Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. She started out her career by playing lead roles in TBS's The Bill Engvall Show and in the independent films The Burning Plain and Winter's Bone, for which she received nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Satellite Award, and theScreen Actors Guild Award. At age 20, she became the second youngest actress ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Lawrence is also known for playing the villian Raven Darkhölme / Mystique in the 2011 filmX-Men: First Class. In 2012, she achieved wider recognition starring as the heroine Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, an adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel of the same name. Her performance in the film garnered her notable critical praise and marked her as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time. Lawrence's performances thus far have prompted Rolling Stone to call her "the most talented young actress in America".
Early life
Lawrence was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and has two older brothers. Her parents are Karen (née Koch), who runs a children's camp, and Gary Lawrence, who once owned a concrete construction firm, Lawrence & Associates. She acted in local theater and, by the age of 14, had decided to pursue an acting career, persuading her parents to take her to New York City to find a talent agent. Prior to finding success in Hollywood, Lawrence attended Kammerer Middle School. She graduated from high school two years early with a 3.9 average in order to begin a career in acting. While growing up and in between acting, Lawrence served as an assistant nurse at the children's summer day camp that her mother ran.
Career
Early work
Lawrence has never taken any drama classes or lessons for acting. She started out her acting career in the TBS comedy The Bill Engvall Show, playing Lauren Pearson, the eldest daughter. Written and created by Bill Engvall and Michael Leeson, the show is set in a Denver suburb and follows the life of 'Bill Pearson' (played by Engvall), a family counselor whose own family could use a little dose of counseling. The series went on the air in September 2007 and was canceled in 2009 after three seasons. Lawrence received the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Performer in a TV Series for her role in the show.
Lawrence had guest-roles in the television series The Devil You Know, Cold Case, Medium, and Monk.
In 2008, she appeared in a small role in the film Garden Party as Tiff. It was directed by Jason Freeland. The same year, Lawrence appeared on the big screen in Guillermo Arriaga's film directorial debut The Burning Plain, opposite Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. Her performance in the film earned her the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young emerging actor/actress at the Venice Film Festival in 2008.
Still in 2008, Lawrence had the lead role in another film director's debut, Lori Petty's family drama The Poker House, opposite Selma Blair and Chloë Grace Moretz, where she starred as Agnes, a young girl victim of abuse. Lawrence was awarded the Los Angeles Film Festival Award for Outstanding Performance for her role in the film. She appeared in the music video for the song "The Mess I Made", from the 2009 album Losing Sleep by Parachute.
2010–present
Lawrence's lead role in Debra Granik's Winter's Bone, which won best picture at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010, is generally cited as a breakout performance for her. She portrays Ree Dolly, a seventeen-year-old in the Ozark Mountains who cares for her mentally ill mother and her younger brother and sister. Ree then discovers that her father put their house and land up as a bond for a court appearance before he disappeared, and the family now faces eviction. The performance was highly acclaimed by film critics. David Denby, writing in The New Yorker, said "the movie would be unimaginable with anyone less charismatic playing Ree." Peter Travers from the Rolling Stone also spoke highly of her and noted that "her performance is more than acting, it's a gathering storm. Lawrence's eyes are a roadmap to what's tearing Ree apart". Receiving accolades for her performance, Lawrence was awarded the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress on January 25, 2011, becoming the second-youngest actress to date to be nominated for the category, and also accrued nominations from the Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and the Satellite Awards among others.
Lawrence appeared in The Beaver, a dark comedy starring Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson. The film was shot in 2009, but spent an extended period of time stalled due to controversy. It was released on May 6, 2011. She also co-starred in the independent film Like Crazy, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The following year, it was announced that Lawrence was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In June 2011, she starred as shape-shifting villain Mystique alongside James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class, a prequel to the rest of the X-Men film series. Lawrence's Mystique is a younger version of the character played by Rebecca Romijn in earlier X-Men films. Lawrence will reprise the role in the 2014 sequel, X-Men: Days of Future Past. She also starred alongside Max Thieriot and Elisabeth Shue in Mark Tonderai's thriller House at the End of the Street, which was released in September 2012.[23] She was originally cast to play "O" in the film Savages directed by Oliver Stone, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
In November 2012, Lawrence played a recovering sex addict in David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook, an adaptation of the novel of the same name, by Matthew Quick, opposite Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. She received widespread critical praise for her performance in the film, with Richard Corliss of TIME Magazine writing, "The reason to stay is Lawrence. Just 21 when the movie was shot, Lawrence is that rare young actress who plays, who is, grown-up. Sullen and sultry, she lends a mature intelligence to any role... Jennifer Lawrence is the silver lining in this mostly ordinary playbook." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also wrote that Lawrence "is some kind of miracle. She's rude, dirty, funny, foulmouthed, sloppy, sexy, vibrant and vulnerable, sometimes all in the same scene, even in the same breath. No list of Best Actress Oscar contenders would be complete without the electrifying Lawrence in the lead. She lights up the screen."
