computer on reddit like i don't you know right you only learn by doing it and you know and so if you're not working then yeah get in a class right because you're just like figuring it out so you're in new york and you're doing stage work so that tony was really the tony nomination was huge. Yeah. I mean, that changed the whole game. Well, yeah. I mean, but then, of course, there was like a period where, you know, I think going through puberty and stuff, I was like, oh, okay. So do I, am I like still auditioning for like children's parts?

Because I was so small my whole life. Right. Am I still like auditioning for children's parts, especially on stage? You can get away with, you know, playing children. Yeah. Or am I supposed to be like the ingenue? Right. because I was so small my whole life. Am I still like auditioning for children's parts, especially on stage, you can get away with, you know, playing children. Or am I supposed to be like the ingenue? Right. And I mean, in a little night music,

I was playing a 13 year old. I was 17, but I was playing a 13 year old. That's right. You were going to have Judy Garland's career. You're going to play a famous child and then be a cabaret singer for the rest of your life. So there was part of me that was worried about like just being like, like you know daisy egan won a tony when she was like 10 years old and um and she i think is like still working but

there was a long period where she kind of couldn't get arrested right like what are you going to do with this child phenomenon exactly once she can't be cast as a kid so i was like oh i'm like a 14 year old has been and you know that was all that was fun um and what changed it um well it wasn't like it certainly wasn't like a like a one event that i can point to like i after little night music i did a pilot that's what got me to la i auditioned for i oh i had done i had done this movie camp that was like directed by a theater guy and was had all musical theater kids in it and um this casting director had seen that and i was in la he had me auditioned for rocket science and i did rocket science and that movie nobody saw that movie but filmmakers saw that

movie right so uh i got up in the air based on that really was written on rocket based on that on rocket science yeah yeah a movie that nobody saw but like jonathan levine who directed 50 50 jace white man wrote up in the air for me after um after seeing rocket science like it's you know it's it's just funny the way that people are like so so then you did up in the air and of course like there was there was stuff like it's like a funny chain of events. I think so often, like, you don't understand the opportunity when you're in it. Yes. And then, and you look back on it and you're like, holy crap.

That was totally crazy. Well, when you got it, did you feel ready? I mean, were you like, okay, here we go. I mean, I can do this. Oh, no, I thought it was a mistake. I thought, I legit, no, no, no. When I got the job, like, cause my agents were like, we think you're going to get an offer like on Monday.

And I was like, guys, you were not in that room with me. It did not go well. But I thought he wrote it for you. But he didn't, but I didn't know that. Okay. Like, so I thought he didn't like me. I was like, okay, thank you very much. Like, thank you for the opportunity and come in and read for you.

Whatever. I was like, okay, great. You know, driving home from Santa Monica. Like, well, that sucked. Yeah. And, and. The long ride after the bad audition. So I was like, what?

Yeah, exactly. Like traffic. So brutal. Doing it again in your head. Like, oh, I should have. Oh, God, why didn't I play it more? Fuck. But like the entire time I was just sort of waiting for them to be like, here's the thing.

Yeah. It's not going well. Hey, you know, they really liked you, that weird tone. Yeah. They thought you did a great audition. Yeah. So what was the call? Well, they just told me, they said on a Friday, they were like, we think you're going to get

an offer on Monday. Like, told me, like, they said, like, on a Friday, they were like, we think you're going to get an offer on Monday. They, like, heard through channels. And I was like, I don't think you're correct. Yeah. And when your agent calls you and tells you you're probably going to get an offer, you're getting an offer. Right. But I was like, no, like, don't tell me that.

It's not going to happen. And then they called me and said, like, yeah, it's happening. So then, like, but, you know, the first, like, week, I was just like, what am I doing? Like. George Clooney. This is crazy. And George was so nice. Did he call you after they.

No, I didn't meet him until we were on set together. But there was the first thing that we shot together. We were standing. We're doing kind of a walk and talk. And we were standing waiting to go. And he was do you get nervous i get nervous i was like oh my god like that was like the smallest the smallest thing but just like opened up my whole world you know he's a pro yeah total pro like i mean he probably did that he probably does that for everybody when he can tell that like they're like what am i doing here like i mean he probably did that he probably does that for everybody when he can tell that like they're like what am i doing here like i don't belong here like just a couple words from

him and you're like oh my god he's a person and i'm a person we're the same yeah there's a because like he knows that i mean not in a an arrogant way but he knows that he makes people nervous what the george clooney like he knows that you've got to be standing there going like, that's fucking George Clooney right there. But your performance in that was so amazing. When you work with somebody like him, who I think is an amazing movie star and an amazing actor, how else did he make you comfortable?

