Anna Kendrick On Making the Leap From Acting to Directing

Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

Careers, Business

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does it take to make a bold career pivot after decades of doing the expected? This week, we’re resurfacing our conversation with the multi-talented Anna Kendrick, whose journey from acclaimed actor to first-time director offers invaluable insights for anyone thinking about making the leap into something new. Anna shares the story behind her directorial debut with Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, a true-crime drama. Far removed from the lighthearted films that Anna is known for, Woman of the Hour chronicles the stranger-than-fiction story of a 1970s aspiring actor and a serial killer whose lives collide when they're cast on a dating game show. Together, Jessi and Anna discuss: The courage it takes to step out of your comfort zone How to follow your intuition when making creative decisions Dealing with imposter syndrome Learning to lead What good feedback truly looks like This episode offers not just a behind-the-scenes look at Anna's latest project but also inspiration for anyone seeking to reinvent their own career. Watch Woman of the Hour on Netflix now, and tune in to hear how Anna Kendrick is embracing the next chapter of her career. Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.

Transcript

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0:00.0	LinkedIn News
0:02.0	Hey, it's Jesse and it is a holiday weekend here in the United States, which means that today I get to bring you an episode from our Hello Monday archives.
0:18.0	And this one, friends, this one is one of my favorites of the year.
0:22.6	It's a conversation with somebody you definitely know about an experience that I think of
0:27.3	is fairly universal.
0:29.3	That experience of when you are really, really good at one thing, you do it for a very long
0:34.7	time, long enough that everybody else wants you to keep doing it.
0:40.4	But you yourself, you're ready to try something new.
0:46.3	It's a hard moment, and it can be the pivot moment in a great career.
0:48.0	Here's the episode.
0:56.8	I was pitching myself, and it was like the weirdest, most ambivalent pitch, probably in the history of cinema. Because I was like myself and it was like the weirdest most ambivalent pitch probably in the history of cinema because I was like pitching myself but going, guys, if this isn't the right thing for the movie or you don't think that I'm ready, I shouldn't do it.
1:04.7	From the news team at LinkedIn, this is Hello Monday. It's our show about the changing nature of work and how that work is changing all of us.
1:14.1	And if you haven't signed up for the newsletter, well, what are you waiting for?
1:18.1	You can find it on my LinkedIn profile.
1:21.4	Today, I'm talking with actor Anna Kendrick.
1:26.8	Anna's career started very early.
1:29.6	You probably know, because you're probably familiar with her work.
1:32.9	She was nominated for a Tony Award by the time she was 12 years old.
1:36.7	She's been mostly working ever since.
1:39.1	There were the pitch perfect movies, all three of them.
1:42.3	It was up in the air and into the woods, the Sontai musical that was so
1:46.4	compelling on the big screen. She was Cinderella. She's captivated audiences, audiences which have
	...

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