- published: 09 Dec 2012
- views: 566838
Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English writer, director, radio presenter, comedian, and actor. He is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington, as the co-writer and co-director of the popular British sitcom The Office; co-writer and co-star of Extras; and co-host of The Ricky Gervais Show in its radio, podcast, audiobook, and television show forms. The Ricky Gervais Show in radio form won a bronze Sony Award.
Merchant appeared as himself in the BBC series Life's Too Short, which he co-wrote and co-directed. He also voiced the character Wheatley in the popular 2011 video game Portal 2, co-developed the Sky1 travel series An Idiot Abroad, and performs as a stand-up comedian. He has won three BAFTA Awards, four British Comedy Awards and an Emmy Award. He recently starred in a role on a show he created, wrote, and directed, called Hello Ladies. His most recent project is starring in his first play by English playwright Richard Bean, The Mentalists, which was in London at Wyndham's Theatre in July and August 2015.
Anna Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actor in theater productions. Her first prominent role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She made her film debut in the musical comedy Camp (2003).
Kendrick rose to prominence for her supporting role in The Twilight Saga (2008–12), the blockbuster film franchise based on Stephenie Meyer’s book series of the same name. She went on to earn critical acclaim for her performance in Up in the Air (2009), including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Kendrick has since featured in successful films like the comedy-drama 50/50 (2011), the crime drama End of Watch (2012), and the musical fantasy Into the Woods (2014). She has achieved further fame for playing the protagonist in the successful musical comedy Pitch Perfect (2012) and its blockbuster sequel Pitch Perfect 2 (2015).