What did you learn from that dynamic? As opposed to working with the people you work with. I think looking back on it, I think there were times that he could tell that I was like in my head overthinking. And, um, there was a, uh, there was a day when I was really in my head about a scene that we were about to do. And he was like throwing Nerf footballs around and like intentionally kind of hitting me and stuff like, which at the time I was genuinely like, bro'm like trying to get you know i'm gonna get in the scene and stuff but you know it was like you need to like snap out of it a little bit and then there was a day when i we were shooting uh the scene where um i'm sitting

across from the computer screen i'm firing a guy over the computer screen for the first time it's like an older guy right i remember that scene and um And, and George was sitting next to me and he sat there next to me all day. Like I, cause I couldn't move. I was like stuck to, it was like such a complicated, heavy scene. And they were like moving camera equipment and stuff.

And I like just was sitting there and he sat next to me, like kind of just like feeling me out and like he would do the scene with me like at one point i was like oh can you run lines with me and he just like immediately did the scene with me and and i didn't realize until later like you know he's like a fucking movie star he could have just fucked off and right you know called his trailer yeah gone to his trailer gone like you know called his agent, let alone like run a scene with me that he's not even in. I mean, he's there, but he, you know, he ran the other guy's lines with me. Oh, really? You know, like, so that kind of like generosity was it, you know, it's something I think about all the time. Like, if he can be that generous, like, everybody should be able to do that. Right that's that's amazing uh amazing story and i didn't like so all at the same time you're doing you did up in the air and you're doing the twilight thing and then like that was a pretty big few years for you and scott pilgrim just like the twilight thing now i can't even imagine the type of fans you have

no no i didn't i didn't mean when you said twilight i kind of laughed and i didn't mean to but um because we were shooting um a scene for pitch perfect in this like kind of crazy house in louisiana and they put our just now the pitch perfect too yeah yeah and and they um they put us uh in this room uh you know like for holding like they were like you know all the girls like hang out in there and the the daughter was like a big a big twilight fan and like this room has blank spaces on the wall and that room had no blank spaces on the wall like there's a lot of art in this room. This room was covered floor to ceiling with Twilight

stuff. And I was like, this is maybe where I die. I don't know. But I mean, I didn't actually meet the girl, but I had heard that her thing to her mom was like, I could be into heroin.

So I'm into Twilight. What's the big fucking deal? And if that's her thing to her mom was like i could be like uh into heroin or you know like i'm so i'm into twilight like what's the big fucking deal right and if that's her attitude then cool like whatever you're into like it's a little intense you should know that it's a little aggressive when like and people might get the wrong idea when they come into your room but like if your attitude is just like this is what what I'm into, so sue me. Like, fantastic. Right. Whatever. But it is visually aggressive. So you're doing the second Pitch Perfect movie. And that movie was very popular, again, with, I think, a different type of teenage girl than Twilight. Yes.

So you're covering all... There's a fair amount of crossover. I mean, yeah. I think maybe just as the Twilight girls were growing up and growing out of that, then Pitch Perfect was there to catch them. I don't know. Fair amount. Did you ever see yourself as, like it seemed to me that in looking at your stuff that you would be this pop star? I mean that that song would blow up? It's actually really funny. I was talking to Keegan-Michael Key and I had said that I was going to do your show because I really liked his episode and we talked about that a little bit.

And then I started talking about this thing that happens with the Twilight fans and with the Pitch Perfect fans. Where part of me genuinely feels whenever like children come up to me and they're like, hi. Like as though I'm like Mickey Mouse at Disney. I'm like, what are you doing? Get away from me. I'm like, what are you doing? Get away from me. I'm terrible. Inside, I'm like this 75-year-old grizzled man who's like, children, everything, the sun, get it out. And part of me is genuinely has to remind myself, oh, right, you have to be on and okay for when. That's your job. When like little girl. But I was like.

You don't have to be. Because Keegan was like, you should say that to Marc Maron. Because I was like, oh my God. Yeah. It's like if you suddenly found yourself in a situation where like little kids were like, oh my gosh, Mr. Maron. Can I like talk to you? You would be like, why? Get away from me.

I would talk to their parents and say like, you shouldn't let this kid. You shouldn't. That's how I feel. I'm like, don't let your child near me. I'm like, have you listened to what I do? I'm the worst. Yeah. But but only you know that.

