Dear Anna Kendrick, let’s be best friends. I like scrappy people. According to your book, Scrappy Little Nobody, you come from humble beginnings. You weren’t the coolest kid in school or the most popular. You were picked on, you had insecurities, and you had trouble making friends. You had a dream and your parents sacrificed a lot to help you make it happen. I like those kinds of people. People who don’t give up, who do what they can with what they have, and go after what they want. I think we’d be great friends. 

But Anna, let’s be real. You are most known for Pitch Perfect. Yet you skim over this part of your life all too quickly. Sure, the funeral story was good, but tell me more about what it’s like to sing a cappella all day long. I’m sure it sucks to be known for this teen movie, a girl full of angst who sings competitively in high school. I’m sure you want to highlight your range and the diverse roles you’ve played – business woman, Cinderella – but seriously. Just embrace your inner Beca.

Also, I think we need to discuss your definition of “hard work.” I think you did a pretty good job of describing the shitty apartment you had when you moved to LA. And I think you captured your lifestyle of drinking, drugs, and sex pretty well while you went to crappy audition after crappy audition. But Anna, is that hard work? Are you sure? I don’t doubt that when you were working on big movie sets that the days were long and tedious and emotionally difficult. But that time you describe before you became really known – I wouldn’t call that hard work.

And Anna, no matter how much I love you as a friend, I don’t think your story is all that unique. I liked hearing your anecdotes about the different sets you were on, the different people you worked with. I liked hearing about how much you hate the red carpet (but is that true?). But it didn’t sound to me like your struggle, or even success, in the acting world was all that interesting. You’re a white girl from Maine, who followed her dreams to be an actress. Whoop-de-do.

You’re funny, frank, sometimes self-deprecating, and sure I’ll say it, scrappy. I think we’d get along perfectly. But as a friend, I’m here to tell you to please be honest with yourself, even if you can’t be honest with the rest of the world.