Welcome to the show.
-Thank you for having me. -Thank you for being here.
Thank you so much for having me.
I feel like you should have warned me, personally,
before this movie came out,
because I expected it to be another comedy.
So I see you in comedy, comedy, comedy, comedy,
and then I was like, "Oh, yeah, another comedy."
-And then I watched this. -I thought I would just really
disappoint people, that's what I was going for.
It's not disappointing, it's thrilling,
but I kept waiting for the joke.
-And then I was just terrified the whole time. -Oh, great.
-'Cause this is not a comedy at all. -No. Well, I mean,
there's, hopefully, moments where you're-- it's fun.
And you're smiling, maybe, but it's not like big belly laughs.
-Right, it's from... -Um, it's like, you know,
fun in the way that you have fun when you're scared
and your favorite characters might be dead.
It's-- I don't know.
-It's a very specific type of fun. -Yeah.
That's a very-- 'cause the story,
so for those who don't know, you play a character
who is asked a favor.
And I'm, I'm not gonna spoil any of the plot, like,
beyond this point, because the movie
really is dark and twisted.
-Your friend, who is played by Blake Lively, -Yeah.
-asks you for a favor. -Yes.
-She goes, "Hey, can you look after my kid?" -Yes.
-And then-- boom, she disappears. -Disappears.
-And it's like she's just gone. -Yeah. Yeah.
And it is very much like-- but, really, she's gone.
Like, what's the plan? What's going on?
-Like, is she dead? Is she...? -Yeah.
-Like, and it's just, like, it's really freaky. -Yeah.
It's, um-- I know. It--
That doesn't sound like a lot to go on, but, like,
there's so many twists and turns.
Like, there is a plot beyond just,
"she's gone," and that's the end of the movie.
And we're like, "What happened to her?"
-Yeah. It's just like... -That's weird.
Just a movie of people just standing in a room, like,
-"Where is she?" "She's gone." -Yeah. (laughs)
"Is she gone?" "She's gone."
No, it's really scary because, like I say,
it's weird to try and speak about it
-without giving anything away is like... -Yeah.
It's-it's an interesting story
because you have this character that you're playing
-that's so different from everyone you've played. -Yeah.
Yeah, it's... Well, it's-it's kind of about...
Like, there's lots of plot twists and turns,
but it's kind of about people kind of being more
-than what they seem. -Right.
And certainly these two women are more than what they seem.
And, you know, women tend to have secrets in their lives,
and, um, Emily, Blake's character,
has more kind of literal secrets,
and I think my character has more, um, kind of secrets
in the sense of, like, her personality
is really more than what it seems.
-Yes. -Like, she's the kind of person you look at,
and you think you have her completely figured out,
and there's a lot more to her.
There's a lot more going on with her.
And it was one of those tricky ones
because, um, when I read the script,
like, my character is very upbeat, very chipper.
Um, you know, she has qualities that, frankly, are...
you know, in the real world are kind of denigrated.
-Uh-huh. -Like, she... well, like, she tries really hard,
and that's not cool, and we don't like that.
-That's not cool at all. No. -Yeah.
Um, and, you know, Blake is playing this character
who has, like, the qualities of...
you know, that are kind of most valued in our society,
which is beauty and style and, um, wealth.
And she has this sparkling dialogue,
-and she's, um, very dazzling, you know? -Right.
And so I was like...
There was a point when I was reading the script
where I was saying to the director, Paul Feig,
I was like, "You have to give me something less annoying to do,
"'cause I'm supposed to be the protagonist,
and, you know, the audience is supposed to be on my side."
-Right. -Um, but, you know,
the truth is, like, she acts the way that she does
because she has trauma in her life.
-And... -That is... that is an interesting character to play
because I have read some people saying like,
-"Oh, I don't like your character." -Yeah.
-Which means you've played her well, though. -Yes.
'Cause it's-it's a weird world to be in where you go like,
"This is realistic."
-She's super nice and super, like, everything, -Yes.
-and people go like, "Oh, I don't like her." -Yeah.
-Yeah. -"I don't like that she's nice."
Yeah. "I don't like that she's nice.
I don't like that she's chipper."