Like, you know, from if kids were coming up to me from based on what I put out in the world, I would have to question their parents is permissiveness. You know, yeah. And I'd also feel bad for the kid. And I'd probably be like, look, I'm going to try to help you out. Save you a little time. Because if you're identifying with me at this age, it's going to be hard. Yeah. But for you, I imagine that you have a choice. And it's not like I don't enjoy the experience. It's not like I'm like, oh, like these kids. It's not like I have, I'm getting something bad out of that experience. I'm just like,

oh my God, what could they possibly want from me? Right. Because you, there, there's always going to be that separation between the role and you and, and they only know the role. Yeah. So like, it's weird, I guess, as a, as a person with that type of celebrity, you know, you could choose to be a dick, but, but, but, but, you know, why not just be like, oh, hi, you know, but because they can't really sense

your inner dialogue unless you spend a lot of time with them and if you're spending a lot of time with your child fans is it yeah problematic all right so but the pop star thing now is that something are you making more records no no you don't want to do that no it's big though i mean that song was big yeah Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I would rather have one big accidental hit song than like make a record. I mean, I don't like write songs. I don't, you know. Okay.

It's not for me. That's fine. I do want to talk about Happy Christmas. Oh, and I do want to talk about the movie we were both in. When's that fucking coming out? What movie? Get a Job. Oh my God. What the fuck happened to that movie? both in. When's that fucking coming out? What movie? Get a Job. Oh my God.

What the fuck happened to that movie? I know. That's so funny. Bryan Cranston came up to me at Comic-Con and was like, what happened to that movie? Marcia Gay Harden came up to me at this charity event and was like, what happened to that movie? No, I am. Everybody is like, what are we?

But how many people? He had everyone in that movie. I mean, I'm not anybody, but I did one scene in it. I played the Sweezy hotel manager. And Jay Pharoah. When I did SNL, Jay Pharoah was like, when is that movie coming out? He was in the scene I was in. That is crazy.

When is it coming out? I don't think it is, bro. I think it's just like, it's like a mystery. It's like gonna never, ever, ever. What's one of those things that every. Honestly, at this point, like it's too... It was a very kind of... A few years ago. Topical comedy thing.

And all you young guns were in it, and now you're all middle-aged people. I know. Miles Teller. I know. Now it's supposed to be like, we're fresh out of college. Right. That's weird. Yeah.

Because it seemed like a big budget movie. And what was the name of that director? He was like a big... Dylan Kidd. Yeah. Great director. Yeah. It was crazy

it's crazy to me that that can happen like why they wouldn't just i mean i how bad could it be or what happened no i i've i've heard several explanations about like the you know distribution companies being split up and you know it's just in limbo and whatever but yeah part of me is like but not even on dvd i don't it's crazy It's crazy because it's just like somebody must want to make some money back. No, you would think. No. I mean, everyone was fucking in it. It's weird.

Like all you guys were. I'm lumping you into with everybody. But but yeah, Miles Teller, you, Cranston, Nick Braun, Christmas Plus and Allison Brie. Yeah. Allison was in it. Yeah. That's crazy. Well, we'll see what happens so now like i went and saw happy christmas at the roxy in san francisco far out it was kind of wild because

i was i was with somebody up there and we were just on vacation and i'm like let's go see it and we get there and it was was the program directors last night. And they Skyped in Joe Schomburg for an interview. No way. For Q&A. So I didn't say anything because I came in at the end of that viewing. But he actually did this Q&A over Skype with this small audience. That's crazy.

I didn't even know that was happening. Yeah. I felt really bad because I was doing Pitch Perfect and I couldn't even promote it. I felt like such a douche. Well, I don't know a lot of his movies, but he's sort of the mumblecore guy. And he sort of developed this thing. And when I heard him speaking, he went out of his way to shoot it on actual film. And you can feel that.

I noticed that when I watched it. I haven't felt that in a while it does make a difference there's immediacy to the performances and there's a tone to the to the actual film itself that you know it it's uh it's its own thing it felt like a real little movie and it had that that kind of rawness to it but for you to choose how'd that come about because i i your performance is great and I like the movie a lot, but it's so contrary to anything else that you're doing. Yeah. I, well, I had basically. Joe Swanberg.

