Kendrick’s book shares ‘goofy’ life
By ALICIA RANCILIO
Associated Press
NEW YORK
After a recent signing session to promote her new book, “Scrappy Little Nobody,” Anna Kendrick joked about having a hand cramp.
“It’s going to be OK. It’s going to release from its claw-like shape any second,” she joked by phone.
It’s that kind of sharp wit and self-deprecating humor that Kendrick is known for, especially on social media and in interviews, which she swears she’s not good at.
Kendrick, 31, describes in her book how a number of female celebrities have launched a campaign called #AskHerMore to be asked smarter questions on red carpets, rather than just what they’re wearing.
The Oscar-nominee for the 2009 film “Up in the Air,” shares anecdotes and musings from her life thus far in the new book.
Q. You recently wrote on social media that you felt conflicted about launching a book tour right after the presidential election. How are you feeling now?
A. I feel better about it. I felt better knowing I wasn’t doing a traditional media tour. I’m interacting with groups of people who want to come out and hang out with me.
Q. Did you learn anything about yourself while writing this book?
A. I think the thing that surprised me was when I tried to write about money and growing up with two working parents who sometimes struggled ... it kind of spiraled. I just realized, ‘I have these issues around money and I should probably get over it.’ There are bigger fish to fry in the world than me having money issues because of growing up with a very – in the grand scheme of things – a very privileged situation, but letting those insecurities eat at me in spite of the fact that I grew up white, middle class.
Q. You seem to have managed to stay grounded through fame. Why do you think that is?
A. I’m me all the time. It’s like a less depressing version of “The Bell Jar.” You’re still you, wherever you go. It would be really tricky to try to normalize it and to feel like (fame) is all natural. ... In fact, trying to do that made me a little bonkers for a while. I’m very happy I’m allowed to be goofy and off-center.