Anna Kendrick Says She Felt ‘Gross’ Accepting Pay From 'Woman Of The Hour,' Gave Earnings To Charity

Anna Kendrick, known for her Oscar-nominated performance in "Up in the Air" and celebrated roles in films like "Pitch Perfect," has stepped into the director’s chair for her debut feature, "Woman of the Hour."

The Netflix film, which has already sparked discussion, is based on the chilling true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who appeared as a contestant on "The Dating Game" while actively involved in a series of murders.

After its popularity, Anna Kendrick shared that she felt conflicted about receiving financial compensation for her work on the film, given its connection to real-life tragedy.

In a recent interview, Kendrick expressed feeling conflicted about accepting financial compensation for her work on the film, considering its connection to real-life tragedy.

Kendrick admitted she felt "gross" on the Crime Junkie AF podcast, claiming that she never intended the film to be "a money-making venture" for her. In fact, she shared that she hadn’t even considered that possibility until the film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

"Eventually, Netflix bought the movie. But, it wasn't until the week before TIFF that I thought, oh, the movie's going to make money," Kendrick said. "We just barely made the deadline to get into TIFF, then it was like, there's going to be money exchanging hands. I asked myself the question about, 'Do you feel gross about this?' And I did."

The actress also reflected on the ethical implications of profiting from a project focused on such dark subject matter. This discomfort ultimately led her to donate all her earnings from the film’s sale to two separate charities, a decision she says aligns with her personal values and respect for the victims’ stories.

"[I'm] not making money off of the movie," and "the money has gone to RAINN and to the National Center for Victims [of Crimes]," she said.

The actress acknowledged that the subject remains a "complicated area" but explained that donating the earnings she would have received from the film "felt like the least that I should do" after portraying real-life events.

With Kendrick’s extensive industry experience, many have wondered whether she had been contemplating directing for some time or if this opportunity arose unexpectedly, to which she told Deadline:

"I think it was a thought that I was actively shoving down, and I guess it would no longer be silent. Looking back, it’s very obviously a protective measure on my part to ignore that desire, because it’s vulnerable to want something and know that you might not get it or that you might get it and fail. I think there was a part of me that was looking at my career and going: 'Guys, we’ve got a good thing going. Why would we do this? Why would we rock the boat?'

So I think that I’ve built up a platform of confidence in my work and to kind of throw myself back to ground zero where this would be a first time experience felt very scary. So I was definitely fighting the impulse to stay comfortable."

Regardless, she said she is "very glad I fought through that, I guess."

Her directorial debut comes after she had a bad experience with another director, who she claims tried to embarrass her in front of 100 extras.

“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, per Variety. “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!'”

“It really felt like a very specific power move thing to embarrass me, to gain dominance. It was very icky,” Kendrick recalled of the situation. “And then the thing that I improved ended up in the trailer. So f-ck you!”

"Woman of the Hour," directed by and starring Anna Kendrick, is a suspenseful crime thriller inspired by the true story of Rodney Alcala, infamously known as "The Dating Game Killer."

In 1978, Alcala, a serial killer responsible for several brutal crimes, appeared on the popular TV show "The Dating Game," where he won a date with contestant Cheryl Bradshaw, played by Kendrick. The film explores the chilling irony of Alcala’s appearance on a lighthearted dating show while secretly engaged in a deadly crime spree.

"Woman of the Hour" is streaming on Netflix.