I'm sorry. I said Seanberg. Yeah, go ahead. I had made Pitch Perfect, and I made Get a Job. Yeah. I was just sort of feeling like I'd made two movies that were almost kind of safe. And so my agent set up this Skype meeting with Joe, and I felt really kind of freaked out about doing a movie that was all improv.

And I thought that was really- Had you never done that? No, no, no, no. Like all improv. Like there's no paper involved. Right. But you'd done improv scenes before? No, no, no, no. Like, all improv. Like, there's no paper involved. Right. But you'd done improv scenes before? Sure, sure.

I mean, but no more than, you know, than most people on most movies. Like a third take? Like, why don't we just do one? Yeah, yeah. Like, you know, and do alts. Right. You know, it's not really, like, it's not the same. Right.

And he was talking about making drinking buddies. And part of me was like, this is terrifying. You shouldn't do this and then you know i was like i sort of really genuinely went into it thinking like it's okay to fail like it's okay if you're bad at this and it's okay if the movie's not like incredible and like that will be okay like the world won't end if you fail. Did you like his movies though? Yeah, I liked his movies and that attitude was mostly coming from

I just literally had no idea what it would be like to do a movie where someone pointed a camera at you and you were like, okay, great. So you knew how he worked. I mean, that was where I learned and I had such a great time on that that the day that we wrapped

He was like, hey, do you want to make this movie in December for like even smaller budget like a quarter of the budget? He shoot that one on film as well. I don't I don't think he did Because he sort of made it a point to really say that he was doing it So that was normally you just can't afford it, you know, right and and with with happy Christmas The budget was something like 80 grand and all of it went to the film stuff. Right. You know, and the rest of it, we shot it in his house and I wore my own clothes and I

did my own makeup and, you know, we like. Drinking Buddies just, I mean, I haven't seen that, but it's not really that old of a film. No, no. We shot Drinking Buddies in August and shot Happy Christmas in December. So the experience with working with Joe Swanberg was very specific. It was so good that I hadn't even seen a cut of Drinking Buddies before we made Happy Christmas. So you liked the experience? Because I just loved the experience so much.

Because the character in Happy Christmas is endearing but troubled. Yes. The character in Drinking Buddies very um together and sort of the most together person in the film um and very sure of herself like she just she not sure of herself but she just knows who she is and she knows what's going on and so i was really excited that joe wanted me to play someone who was so um lost well that i mean it's also it must be an amazing exercise as an actress where you're at in your acting career and having done the stuff that you've done to really do something new and challenge yourself as an actor. Yeah, I mean, I've I've really never played somebody who's a

total mess. And I was excited that Joe saw that saw that in me, like saw that I was capable of that. And, and really, really excited to do it because I feel like that's, it was scary. Yeah. But I feel like that is something that I really wanted to like explore and play with. And also working with Melanie. I mean, she's amazing. She's heaven. You know, I don't see her enough.

Yeah. Yeah. She's an incredible person and actress and it was i mean a total privilege like uh she was the first person that joe mentioned about you know to to play his wife and i was like oh are you kidding like because she wasn't up in the air but we didn't get to work together so i was so excited what she played this oh the sister right right right but i you know i and i had met her and I thought she was just lovely. And I think she's so talented, but we, you know, never interacted.

So I was so excited to be able to do scenes with her. And what did you learn about yourself or about, you know, acting in general from, you know, working with her and working in that sort of situation? Because when I saw Joe Swanberg,berg you know talk about the the the actual idea that that's the way film was made at some other point in time where you had to really kind of be deliberate and you didn't have a million takes and that you had to you sort of had to get it and i did did you find yourself like in the back of your head because i know in working in in the limited way i do in television that you're like, what does it cost to do another take?

Why not do 20? Who gives a shit? Right. We're not burning anything but time. We're not burning film stock. So did you have that in the back of your head? Were you aware that like, we're not going to do this again? Well, there were sort of two things going on, which was absolutely that, that we're shooting it on film. on which was absolutely that that we're shooting it on film and also that um the my character in drinking buddies the challenge was knowing when to listen because i thought the hardest thing about

doing movies like this would be coming up with stuff to say you know someone's like oh we're gonna do a movie and the entire thing is improv your brain first goes to like oh what if i can't think of like right you know how to move the scene forward and what to say and how to be charming and funny and stuff like that and actually it's really easy to just you know run your mouth and fill time right and it was challenging oh god I know when to just be still here we are um when to be still and when to listen and and especially because I was playing someone who um is really comfortable with herself which is uh herself, which is hard for me to play. That was sort of the challenge on that movie.

