On Tuesday (December 15), it was announced that Anna Kendrick was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for her work in the George Clooney movie "Up in the Air." Even before starring in that movie (which received the most Globe nominations this year) or playing chatterbox Jessica in the "Twilight" franchise, the 26-year-old actress has been receiving accolades for her work.
A musical-theater veteran, Kendrick has been nominated for a number of awards including a Tony nod in 1998 for her work in "High Society," in which she played Dinah. At the time, she was the third-youngest person ever to get nominated for a Tony.
In addition to a number of stage productions, the actress appeared on TV shows like the short-lived "Viva Laughlin," produced by Hugh Jackman, and smaller flicks like 2007's "Rocket Science," which is what caught the eye of "Up in the Air" director Jason Reitman.
"When I saw her in that movie, I just thought, 'This girl has a different voice from everyone of her generation,' " Reitman said. "She oddly talks like someone from the 1940s, and she's so witty and smart and sharp. And I needed a girl who could go toe-to-toe with George Clooney. She was the one. This was Anna's role. I wrote this for Anna. As soon as I saw 'Rocket Science' and I recognized her voice, I started writing for her."
Kendrick, who currently stars as Bella's human friend Jessica in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," recently shared that she was happy without the level of fame that Robert Pattinson endures these days. But with a Golden Globe nomination under her belt, she is bound to have a larger audience wondering who she is.
"I would have gone insane at this point!" she told MTV News of how she'd feel if she were as famous as Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. "They're so levelheaded. They've handled it so gracefully."
Kendrick also thinks that "Up in the Air," though very different in tone from her work in "New Moon," could still find a place in the hearts of Twilighters everywhere thanks to its message. "It's a movie that appeals to everybody. It's a timeless story. It's a romance, but it's also about people who are trying to figure out what they want in their lives. Everybody goes through that," she explained. " 'Twilight' is more of a fairy tale, but this is a story about real people. And everybody likes that."
Kendrick's roles in 2010 include the eagerly anticipated movies "Twilight Saga: Eclipse" and "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." But she said that she has other, less lofty ambitions on her mind. "I want to learn to play pool. I don't want to be one of those chicks in a bar that needs her boyfriend to set up a shot for her," she said. "That would be a life goal."
Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and "Up in the Air."
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