For a young actress whose character appeared in four of the five films of one of the highest-grossing franchises in history, the public revelation seemed almost unbelievable. Yet, actress Anna Kendrick, who played high school friend Jessica Stanley in the saga, hilariously confessed that she genuinely forgot her participation in the global phenomenon, The Twilight Saga. Her candidness provided a surprisingly relatable look at the experience of being a “normal” side character immersed in a chaotic supernatural universe.
A Viral Moment of Amnesia
The collective shock of the internet stemmed from a now-infamous tweet posted by Kendrick herself in 2018. The actress simply wrote: “Holy shit. I just remembered I was in Twilight.”
This moment of public forgetfulness was soon elaborated upon by the actress in subsequent interviews. While the five Twilight Saga films collectively grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide, Kendrick’s experience was far removed from the high-stakes, immortal drama that consumed her co-stars, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
The Role: Kendrick’s Jessica Stanley was one of protagonist Bella Swan’s human friends, primarily serving as comic relief and providing necessary exposition about the strangeness of the Cullen family.
The Schedule: Because her role was minor and non-supernatural, Kendrick was only called to set for short, isolated periods of time. This fragmented schedule meant her participation felt detached compared to the main cast who were present for months on end.
The “Fever Dream” of Filming
Kendrick often likened her time on the first film, Twilight (2008), to a grueling, bizarre experience. Filming took place in the cold, wet climate of Portland, Oregon (standing in for Forks, Washington), which contributed to an overall feeling of misery and absurdity.
The Environment: She described the set experience to Vanity Fair as akin to a “hostage situation” due to the frigid weather, recalling being constantly cold and miserable, noting, “I just remember my Converse being completely soaked through.”
The Detachment: This physical and professional detachment from the core, passionate narrative—where she was merely present to observe the bizarre behavior of the main characters—contributed to the entire thing feeling like a “fever dream,” as she later called it. Her most notable sequence was the memorable and surprisingly heartfelt graduation speech in the third film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), where her character delivered a high-energy monologue.
Ultimately, Kendrick’s ability to compartmentalize the experience—due to her small part as a “normal” human amid the supernatural fervor—allowed her to maintain perspective and eventually pivot to even greater fame, most notably leading the successful musical franchise, Pitch Perfect.
@accesshollywood #AnnaKendrick is looking back to her time working on Twilight!