What did you put in place to do that in your mind? I based my character on my sister-in-law, who's married to my brother. And just behaviorally. And when there were moments in your mind where you're like, oh, would she say that? Yeah. No, she's a teacher. And my character in Drinking Buddies is a teacher. And she teaches all levels of special needs in an inner city school.

And she just has this well of patience. And I'm very impressed by her as a human being. So I just tried to channel Liza. And then the trick for Happy Christmas became, oh, I can actually, I should be like filling the time because this character can't shut up, doesn't know like when to shut up. But then, of course, the risk is that it's a deeply personal process and you end up saying something that is like oh i just put that on film for the whole world world to see so not only was it like oh we don't get too many chances to do this it's like i my objective is to

not self-censor at all and just say like whatever feels you know like just the first idiotic thing that comes to my mind and right um and to not go oh no yeah yeah shut up shut up yeah because um the character is very self-centered yes yes and and and the character is sort of based on um you know the darkest parts of myself and the darkest parts of people I know well. And, you know, and part of me was like, oh, should I not be exposing this much? Not that people will like look at it and, you know, think anything, just that I'll feel exposed and vulnerable.

But it's a very, it's interesting growing up in the world that we grow up in or being, like it was all very familiar to me for some reason. Yeah. That character. It was not like this menacing, dark, you know, kind of like, you're not concerned. You're like, no, I've dated that girl.

Yeah. You know, I've been that guy. Yeah. Like, they're familiar. There's something about the, I mean, we're different generations, but there's something about, you know, kind of the, you know, kind of being young and a little fucked up and not knowing what to do and smoking weed and getting fucked up. And it's not, it's what we do. So the emotions of that character were not anything people are going to be like, what the fuck?

I mean, I've been surprised by the varied reactions. Like, that's definitely my feeling like what you know yeah that like i know this girl and i'm and i've been this girl and i know um and i know that um like she's really making some bad decisions and she's embarrassing herself and and then like when she tried when she like isn't capable of fucking apologizing like i i sympathize with that and because that's so hard and um and i've been surprised that other people's reactions to it are really like you're a terrible person like not even like your character like 13 year olds no no there was this woman at um

sundance who was like i just want to say melanie like you gave such an amazing performance and like talked about melanie's acting and then goes but you i wanted to throttle and like it really it kind of undid me like and it kind of like rang in my head for the rest of the night that this woman was like so like and she didn't say like congratulations on your performance she couldn't make a separation no she like she was just like so um but i you, but she probably has a person like that in her life. It's a projection. Who is currently making her crazy. Might be her daughter.

And she could go, oh, Melanie, you're me. And therefore, you did such a good job portraying me. And you're a nightmare. And you're a terrible person. Well, that's an interesting thing that I learned recently is just how much when you're a public person or you do creative things and that you become this repository of people's projections that they're not, you know, like a lot of times, especially in a movie that is that raw and feels like that, they're not going to separate you from that character. And you're just going to serve that purpose.

I mean, sadly, that's what makes, you know, the art of drama effective. It's sort of what you have to live with, especially in a culture where it seems like now people are very incapable of separating reality from fiction almost everywhere. It's bizarre how some people will be like, that was just you. It's like, no, we shot a whole movie. And they just project that stuff. But I know that character is, it is a disturbing character, but I think it's a very common character. Yeah, yeah.

And I think you did a good job. Thanks, man. Did you watch it? I did. But yeah, it was really surprising to me watching it that I felt like I was doing, I felt like when we were making it, more would come across on screen. And there were scenes when I was like, oh no, I should have, like nothing's really happening in this scene. And it just feels like nothing's happening and I should have pushed myself or I should have done something different.

And then been so, so happy beyond thrilled that people are like, oh, that scene at the end. And I'm like, oh, my God, like I forget that like you can show restraint as an actor and as a filmmaker and, you know know in any kind of art form and people will feel you know what you're feeling if it's like if it's honest yeah you know right and if i had like pushed my you know the emotion of that scene i think it would have you know ruined it right but i i was watching it going like because in traditional filmmaking it would be like this is the part where she cries right this is the part where she apologizes this is and like because you don't have a writer giving you the words you're just you and like you have to come up with the words and i couldn't you

