Anna Kendrick's Real Name: Anna Cooke Kendrick

Quick answer: Anna Kendrick's full name is Anna Cooke Kendrick. She was born on August 9, 1985, in Portland, Maine. Her middle name matches her mother's maiden name. She earned a Tony nomination at 12, an Oscar nomination for Up in the Air (2009), and stardom in Pitch Perfect (2012), and she made her directing debut with Woman of the Hour (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Britannica gives her name in full as Anna Cooke Kendrick. The Library of Congress name authority files her as "Kendrick, Anna," and one citation reads "born Anna Cooke Kendrick, August 9, 1985, Portland, Maine; actress, producer, singer." LOC also records the misspelling "Anna Kendricks," which appeared on at least one DVD case.

According to Britannica, she is the younger of two children of Janice (née Cooke) Kendrick, an accountant, and William Kendrick, a history teacher. At six she made her stage debut in Annie at South Portland's Lyric Music Theater, and by 10 she was traveling to New York for auditions. In 1998, at 12, she made her Broadway debut in Cole Porter's High Society and was nominated for a Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical. Her father moved to New York with her and homeschooled her during the run. Back in Maine she attended Portland's Deering High School and sang in three choirs.

Career highlights

Kendrick's first film, the musical comedy Camp (2003), brought an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and Rocket Science (2007) a second. She played Jessica Stanley in Twilight (2008) and three of its sequels.

Her role as an ambitious young businesswoman opposite George Clooney in Up in the Air earned nominations from the Academy, the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and the Screen Actors Guild. Pitch Perfect, in which she played a college freshman who leads an a cappella group, spawned two sequels. Her version of "Cups (When I'm Gone)" spent 44 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 6. She voices Poppy in the Trolls films. Her other films include Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 50/50, Into the Woods (2014), The Accountant (2016), and A Simple Favor (2018).

Her 2016 memoir, Scrappy Little Nobody, topped the New York Times humor best-seller list. She directed and starred in the Netflix thriller Woman of the Hour (2023), playing a contestant on The Dating Game modeled on Cheryl Bradshaw.

Name notes for searchers

Cooke, her middle name, is her mother's maiden name. She has always performed as Anna Kendrick. "Anna Kendricks" is a common misspelling, not a different name.