Anna Kendrick is all about gender equality. In an interview, the star of Pitch Perfect 2 expressed frustration over this year's nominees for the Oscars that are male dominated. Kendrick's disappointment echoes the irritation earlier expressed by Hollywood stars, including Kristen Stewart, Emma Watson and Amy Schumer.
She told Glamour magazine about the perceived sexism in Hollywood, "All the films nominated this year had male leads. Like, every single one. So I'm glad that [gender equality's] feeling like a bigger issue now."
She added that she sees a pattern amongst Hollywood producers when choosing lead actors for any upcoming films. Kendrick said that producers usually decide to cast female roles last.
Kendrick went on to say, "There's [a film I'm considering] now where I have to wait for all the male roles to be cast before I can even become a part of the conversation." While she said she understands the situation, she admits that there is a "part of me is like 'What the [expletive]?' You have to cast the females based on who's cast as males?'"
The actress, who was nominated as best supporting actress in the 2010 Oscars for her role in Up in the Air opposite George Clooney, said she maintains what many in Hollywood believe that there are "10 unbelievably talented women for every role," even when "from a business standpoint it's easier to find women to match men."
As it is, competition in Hollywood is already very stiff, but Kendrick said the gender bias in the industry makes it more difficult for women. "If anything, it bonds you because we're all dealing with the same problem," she added.
At the same time, Kendrick dismisses perception that Pitch Perfect 2 is a "girl's movie" and that men should watch it as a "guilty pleasure," reported Christianity Daily.
She further stated, "It's not like the humor excludes men. My favorite thing on Twitter is guys being like, 'Listen: I'm not a pussy, but Pitch Perfect is awesome' I'm like, 'I didn't think you were a pussy, sir.'
Kendrick expressed confidence that fans of the movie would love her character Beca, who is trying desperately hard to present herself as someone cool and could fit in with the crowd. However, she said the audience would love the "uncool" Beca even more.
"I feel like you can't get an audience to like your character if she's actually cool, but you can if she's trying to be cool and sometimes fails. My favorite Beca is Struggling, Awkward Beca because I think that's who we all are. We want to be like Cool Beca, and we're not," She said.
Pitch Perfect 2 is an upcoming American musical comedy film directed by Elizabeth Banks and written by Kay Cannon, slated for release on May 15, 2015 from Universal Pictures. It is a sequel to the 2012 film Pitch Perfect, which was loosely adapted from Mickey Rapkin's non-fiction book, titled Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Anna Camp, and Hailee Steinfeld.
Watch the full trailer here.