know i could barely muster like an apology and when people were yelling at me in the movie i just couldn't um apologize because that would be you know that would it would have been impossible and there but if it was written i probably would have i probably would have cried in that scene i probably would you know well that's right because that that character in that movie was enabled to not possess that self-awareness that was part of the the the thing of of her is that she was incredibly selfish but you know self-awareness would have just crumbled her and that may be another movie but that may be the journey of that fictional character yeah but it was not that movie right and yeah but yet still at the end it is a sympathetic character and if people miss that they got stuck somewhere in the

middle yeah in fuck her yeah i totally agree like and and i think because i i so sympathize with people who um like i like when they like clumsily attempt to say like this is what i'm feeling and and And, and this is, you know, and I can sort of glean what's happening. And I'm like, you don't have to say it. Like, you know, you know, well, it's a person, it's a character that, that is unable, unable to take responsibility for her actions. Yeah. But it doesn't mean that she doesn't feel ashamed and she doesn't, you know, and, and that, and that in meeting Melanie's character, she finds someone who's willing to, like her own brother is not necessarily willing to take that leap and say, I know that she feels these things and she's just bad at telling me.

And Melanie's character is such a great compliment because she is open enough that she can see, I know what's happening. Right, but also your character, there was a back and forth with that, that you were able to sort of push her character through her fear, and then she was able to be empathetic with your character once you were sort of working together in some weird way. I don't want to spoil the movie. But I was surprised in watching it. It had been a long time since I'd watched an independent film that is like that, where they aren't respecting, you know, story points of how a movie should go. But there were points in that movie where I'm like, something really bad is going to happen.

And I had that moment where it's like, oh, it didn't. It just kind of went through that part. It was very honest. And i thought it was great so yeah it's like a very small story but i'm i'm but it's very honest yeah yeah that i mean that and you just don't see that much anymore even with you know quote unquote independent movies it's hard to really decipher what that means in terms of the freedom of the filmmaker because there's so many restraints and, and people want to sell their movies. And it just seems like Joe, you know,

let's, let's the thing breathe. And he's got a certain, you know, point of view. Yeah. That, that seems to be growing.

Like he, you know, he, he's very sophisticated about what he wanted to do there. Yeah. And I think, you know, like I said,

like it's, it's, there's definitely a feeling of like, it's okay to fail. And, and with Happy Christmas, we were all really kind of willing to be brave and know that we were shooting on film and, you know, you know, exposing like very personal parts of ourselves because it was like for 80 grand. Nobody knew we were making it. It was like nine people. Right.

Like there was like a DP, a sound guy. Like it was there was nine people right you know it felt like we were kind of like getting away with something we were like no one no one knows we're here we're joe's house which is crazy like you know how many people work on your show and sign off on your show and and and we were just like in his house making this movie and um so it also felt like you know and when i said to you like oh you know if you've seen happy christmas you know and if you hate it like right like that's also fine like if you don't like it like well the way i'm very open-minded and and certainly when you know somebody and i

think that hearing joe talk you know having not really known him and and maybe at some point in my life maybe i think i saw maybe one of his movies a while back um and i you know i got it but this seemed actually more sophisticated than than whenever they were trying to label him like there there's a tradition of real independent film that doesn't honor you know the constraints of of of what movie making is like real renegade cinema yeah and i think he does that but he does it you know in a very vulnerable way in a very relatable way. But he's making real art movies. Yeah. And not self-aware art movies, not like self, you know, sort of.

Right. Yeah. That was the beautiful thing. There was no like producer rushing and going, oh, at this point in the movie, shouldn't the boyfriend turn out to be blah, blah, blah or whatever. Yeah. And I have a tremendous respect for anybody that goes off the grid and does their own thing. And it was able to pull it together and get talent like you and Melanie and do that thing. So when does Pitch Perfect 2 happen?

What's going on? And then you did this other big, what was the other big, this exciting movie that you're in? Into the Woods? Yeah. That's the Merrill one. That's where I got to work with the incredible mystery. Now tell me about that movie. It's based's based on a on a musical uh steven sondheim musical um i know him yes i know that i wasn't trying to like i wasn't trying to like i think i knew it was steven sondheim

so it do you sing in it i do so it's like it's it's of the the les mis ilk it's like a big movie like the ab like the like the like a musical yeah it's like a new musicals that happen yeah and rob marshall who directed chicago um is directing it so um he's uh like obviously one of the people who brought back the musical in the best possible way because chicago was just such a revelation and um it's based on all the fairy tales sort of meeting all right okay oh that's uh that's on hyams he's smart guy that's clever yeah and it's it's very much about like you know like going into the darkness and going you know who do you play i play cinderella believe it or not and uh i uh it's it's the the first act of the show is basically the stories kind of as you know them like everyone's intersecting

which is which is new but um like it ends with me marrying the prince and it's you know it's basically uh and little red riding hood gets away from the wolf and Rapunzel escapes the tower and, you know, it's all great. And then the second act is like what happens after Happily Ever After and all the consequences of your actions. And, you know, my prince cheats on me and my, you know. That's what princes do. Yeah. It's like all the, it's like a lot of high schools just do the first act of the show. Oh, okay.

