The actress was absent from the premiere of her directorial debut “Woman of the Hour” at the Toronto International Film Festival in solidarity with the strike.
Anna Kendrick expresses gratitude from afar.
At the world premiere of his directorial debut Woman of the hour at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, a message from the Oscar nominee, 38, was read aloud to attendees beforehand.
Kendrick, who also stars in the film, skipped the festival in solidarity with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
“[This] the film festival has proven time and time again that it is an artist-driven festival, and it has been an absolute honor to have TIFF as a part of my career for the past 14 years,” Kendrick began in a statement read aloud by one of the film’s producers.
“I really can’t express how proud I am to have a world premiere Woman of the hour at TIFF. It is more than a dream come true. I am heartbroken not to be with you all at this time.”
Kendrick added that the film would be “nothing without an outstanding” cast. “I so wish they could be there to be celebrated in the way they so richly deserve. As proud as we are of this film, we’re just as proud to stand with our union in demanding fair wages.”
Anna Kendrick Supports SAG-AFTRA Strike: ‘The Actors Are Extraordinary’
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Anna Kendrick attends the SAG-AFTRA strike in Los Angeles with writer Larry Karaszewski.
Amanda Edwards/Getty
Kendrick concluded the statement by saying that the achievement is still “the proudest moment of my career.”
“I am grateful to every person who gave their energy to make this film,” she added. “I’m so excited for audiences to see their hard work on the big screen.”
The thriller is about a real-life serial killer from the 70s, Rodney Alcala. Kendrick plays Bachelor Cheryl Bradshaw, who appears on the dating show called Dating game. It also stars Tony Hale, Daniel Zovatto and Nicolette Robinson and was written by Ian MacAllister McDonald.
At last year’s TIFF, while promoting another film, Kendrick got stuck in an elevator and was rescued by firefighters, which she told PEOPLE at the time was “so absurd that it would have happened on a film press tour that it immediately seemed like comical.”
Kendrick has been vocal in his support for the ongoing actors’ strike, following the union’s initial failed contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in July.
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In August, Pitch Perfect actress hit the picket line in Los Angeles to support her fellow actors, while holding a sign and rocking some SAG-AFTRA merch alongside Sterling Jones. She wrote on Instagram that “everyone deserves a fair wage.”
“(I’m in an incredibly lucky position – this s— isn’t about me.) The actors are amazing,” she wrote. “There are so many talented, hard-working people in this union, even if you might not know their names.”
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