Who is Jennifer Shrader Lawrence? [1][2][3] The entertainment and acting world knows her as
American actress. Her first major role was as a lead cast member on
TBS's
The Bill Engvall Show (2007–2009) and she subsequently appeared in the independent films
The Burning Plain (2008) and
Winter's Bone (2010), for which she received nominations for the
Academy Award,
Golden Globe Award,
Satellite Award,
Independent Spirit Award, and
Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. At age 20, she was the
third-youngest actress ever to be nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress. At age 22, her performance in the romantic comedy
Silver Linings Playbook
(2012) earned her the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors
Guild Award, Satellite Award and the Independent Spirit Award for Best
Actress, amongst other accolades, making her the youngest person ever to
be nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Actress and the
second-youngest Best Actress winner.
[5]
Jennifer Lawrence, she is an
Lawrence is also known for playing
Raven Darkhölme / Mystique in the 2011 film
X-Men: First Class, a role she will reprise in
X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014. Beginning in 2012, she achieved international recognition starring as the heroine
Katniss Everdeen in
The Hunger Games and its
three sequels, an adaptation of
Suzanne Collins' best-selling
series of the same name.
Her performance in the films garnered her notable critical praise and
marked her as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time.
[6][7] Lawrence's performances thus far have prompted
Rolling Stone to call her "the most talented young actress in America."
[8] In 2013,
Time named her one of the
100 most influential people in the world[9] and
ELLE Magazine named her the most powerful woman in the entertainment business.
[10]
Early life
Lawrence was born August 15, 1990 and raised in
Louisville, Kentucky.
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 has two older brothers, Ben and Blaine.
[11][12][13] She acted in local theater
[14] 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 in Kentucky. She graduated
from high school two years early with a 3.9 average in order to begin a
career in acting.
[11][15]
While growing up and in between acting, Lawrence served as an assistant
nurse at the children's summer day camp that her mother ran.
[16]
Career
2006–09: Early work
Lawrence has never taken any drama classes or lessons for acting.
[11] 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
Cold Case,
Medium, and
Monk.
[17] In 2007, Lawrence auditioned for the role of
Bella Swan in
Twilight, however the role went to
Kristen Stewart.
Later, Lawrence stated that she was "glad" that she had not received
the role because of the massive media attention that Stewart received
from the role.
[18][19]
In 2008, she appeared in a small role in the film
Garden Party as Tiff. 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.
[20]
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.
[21] 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.
2010–12: Breakthrough
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.
[22] 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.
[23] 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."
[24] 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".
[25] 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 third-youngest actress to date to be nominated for the category,
[26] 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.
[27] The following year, it was announced that Lawrence was invited to join the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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.
[28]
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.
[29][30]
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.
[31]
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.
[32] Forbes stated "No one who has seen
The Hunger Games would question star Jennifer Lawrence's ability to play an action star."
[33] 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".
[34] Kenneth Turan from the
Los Angeles Times
stated 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".
[35] Chicago Sun-Times film critic
Roger Ebert also agreed that "Lawrence is strong and convincing in the central role".
[36]
In June 2011, she starred as
shape-shifting villain
Mystique alongside
James McAvoy and
Michael Fassbender in
X-Men: First Class,
[37] 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.
[38] She also starred alongside
Max Thieriot and
Elisabeth Shue in
Mark Tonderai's thriller
House at the End of the Street,
[39] which was released in September 2012.
[40] 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 the recently widowed Tiffany Maxwell 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
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."
[41] 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."
[42] She won the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and several other accolades for Best Actress for her performance in the film.
2013–present: Upcoming projects
In 2012, Lawrence replaced
Angelina Jolie in
Susanne Bier's depression-era thriller,
Serena, based on the novel of the same name by
Ron Rash.
[43][44]
She will be playing the role of an unstable woman named Serena who
learns that she can never bear her husband's children and sets out to
murder the woman who bore her husband an illegitimate son before their
marriage. 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.
[45]
In October 2012, Lawrence was announced as the new face of
Dior.
[46] She ranked No. 1 on
AskMen's list of
Top 99 Most Desirable Women for 2013.