And of course, the second act is like the mind-blowing, beautiful. Human thing. Yeah. Yeah. It's just like so stunning and so smart. And you did work directly with Merle? Yeah, and she sings this song to. I can't even imagine what that must oh it was insane i mean i was with

um james corden and he at one point was like you know people would pay so much money to like get a chance to see this happening and we just get to be here yeah like i mean you could raffle off like the chance to watch meryl streep sing the last midnight at the end of into the woods like you know it would raise you know tons of money like people would pay insane amounts of money and we just get to fucking be here like like us idiots it's amazing what was it like i'm i'm uh there's a line there's a line um she sings a song to us basically um about um you know like we everyone wants to self-identify as the good guy, of course. And that she is like, okay, so I'm the bad guy, but I'm right.

And that sort of, there's this line where she's like, you're so nice. You're not good. You're not bad. You're just nice. nice you're not good you're not bad you're just nice and um and she's like just watching her say that to me like filled me with this like shame this like deep i was just like oh my god this is great you know because she is saying like these are the consequences of your actions and apparently i'm the only one who's ready to deal with them and maybe it won't be easy and we'll have to like get some blood on her hands but this is we're in dire straits and this is happening but we're all like no we're the good

guys we wouldn't do anything bad yeah like the good stories yeah and it's basically the choice between um uh doing something nasty to save ourselves or just you know standing there and going no we but we don't you know it's like we're kind of grappling with like but we're the good guys right so you the actual idea is that you're you're actually grappling with the the the single dimension of the of the of the fairy tale of the story of that as if your character had to live by that. And this is like her. Yeah. Okay.

Yeah. Yeah. So people kind of coming to terms with. But did you see, were you able to sort of like, was there a moment in her process where, you know, not unlike, well, I don't want to compare her to him just because we talked about it but like as an actress to see the difference between merle kind of like before the scene and then like because i just imagine her transformation has got to be mind-blowing yeah um yeah i mean you know and she she was not uh you know she would just be joking before the takes and stuff which is just you know so impressive and to me because i i don't i don't know how you don't like just take a second but she's just i mean her like i don't know it's just you work your muscle that frequently and that

well and you're just like oh this is no big deal i got this it's only the climax of the movie i'm just i'm just excellent right um but um but i mean you know we were in like scenes where uh there was like a lot of kind of a lot of blocking and a lot of characters. And she was always thinking about, you know, about everything and everyone in that scene. And it's easy to just think about what you what your job is in that scene. And she was sort of like, OK, but if she's over there, wouldn't I be thinking about, you know, like. Right. You know, because I've got to have an eye on her.

She's asking questions. Yeah. Yeah. Like when we were in the rehearsal process and when we were blocking everything out, she was very like aware of every other character. And, and I, and I heard that from other people who did other scenes with her that she was very, very much like, okay, but you know, like, like that. Yeah.

I mean, do you see the benefit in that for you is that something that now you as an actor would integrate into your thinking i mean i hope so yeah yeah like to to be uh because it's uh it's always fun and easy to do a scene with with one other person or two other people but yeah i mean i that's normally what i do but on on movies with a bigger cast, it's so easy to just think, okay, but like... What do I do? Yeah, what do I do? What do I say? What's important?

Like, what do I need to do? And like, when's the camera going to be on me and I need to make sure that I'm ready for that and not be thinking about how the whole scene is going to feel. And, you know, I don't know that I would be like, shouldn't she? You know, because I'm not Meryl Streep. Yeah.

But at least to be aware of like how the rhythm of that scene is going to be affected and how you can aid the like the feeling of the scene and the feeling of the piece as opposed to just like, I just want to say my line. Good. Yeah. How your parents feel about all this? Are they excited? Are they thrilled? Yeah. Do they come to premieres?

