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Q: Anna Kendrick seems to have come out of nowhere. Where did she start?

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Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

Anna Kendrick is as beloved by critics as she is by audiences, and so the best way to trace her career arc is actually through her awards trail.

For example, you can glean a lot about her future career from the fact that the first major nomination she received was for a Tony Award all the way back in 1998, when she was just 13. She received the best-featured-actress nod for her role in "High Society," the stage adaptation of the 1956 movie of the same name.

Shortly afterward she transitioned to indie films on the big screen, as can be seen by the fact that she was nominated for Independent Spirit Awards for the 2003 musical comedy "Camp," and then for the 2007 dramedy "Rocket Science."

You could say that her big break really came in 2009's "Up in the Air." You could say that because she was nominated for a stunning 48 awards for her supporting role as an arrogant young corporate downsizer who threatens star George Clooney's idyllic life of business travel.

She solidified her stardom that same year with a role in the long-running "Twilight" film series (though it was a relatively minor part, yielding only two award nominations -- a small haul by Kendrick's standards).

Her next big role was very big indeed -- the lead in 2012's "Pitch Perfect." When you say she came out of nowhere, presumably you mean "came" here -- this is when she became a superstar and something of a household name. "Pitch Perfect" was a surprise smash and is now cultishly beloved among musical geeks, comedy fans and pop culture feminists.

Many more award nods were to come, though, including for the two "Pitch Perfect" sequels.

 

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