Anna Kendrick Drops F-Bomb on Director Who Tried to Embarrass Her in Front of 100 Extras!

Anna Kendrick is no stranger to the highs and lows of Hollywood, but one particularly uncomfortable moment with a director left her feeling humiliated in front of a large group of extras. Reflecting on the incident, the Pitch Perfect star shared a story of how a director’s power move made her feel “icky” and humiliated in front of a room of 100 extras.

In a candid interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Kendrick recounted the experience that occurred during a film shoot when she was asked to improvise a scene. “I remember a director once in a room full of 100 extras or something being like, ‘Hey, on this next one just try something. Just make something up. Just improv something,’” Kendrick recalled. After following the director’s request and improvising, she was met with a public rebuke that left her stunned.

“And [I did it] and then the director called cut and came over and, once again in front of 100 extras, was like, ‘Oof, let’s go back to the script!’” Kendrick continued. “It really felt like a very specific power move thing to embarrass me, to gain dominance. It was very icky.”

Though Kendrick did not reveal the name of the director or the movie, she made it clear that the experience was both humiliating and uncomfortable. What added insult to injury was that, months later, the very improvisation that had been shut down in front of the extras was included in the movie’s trailer.

“And then the thing that I improvised ended up in the trailer. So f— you!” Kendrick exclaimed, to the applause of the live audience at the 92Y event. This triumphant moment of vindication seemed to help Kendrick turn the page on what was a deeply awkward and demoralizing experience.

Despite the challenges she’s faced in her career, Kendrick continues to thrive in the industry. She made her directorial debut with Woman of the Hour, a thriller about the infamous serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala. In addition to directing, Kendrick stars in the film as Cheryl Bradshaw, a contestant on the Dating Game show who becomes suspicious of Alcala during their date.

Kendrick admitted in an interview with PEOPLE that balancing both roles was no easy feat. “It was a little bit like directing with a blindfold on,” she shared. After acting in a scene, Kendrick would rush to the monitor to review a few seconds of footage, praying there would be no surprises when it came time for editing.

Despite the struggles and the occasional awkward moment, Anna Kendrick continues to show her resilience, turning uncomfortable situations into opportunities for growth and creativity in her career.