Do you? Are they like, she they thrilled? Yeah. Do they come to premieres? Are they like, she did it? Yeah. I mean, it's funny. I felt like when they came last Christmas, they came to my place and stayed at my place. And I kind of felt like that because that was something real. Because good reviews and going to premieres and stuff is sort of abstract yeah you know and and i think for them to see like i am their daughter and i grew up in maine and i wanted to be an actress which is insane and i moved to

california and i'm like living in a house that I bought because I did it. Was like, oh, she did it. You know, like that was a really beautiful moment. Like I kind of got all like teary and I was like, anyway, this is like, you know, so this is like my backyard. And it's cool because I get teary. I mean, I don't know that they were especially teary or anything, but like I could just feel that they were like, oh, yeah, okay. Like you're, like you're, and it was, it was almost like, it was almost like anything. Like, you know, like that it was like, oh, you bought a house or you got married or you like, whatever.

It's just like, you're a person. Right. And so it's not like, it's, it's almost like acting wasn't even really a part of it. Right. It was more just like. She did all right. She's like, it would be like, cause I don't have really a part of it. Right. It was more just like. She did all right. Oh, she's like. It would be like. Because I don't have an office that I could show them.

But if I was like, oh, this is my office. And, you know, it's like where I do my work. And it would be like that. Like, oh, she's like really a person who's like got a life. And, you know. And you sort of. And I didn't expect that. I was just like, so here's my house.

But you felt it. Yeah. I felt like that they were like, oh, okay. Like, emotion was, there's like a solid thing happening here. You have like a home and so like, you're going to be okay. Right. And you, but your emotion must've been that sort of that weird moment of realizing that separation that, that there is that weird moment where, you know, you spend all that time with your parents who are supportive and they're, you know, everyone's hoping for the best, but you don't really think about that way. But it seems like that moment where you got emotional was like, I am a person.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm not just like Jan's kid. Yeah. Like that. Oh, my God. Yeah. Because you sort of run through life.

Sometimes I walk through this house, which you know no prize but like i had like it happened the other night because you know i'm alone over here now and it's just sort of like i own a house when the fuck did that you know and i'm 50 like i just never like i didn't know how to buy a house when i bought this house there's that moment where you're like i'm i'm i'm a grown up homeowner right and a grown person so what's this problem with your neighbors? Oh, God. So admittedly, like the outside of my house is I'm away all the time. Yeah. And I've got like a couple of things that I need to do, like some structural stuff that I need, you know, just to make sure that everything's like up to code and whatever.

And so I hadn't bothered like putting like nice landscaping in like the surrounding area of my which is like very small by the way like extremely like thin little strip of yeah whatever but apparently it's like displeasing to the to the eyes of of my neighbors and several of them have like left notes oh my god being like oh but here's the my. Someone went through the trouble of finding, like, some, like, fake website that, I mean, they must have just, like, been pissed off and, like, Googled, like, Anna Kendrick earnings or something. And, like, this extremely fake website that said that last year I made $86 million. What? I was like, if I made 86 million dollars, I would live in a palace in Dubai.

Like, you think I would be in Bijou Canyon? Like, so they printed this out. They like, you know, printed out this fake page that was like, and it said that I had a fashion line. Like, you know. So they were like, why can't you? So they folded it up and they were like, maybe you should use some of your millions to like get a landscape or whatever.

And it's just made me like, yeah, I'm going to wait. Yeah. I'm just going to take my time. To me, that defines the word cunty. I don't mean to be rude, but that is so cunty. Do you know who did it? I don't. I don't.

I don't really care. But it's so. Oh, it's so cunty. It you know who did it? I don't. I don't. I don't really care. But it's so... Oh, it's so cunty. It's just like... It is, right? Oh, yeah. Worst. Yeah, don't do it.

I would maybe get some car parts and just scatter them about. Get something up on blocks out there. Yeah, yeah. Well, it was great talking to you. You too. You feel like we did what we needed to do? to do yeah sure it's nice to see you it's a pleasure to meet you i was nervous you were nervous yeah i was nervous why are you nervous i was totally nervous um well because i thought we were i thought you were going to be mad at me that we had to reschedule so many times

no i was just amazed that it happened at all okay and that yeah I get like it's like I just get nervous I don't know you know you're a big actress I was nervous I was nervous everybody told me that that you were gonna like get deep and I was probably gonna leave being like why did I say that thing about

my grandmother or whatever what happened with your grandmother see you see About my grandmother or whatever. What happened with your grandmother? No, nothing. See? You see? Ah, lovely. Lovely woman. Great actress. Thrilled that she came by. Go to WTFpod.com for all your WTFpod needs.

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