Anna Kendrick may be known for being in the cast of Pitch Perfect and for making her directorial debut in the popular Netflix movie Woman of the Hour. However, we can’t forget about the time she played a human resources consultant with George Clooney in Up in the Air, and neither could she. The Twilight actress recalls the time the award-winning actor helped her on the first of filming the Oscar-nominated film and she didn’t realize how helpful he was until years later.
One great thing about working with an actor like George Clooney is his extensive experience as a director still hasn’t escaped him even when he’s acting. He certainly knows how to keep his actors in check so they’re ready to give it all when the cameras turn on. Kendrick sure was lucky to have an actor like Clooney to work with in a big movie like Up in the Air. She told Business Insider a clever way that he helped ease her worries on the first day of shooting:
My first day, the first shot that I was in on my first day of filming, he said something to me kind of under his breath, almost about, like: ‘Man, do you get nervous on the first day? I get so nervous.’ And at the time, I was just like: ‘Yeah, totally. I get really nervous.’
I can imagine what a comfort it must have been for a prolific actor like George Clooney to tell Anna Kendrick he gets nervous as well. Considering his success in his best movies and the longstanding talent he has, it must have been reassuring for the Simple Favor actress to know an accomplished actor like Clooney can still get nervous. His ability to connect with her on a personal level must have been the reason why their onscreen chemistry as two HR co-workers was so flawless.
George Clooney relating to Anna Kendrick on their first day of shooting Up in the Air must have been a big help to her if she remembered that moment over a decade later. However, there’s a little twist to the story as the Rocket Science actress revealed something about that memory that she didn’t realize until about eight years later:
It wasn’t until eight years later or something that it occurred to me that he does not get nervous, but that was so sweet of him to say. For him to not just say, ‘Hey, it’s OK if you’re nervous’ — to take it on himself, as though ‘Hey, kid, we’re in this together,’ was just the sweetest thing.
I agree with Anna Kendrick that it’s the perfect way to help someone feel better when taking on a huge role like Natalie in Up in the Air. Before the Jason Reitman movie, Kendrick played supporting roles in films like The Twilight Saga and the musical-comedy Camp. Compared to behaving like an experienced actor with a “been-there-done-that” attitude, George Clooney instead decided to relate to his young co-star and allow her to feel valued and understood in her feelings. Clearly, the Michael Clayton actor’s technique worked as Kendrick delivered an amazing performance that earned her first Oscar nomination.
Being able to listen and adapt to your co-stars is a great quality to have when sharing the screen for a movie together. It proves that George Clooney cares that the actors he works with are comfortable and that making a great movie is a team effort. Anna Kendrick continued to talk about what else makes the Cecil B. DeMille recipient such an admired actor:
George is so generous in every way as an actor. He was really the first person that I worked with where I would see him listening to the notes that other actors would get and he would adjust his off-camera performance to help elicit whatever adjustment was called for. And I think that that’s just the sign of somebody really willing to extend themselves for someone else.
It’s clear that George Clooney cares about collaboration and ensuring that everyone feels support when working together. As the saying goes, if one domino falls, the others will follow. Clooney truly sees how nerve-wracking the craft of acting can be and uses his expansive experience to ensure that everyone knows it’ll all be fine. Considering Up in the Air earned six Oscar nominations and Golden Globes, I’d like to believe everyone feeling comfortable with one another helped make the chemistry between Clooney, Kendrick, and Vera Farmiga look like perfection.
With George Clooney pretending to get nervous so Anna Kendrick would feel relaxed on her first day filming Up in the Air shows his remarkable ability to empathize with his actors’ struggles compared to revealing too much of his own confidence. The thoughtful gesture highlights Clooney prioritizing connection over his own bravado, showing that it’s okay to be vulnerable and that being a team can make any experience easier. You relive Clooney and Kendrick’s successful on-screen collaboration by watching Up in the Air available on your Max subscription.