Anna Kendrick Recalls Performing with Justin Timberlake While 'Really Sick' — and Why He Made Her Nervous

Mar. 15, 2025

Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival in May 2016.Photo:Dave Benett/Getty

Dave Benett/Getty

No one wants to get sick before they have to sing for a crowd — especially notAnna Kendrickwhen she needs to perform alongsideJustin Timberlake.During an appearance on the Dec. 20 episode ofDax Shepard’sArmchair Expertpodcast, the 39-year-old actress recalled performing a cover ofCyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” with Timberlake while promotingTrollsat the2016 Cannes Film Festivalwhile they were both under the weather.“We were both really sick,” said Kendrick, who plays a troll named Poppy in the animated film franchise alongside Timberlake, 43, as Branch. Their cover of “True Colors” appears on the soundtrack.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“He’s so sweet, and we were both really, really sick. But he is one of the great all-time pop recording artists,” she explained. “We did a very, very simple, version of ‘True Colors,’ and we just kept drilling it and drilling it and drilling it.“The Cannes experience quickly became nerve-wracking for Kendrick, who continued, “Right before we were about to go on, he was just singing his part to himself and added in, like, 20 riffs or whatever. And I went, ‘Are you gonna do it like that?’ And he was like, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It’s fine!'“At the time, she realized of Timberlake, “You still have access to so much of your voice that I do not have right now.“Kendrick added, “But he was very sweetly like, ‘No, no. It’s going to be exactly how we did it. It’s gonna be fine.'“In aninterview from the 2016Trollspromotional cycle, thePitch Perfectstar called the experience of working with Timberlake “obviously very exciting and intimidating but overall completely wonderful.“Anna Kendrick in October 2024.Jason Mendez/GettyThe PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!She described the performance as a “bucket list thing,” saying at the time, “In what context would I ever sing ‘True Colors’ with Justin Timberlake at Cannes? But it happened. Life’s funny.“Kendrick and Timberlake have since starred inTrollssequels includingTrolls World TourandTrolls Band Together, the latter of which saw the “SexyBack” artist reunite with *NSYNC for the song “Better Place.”

No one wants to get sick before they have to sing for a crowd — especially notAnna Kendrickwhen she needs to perform alongsideJustin Timberlake.

During an appearance on the Dec. 20 episode ofDax Shepard’sArmchair Expertpodcast, the 39-year-old actress recalled performing a cover ofCyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” with Timberlake while promotingTrollsat the2016 Cannes Film Festivalwhile they were both under the weather.

“We were both really sick,” said Kendrick, who plays a troll named Poppy in the animated film franchise alongside Timberlake, 43, as Branch. Their cover of “True Colors” appears on the soundtrack.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“He’s so sweet, and we were both really, really sick. But he is one of the great all-time pop recording artists,” she explained. “We did a very, very simple, version of ‘True Colors,’ and we just kept drilling it and drilling it and drilling it.”

The Cannes experience quickly became nerve-wracking for Kendrick, who continued, “Right before we were about to go on, he was just singing his part to himself and added in, like, 20 riffs or whatever. And I went, ‘Are you gonna do it like that?’ And he was like, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It’s fine!'”

At the time, she realized of Timberlake, “You still have access to so much of your voice that I do not have right now.”

Kendrick added, “But he was very sweetly like, ‘No, no. It’s going to be exactly how we did it. It’s gonna be fine.'”

In aninterview from the 2016Trollspromotional cycle, thePitch Perfectstar called the experience of working with Timberlake “obviously very exciting and intimidating but overall completely wonderful.”

Anna Kendrick in October 2024.Jason Mendez/Getty

Jason Mendez/Getty

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

She described the performance as a “bucket list thing,” saying at the time, “In what context would I ever sing ‘True Colors’ with Justin Timberlake at Cannes? But it happened. Life’s funny.”

Kendrick and Timberlake have since starred inTrollssequels includingTrolls World TourandTrolls Band Together, the latter of which saw the “SexyBack” artist reunite with *NSYNC for the song “Better Place.”

source: people.com