Anna Kendrick Loves That Alice, Darling Challenged Her To Play Someone You Don't Immediately Love

Anna Kendrick sat down with Sean Evans for the latest episode of First We Feast’s “Hot Ones,” in which she endured the typical escalation of spicier and spicier chicken wings while answering myriad questions about her career. Early on in the episode, while broaching the subject of “Alice, Darling,” Evans asked Kendrick about the challenge of playing someone who, unlike the typical Kendrick character, might not get viewers to fall in love with her so easily and instantly.

Kendrick fessed up to historically being more comfortable and motivated when playing characters who have some sort of prominent likable element, whether by being charismatic, charming, or humorous. And, for that very reason, she also expressed her enthusiasm at “the idea of playing a character who is kind of a bummer — she’s not that fun to be around — and [seeing] if it works as a performance and if people will stick around to end up rooting for Alice.” 

The actress added that the realistically raw and unvarnished depiction of Alice as a woman coping erratically with abuse was crucial to the psychological and narrative complexity of “Alice, Darling.” “I think it’s important that the movie starts with you not really clear on who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy, because there were times in your life where you’re not sure … It’s almost like a mystery film, where you’re unfolding what’s actually happening to this person,” Kendrick said.

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