In 2012, Lawrence replaced Angelina Jolie in Susanne Bier's depression-era thriller, The Falling, based on the novel Serena by Ron Rash. She will be playing the role of Serena who learns that she can never bear her husband children and is set out to murder the woman who bore her husband an illegitimate son before their marriage.
In October 2012, Lawrence was announced as the new face of Dior.
She ranked #1 on AskMen's list of Top 99 Women for 2013.
The Hunger Games
In March 2011, Lawrence was offered the part of Katniss Everdeen in the film The Hunger Games, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. Despite being a fan of the books, Lawrence took three days to accept the role because she was initially intimidated by the size of the movie and what it may mean for her fame. She underwent extensive training to get in shape for the role, including stunt training, archery, rock and tree climbing, combat, running,parkour, pilates, and yoga. The film was released on March 23, 2012, and set the record for the third-largest opening weekend of all time, making a record-breaking $152.5 million in three days for a non-sequel film.
The fact that The Hunger Games emerged as a big box office hit with a female lead represents a dramatic shift for the action film genre because historically, among the "top 200 worldwide box-office hits ever ($350 million and up), not one has been built around a female action star" and for the first time ever, Lawrence contradicts that. Forbes stated "No one who has seen The Hunger Gameswould question star Jennifer Lawrence's ability to play an action star." She is currently the highest grossing action heroine ever.
Though the film generally received positive reviews, Lawrence's portrayal of Katniss Everdeen was the most highly praised with Todd McCarthy from The Hollywood Reporter saying Lawrence embodies Katniss, "just as one might imagine her from the novel" and "anchors" the whole film "with impressive gravity and presence", ultimately calling her "the ideal screen actress". Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Timesstated that Lawrence is the "best possible performer as Katniss and is the key factor in making 'Hunger Games' an involving popular entertainment with strong narrative drive that holds our attention". Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert also agreed that "Lawrence is strong and convincing in the central role".
On September 10, 2012, Lawrence began working on the film adaptation of the second novel in the The Hunger Games trilogy, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2013.
Personal life
Lawrence lived in New York City for the first few years of her career, but now resides in Santa Monica, California. She has been dating English actor Nicholas Hoult since 2011. Regarding her personal life, Lawrence has stated, "You don't want your relationship to be in the press, but at the same time, and this is only a theory, the more you try and keep it secret, the more the media tries to crack it open."
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Company Town | Caitlin | |
| 2007 | Not Another High School Show | Frantic girl | |
| 2008 | Garden Party | Tiff | |
| 2008 | The Poker House | Agnes | Los Angeles Film Festival – Outstanding Performance Award |
| 2008 | The Burning Plain | Mariana | Venice Film Festival – Marcello Mastroianni Award |
| 2010 | Winter's Bone | Ree Dolly | Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Performer Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Florida Film Critics Circle – Pauline Kael Breakout Award San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Seattle International Film Festival Award for Best Actress Stockholm International Film Festival Award for Best Actress Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Rising Star Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best Actress Nominated—Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Nominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Youth in Film Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year Nominated—Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Nominated—Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated—Irish Film and Television Award for Best International Actress Nominated—Prism Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film Leading Young Actress |
| 2011 | Like Crazy | Sam | |
| 2011 | The Beaver | Norah | |
| 2011 | X-Men: First Class | Raven Darkholme/Mystique | IGN Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated—Scream Award for Best Fantasy Actress Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star – Female Nominated—People's Choice Award for Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast Nominated—People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Superhero |
| 2012 | The Hunger Games | Katniss Everdeen | Santa Barbara International Film Festival Award for Outstanding Performer of the Year MTV Movie Award for Best Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Fight Teen Choice Award for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actress Teen Choice Award for Liplock Teen Choice Award for Chemistry Teen Choice Award for Fight Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Hero Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Cast Pending—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie Pending—People's Choice Award for Best Movie Actress Pending—People's Choice Award for Favourite Face of Heroism Pending—People's Choice Award for Favourite On-Screen Chemistry |
| 2012 | Devil You Know | Young Zoe | |
| 2012 | House at the End of the Street | Elissa | |
| 2012 | Silver Linings Playbook | Tiffany | Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Santa Barbara International Film Festival Award for Outstanding Performer of the Year Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Pending—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Pending—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble Pending—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Pending—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Pending—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Pending—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Pending—Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Pending—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Pending—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Pending—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Nominated—Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Performance Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress |
| 2013 | The Falling | Serena Pemberton | |
| 2013 | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | Katniss Everdeen | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Monk | Mascot | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Big Game" |
| 2007 | Medium | Claire Chase | Episode: "Mother's Little Helper" |
| 2007 | Cold Case | Abby Bradford | Episode: "A Dollar, a Dream" |
| 2007–2009 | The Bill Engvall Show | Lauren Pearson | Series regular, 30 episodes Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Performer in a TV Series |
| 2008 | Medium | Young Allison | Episode: "But for the Grace of God" |
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