If you had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of meeting former president Barack Obama, you might aspire to leave a lasting impression. Anna Kendrick had this opportunity, and she hit the jackpot. She didn’t just make Obama laugh, but truly double over with laughter. How did she pull this off? It turns out, she actually insulted Obama to his face.
She shared the story in a recent interview with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. In 2012, Kendrick had the opportunity to meet Obama out in Los Angeles. During a conversation about the recession and the economy, the former president referenced Kendrick’s 2009 movie Up In The Air. The film not only addresses both subjects, but it’s one of Obama’s favorites.
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“I hope I didn’t embarrass you earlier,” Obama told Kendrick later in a one-on-one conversation. Without hesitation, Kendrick joked back, “Yeah, you’re such an asshole.” As she recounted the story to Colbert, she reenacted the shock she felt when she realized that she had just insulted the president to his face. Obama clearly picked up on her dry sense of humor, and Kendrick has the photo to prove it.
Knowing now that Obama appreciates a bit of teasing with a heavy dose of sarcasm, Kendrick – who is originally from Maine – explained how she was the first person to arrive at the event. “Are people from Maine really punctual?” Obama asked. “And I was like, ‘You didn’t know that? You’re the president!'” recounted Kendrick.
If we managed to make the president laugh as hard as she did, we would commit the entire conversation to memory too.