Anna Kendrick, 26-years-old, talented, kind, humble — and rising quickly up the Hollywood ladder of success. Having “caught” the acting bug at the age of 10, Anna’s parents allowed her to ride the bus into NYC to attend auditions. Her first one hit at the age of 12 and she has been working ever since.

Anna is most known for her roles in:

• The Twilight Saga (Jessica Stanley)
• Up in the Air (Natalie Keener)
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
• Rocket Science (2007)
• Camp (2003)
• Broadway musical High Society (1998)

I had the honor to sit down with Anna and interview her at a roundtable. So, although I may not have gotten to ask many questions, the ones that I did ask, received truly inspirational answers.

I believe that many young actors can look up to Anna Kendrick and learn from this very grounded and kind actress. She shares advice on rejection and how she remains a positive role model for young actors.

• What advice can you give to young actors who want to start off in acting?
  Advice to starting out in acting is tough for me because I started so young. I can’t imagine trying to find an agent and getting my first job at a later age. When you are 10-years-old, you go into an agent, you meet them, you read a cheesy commercial and they decide to represent you. I think it’s a really difficult thing and I think it takes a lot of courage.
  I guess I would say rejection doesn’t get easier. If it’s not getting easier it is not because you need to grow a thick skin. It’s just something that we all go through. The only comfort you can take from that is knowing that everybody has gone through so much more than they would care to admit. Certainly, I wouldn’t want to name all the things that I didn’t get. A lot of those things weren’t even quality projects. It’s not a reflection of you. Everybody goes through it. I guess that is the only advice I could offer because I feel it is unfair to say that, everything happens for a reason or it’s their loss because people told me that and it didn’t make me feel any better.

• How do you remain a positive role model for young girls?
  I don’t know. I have a funny thing about trying to censor myself. I don’t want to offend people. I know that a lot of young girls follow me on Twitter. Sometimes I think that something is funny and I decide not to say it because I don’t want to offend anyone. But then at the same time, I don’t want to anyone to think you are supposed to be “Miss America”. I think that’s just as silly. That’s not who people are. I guess I try to let a little bit of honesty show through while trying to put my best foot forward.

• You’re human.
  Yeah, just be human while not trying to setting anybody off. I don’t really see the point in faking it. To me, when I see that on TV I think that person must be exhausted and is that what he expects me to be? Not just publicly, but when I meet people for the first time professionally or personally. Do they expect me to be like that? Am I not allowed to be honest with people? You are! You shouldn’t underestimate what people are willing to forgive of other people.

source: examiner.com