Spoiler Alert: This article details the plot of “Woman of the Hour,” now streaming on Netflix.
Netflix’s “Woman of the Hour” marked Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, but that wasn’t the only breakthrough performance in the film. Among all the victims featured in the torn-from-the-headlines plot, one young girl stands out. Amy, a runaway teenager, survives an encounter with serial killer Rodney Alcala. He was a contestant on “The Dating Game” in the 1970s, during the height of murder.
Amy is played by Autumn Best, who makes her film debut with this film. She’s an alum of the CW series “The 4400,” and believe it or not, she went into the audition with little to no hope of getting the role.
She was working as a barista at a coffee shop in Chicago when she learned of this opportunity. “I got the email and thought, ‘There’s no way they’re going to cast me in this Anna Kendrick movie. Not just because it’s Anna Kendrick and she’s cool, but I only have one hand. ” Best said. variety At the film’s premiere in Los Angeles on October 10th.
Although she had hoped to appear in a full-length drama, Best believed that she would be his last choice for the film. “Every time I audition for a real-life story, I immediately cancel it,” she explained. “Because I convinced myself that no one would want to hire me to play a real person with no limb differences.”
Shortly after sending in her audition tape, Best’s agent called and told her that Kendrick wanted to meet on Zoom to discuss the role. “I was working at a coffee shop when I got the call, and I was like, ‘Hey, let me go out for a second,'” Best said. “It was very exciting!”
Best and Kendrick became “best friends” during filming. “She can read my mind,” Best said of working with the director. “She kind of knew when I was just tired or cold or just in my head.” (Introducing the film at the premiere, Kendrick affectionately said, (She described her as a “literal daughter.”)
Autumn Best and Anna Kendrick attend the Netflix ‘Woman of the Hour’ premiere at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.
Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Netflix
Daniel Zovatto (who played Alcala) also praised Best. “I think she has a really bright future,” he said, before recounting his experience filming the heart-wrenching, heart-pounding scene in which Rodney attacks Amy in the desert.
“It was like 6 in the morning and it was super cold. The sand was literally ice. Autumn wasn’t wearing anything, so the girl was ready to go. She was like, ‘Let’s do this.’ “I did,” Zovatto said. “When you have a scene partner like that, it’s so much fun because everyone pitches in. I loved working with that girl.”
Best said Kendrick comforted her by wrapping her in a blanket between takes during the filming of difficult scenes and reassured her about her performance. “She was very, very quick to say, ‘Hey, I see you,'” Best said. “When someone says, ‘Yeah,’ it makes the day easier, because then you don’t feel like you’re pretending it’s not hard.”
Kendrick also shared her perspective. “It’s funny, I’ve never considered myself a natural nurturer,” she said. “But I didn’t have to think too much about it, because I know how much I wanted from the actors in this movie. I’ve been in that position too, and I don’t think you should think too much about it. Kendrick added, “I was really touched by how everyone treated this material with such respect.”
In fact, all of the women who played Alcala’s victims spoke of how important the supportive environment Kendrick created on set was to their success, especially in the more intense scenes.
Kathryn Gallagher, who plays Charlie, said: “At the end of the hardest moment, Anna jumped out from behind the monitor in tears. I was like, ‘Are you OK?'” She pointed out how rare that kind of energy is. “It really shows that you can create an incredibly warm, safe and comfortable set without sacrificing making a great movie. She set the bar very high.”
Nicolette Robinson (whose character Laura is a collective of whistleblowers who tried to raise concerns about Alcala over the years) praised Kendrick’s vision and her sensitivity.
“I knew we were in really great hands,” Robinson said, adding that Kendrick was a dream to work with. “As actors, we don’t get a lot of recognition, we don’t really know if what we’re doing that day is working or not. [But] She was very positive and very supportive of highlighting the positive aspects. ”
Kelly Jakel, who has known Kendrick since they co-starred in the movie Pitch Perfect, will play Sara, the first victim seen on screen. “In one take, before I even opened my eyes, I felt her arms in a big bear hug around me,” Jakle recalled. “It was a really great moment for our friendship and for my work with her as a director.”
Anna Kendrick (center) with Kelly Jakle, Autumn Best, Nicolette Robinson and Kathryn Gallagher at the “Women of the Hour” premiere.
Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Netflix