And, you know, and it's funny
because there's, um, like...
you know, there isn't a scene where she sits down
and says, "Look, like, this is the way that I..."
-Right. -"I am this way...
"I'm not really happy. I'm just, like, really chipper
"because I'm afraid that if I show one crack,
I'll fall apart completely."
You know, so it's, like...
Kind of my challenge was finding the moments
to choose to show that this is all informed
by the trauma that she's been through.
And, like, there's this running thing in the movie
where people are like, "Oh, you're a saint."
And I wanted that... her reaction to that
to feel different from her usual place
of, like, self-deprecation.
Of, like, "Oh, this dress?
-Oh, no. Not me. Not..." You know. -Right, right, right.
To feel like she was really uncomfortable.
And like, "I'm not. Please don't say that.
Please don't say that." Because, like, to tell her
that she's a good person, she doesn't like that,
because she has real shame about some of--
like, the darkness in her past.
Let's talk about a scene in the movie
that everyone is buzzing about,
and that is you kissing Blake Lively.
People are really obsessed about that.
Yeah, it's a tough job, you know?
I'm a professional, so I got through it.
Right. Is-is it-- is it true
that this was the freshest, mintiest kiss you've ever had?
Yeah. Um, well, I've, you know--
I've kissed some-some dudes onscreen,
and, you know, I'm always, like, really self-conscious.
So I'm always like, "Does anybody have a mint?
Who's got floss?" And I'm using those little, like,
disposable Swissper things and stuff.
And the guy's like, "You ready? Let's do this."
And, um... and this was, like, two women,
so we were both, like, popping mints and gum and flossing.
And it was probably the mintiest kiss I've ever had.
Mintiest kiss onscreen.
-Yeah. In cinema history. -That's really--
In-in cinema history. I like that.
If someone, uh, walks out of this movie and, uh,
they go, like-- There's so much to absorb.
There's your character's journey.
There's the story itself, which is--
I-I cannot explain to you how twisted this movie is
without giving anything away, right?
I just know that it was, like-- 'Cause this happened to me
in real life. Like, so my uncle--
Something from the movie happened to you in real life?
Well, what happened is my uncle--
extended uncle from my family-- he did the same thing.
He went-- came to a family function,
and he was like, "Hey, can you look after my kid?"
-And then he disappeared and then he was gone. -No.
And then everyone was like, "Where's he go--"
And then he was gone forever.
And then it was like--
But it was a lot more funnier than your movie, right?
-It was like-- -(laughter)
It's-- In Africa, we're like, "Yeah, it happens."
So... But, like-- but, like, your--
No, but your movie is, like--
-it-it really is, like-- -Are you okay?
-Yeah, it wasn't me. I'm fine. -Okay.
I'm like, "Yeah, whatever."
-We were just like, "Yo--" -You're like, "It's my uncle.
-We're not that close." -Yeah. Well, he left.
-Of course we're not that close. Like, he's gone. -Right.
But-but the movie really is terrifying,
and it is a thriller. What do you-- what do you hope
is the one thing people would take away from the movie
when they move? 'Cause there are so many different plots
and twists that are happening.
When-when you walk out of the movie,
what do you want someone to think?
Well, you know, it's funny. I--
I mean, there are so-- The-the plot is so great,
and it is so much fun. But, like, seeing--
you know, promoting the movie and seeing the reaction to it,
I-I've kind of been examining, like, you know,
different people's-- Some people are more drawn to Stephanie,
my character, and some people are more drawn to Emily.
And it's actually kind of made me wonder, like,
you know, what are the-- what are the qualities that I value?
-Like, do I let people off the hook for kind of, -Huh.
you know, bad behavior if they are--
if they seem beautiful and sophisticated?
And, like, do I need to be more aware
of what's going on with a person
and that they might be behaving in a way that's off-putting
but there might be something going on behind that?
That's fascinating. Examine the people you meet more closely,
-'cause they might abandon their kids. -Their children. Yeah.
I like that. I need to find my uncle
-and use this on him. -But in a fun way, you guys.
In a fun, scary, thrilling way.
-Thank you so much for being on the show. -Thank you so much.
A Simple Favor opens in theaters September 14.
Anna Kendrick, everybody.