It’s been a good while since we’ve heard anything about Jennifer Lawrence, especially since she broke all the rules by going solo and choosing her own projects, so it’s no surprise that fans are wondering if she’s done. After all, it’s not like she’s been on holiday or anything, she’s just been busy.
The fact is, the 24-year-old Hollywood star didn’t just sit around waiting for other people’s projects to come her way, she put in the hard work to become an independent force, and it absolutely paid off.
In 2016, Lawrence became one of the few actresses to ever achieve a perfect score on the notoriously difficult SAT test. She went on to study economics at Harvard, and then began her acting career with significant roles in 2017’s Joy and 2018’s Red Notice.
Since then, she’s managed to avoid the huge franchises and summer blockbusters in favour of independent films, which is probably why she’s taken a while to come back from her self-imposed sabbatical.
Here, we take a look at some of the intriguing things about Lawrence, from her love for cats to her acting style. So, whether you know her from her roles in the Hunger Games, or you’ve just heard about her recent career resurgence, here’s everything you need to know about this exciting new actress.
Her Career So Far
Lawrence started her acting career when she was just 14 years old, appearing in an episode of the short-lived TV show Home Improvement, where she played a shy teen fitting in at an adult party.
While at college, Lawrence took a year off to work on her tan, and then landed a role in the 2012 sequel to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire. She went on to star in another hit film that year, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and played a supporting role in the first The Hunger Games movie.
The following year, Lawrence starred in the highly anticipated third and final installement of The Hunger Games, Mockingjay – Part 2, as the rebellious Katniss Everdeen, who risks her life to protect her friends and family. The movie went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time, not to mention the platform for Lawrence’s breakout year. For her performance, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Drama, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, and was nominated for an Academy Award. She’s also the first actress to be nominated for three Oscars in one year.
Lawrence’s success continued in 2018, with the release of the highly acclaimed film Hunger Games: Mortal Engagement, in which she starred alongside Elle MacLeman. The role saw her play a double agent assigned to protect the Capitol’s interests during the game, and it was recently announced that Lawrence has signed on to star in an as-yet-untitled Hunger Games TV series.
While her career might not be as big as some of her famous co-stars, there’s no denying that Lawrence is one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood. Notable roles in this year alone include:
- X-Men: Dark Phoenix (film)
- Venom (film)
- Joy (film)
- Red Notice (film)
- Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (film)
- Black Hawk Down (film)
- The Hunt (film)
Why Is She Interested In Cats?
Although she’s never explicitly said, it’s clear that Lawrence is a big fan of cats. She has a black cat named Boomer, and earlier this year, she took to Twitter to announce the birth of her second child, a daughter named Bobbi. The actress is also a member of the Humane Society of the United States and PETA, and has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the dangers of fur.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of cats,” Lawrence said in a 2018 interview with Vanity Fair. “I have one named Boomer, and I’ve always wanted one. It’s just whenever I travel, and I have to be away from home for a while, that’s when I come back to find out he’s been attacked or injured by a dog or a cat, or he’s just missing.”
According to Vanity Fair, a lot of actors’ dogs grow up realizing that their livelihood depends on their good behaviour, which leaves them less eager to engage in fight-like behaviour with other animals, particularly their own kind. This is probably why so many Hollywood stars are such vocal advocates against animal cruelty.
How Does She Eat?
Another thing that sets Lawrence apart from most other stars is the way she eats. The actress is a self-proclaimed “paleo enthusiast” and credits the diet with helping her lose a lot of weight for the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.
In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2018, Lawrence explained that a lot of people in Hollywood have been affected by the pandemic, including herself. She lost a lot of weight, and decided that she wasn’t going to be one of those people who, “You know, will wake up one day and just not feel like eating anything.”
“I just want to lead a healthy lifestyle now,” she said. “I’ve been eating a lot of vegetables and fruits and grain-free pasta and rice, and chicken and fish.”
For those in the catering industry, this is music to their ears. This year has seen a surge in demand for paleo, vegan and vegetarian menus, with people looking to avoid processed foods in favour of organic and locally sourced fare.
She Is One Of The Most Open-Handed Actresses
One of the best things about Lawrence is that she is very open about discussing her craft, and isn’t afraid to share her opinions or ideas. This makes her much more accessible to audiences, and less likely to cause controversies. In 2015, Lawrence even tweeted about her support for the #OscarsSoWhite movement, which saw a string of glaring omissions from the Academy Awards, causing an outcry from fans and activists.
In 2015, she also made headlines when she was accused of cultural appropriation by some social media users for wearing a Native American headdress while filming in British Columbia, Canada. She later apologised for the “careless” tweet and said that she was “taken aback” by the backlash.
“I love a good headdress. It’s such a beautiful thing,” she said in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. “For me, it’s about respect. I would never wear something like that unless I knew how they felt about it.”
In the same interview, Lawrence discussed her fear of being defined by her work, saying: “I don’t want people to think that I’m an actress, because then they’ll see me as an actress. That’s not who I am. I don’t want to be famous for being famous. I want to be famous for my work.” She also credited social media with helping her to find her voice, saying: “I feel like now I can let my freak flag fly. I can be myself. I can be funny and I can be serious. I can be loud and I can be quiet.”
Has She Had Trouble In Her Career?
As well as being one of the most in-demand actresses, Lawrence is also one of the most respected. The 24-year-old doesn’t get involved in any controversies, and her fans know not to expect anything less from her. She is also one of the few actresses to ever appear in all three live-action iterations of The Hunger Games, so she definitely holds this prestigious title.
However, despite her spotless career, there have been times when Lawrence hasn’t had it so easy. In 2018, she revealed that she’d been battling an addiction to painkillers since she was 15 years old. She went public with the news after she was mislabeled as a drug addict in an unsavoury Twitter feud with Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka.
“I definitely have my bad days,” she said. “But I would never want to be defined by my addiction. I want to be known for my work, and I want people to look at me and say, ‘She’s a talented actress,’ not ‘She’s a drug addict.’ That’s not who I am.”