[47]
In 2014, Lawrence will be reprising her role as
Mystique in
X-Men: Days of Future Past with
James McAvoy and
Michael Fassbender. On February 15, 2013 it was announced that Lawrence will star opposite
Christian Bale,
Bradley Cooper,
Amy Adams, and
Jeremy Renner in
American Hustle about the ’70s FBI sting operation Abscam.
[48] She will also be starring in her third collaboration film directed by David O. Russell titled
The Ends of the Earth.
[49]
Lawrence will play
Jeannette Walls in the film adaptation of Walls' best-selling memoir
The Glass Castle.
[50] She will reprise her role of Katniss Everdeen in the film adaptations of the final
Hunger Games book;
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is set to be released on November 21, 2014.
Part 2 is set to be released on November 20, 2015.
In June 2013, it was announced that Lawrence will be starring in and
producing the film adaptation of Claire Bidwell Smith's memoir
The Rules of Inheritance, directed by
Susanne Bier[51]
In September 2013, it was announced that Lawrence was to star in the adaptation of the novel
East of Eden with director Gary Ross. The film is based on the
John Steinbeck novel and was already adapted to film in 1955, starring
James Dean (although the film only adapted the latter half of the novel).
[52] She was also chosen to star in
Burial Rites, a film adaptation of
Hannah Kent's debut novel, where she would be joined again by Gary Ross.
Personal life
Lawrence has stated that she had a difficult childhood because she
had problems with anxiety and hyperactivity for which she went to
therapy and received medication. These issues seemed to fade away when
she began acting.
[53] Lawrence lived in New York City for the first few years of her career, but now resides in
Santa Monica, California.
[11]
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."
[54]
Acting style
Donald Sutherland compared Lawrence to
Laurence Olivier and also described her as an "exquisite and brilliant actor".
[55] Film director
David O. Russell has praised her effortless acting that make her performances look easy.
[56]
Lawrence stated "I've always studied people and been fascinated by
their reactions and feelings. And I think that's the best acting class
you can take -- watching real people, listening to them and studying
them".
[57]
Filmography
Film
Television
| Notes |
| 2006 |
Company Town |
Caitlin |
Unsold TV pilot |
| 2007 |
Not Another High School Show |
Frantic girl |
Unsold TV pilot |
| 2006 |
Monk |
Jen (Mascot) |
Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Big Game" |
| 2007–2008 |
Medium |
Claire Chase, Young Allison |
2 episodes |
| 2007 |
Cold Case |
Abby Bradford |
Episode: "A Dollar, a Dream" |
| 2007–2009 |
The Bill Engvall Show |
Lauren Pearson |
30 episodes |
| 2013 |
Saturday Night Live |
Host |
Episode: "Jennifer Lawrence/The Lumineers" |
Awards and nominations
Lawrence has been the recipient of an
Academy Award, a
Golden Globe Award, a
Screen Actors Guild Award, two
Critic's Choice Movie Awards, a
Independent Spirit Award, a
Venice Film Festival Award, a
Palm Springs International Film Festival Award, a
Saturn Award, a
Satellite Award and several other awards.
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In 2004, Mitchel made his Hollywood film debut in Secondhand Lions, alongside his brother Marc. Before Musso was cast in Secondhand Lions, he had been in several films beforehand: Am I Cursed? as Richie and The Keyman as a cub scout both in 2002. Musso also starred in three episodes of King of the Hill as the voice of Bobby Hill's friend Curt in the episodes "The Powder Puff Boys" and "Bobby Rae" as well as the surfer kid in "Four Wave Intersection" in 2007.
Musso sang a remixed remake of the song "Lean on Me" for the Disney film, Snow Buddies; the music video is included on the DVD and the song is included on the Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 12 CD. Musso also sang the song "If I Didn't Have You" with Hannah Montana co-star Emily Osment for the DisneyMania 6 CD in 2008 and sang the song Stand Out for the Disneymania 7 CD in 2010. For their 2009 Disney Channel Original Movie, Hatching Pete, Musso teamed up with co-star Tiffany Thornton, from Sonny with a Chance, to record a song called "Let It Go" that was used in the film. The two also worked on a music video for the song which was released to Disney Channel. Musso also recorded a song called "The Girl Can't Help It" for another Disney Channel Original Movie, Princess Protection Program. "Let it Go" and "The Girl Can't Help It" was featured on the Disney compilation album, Disney Channel Playlist, which was released on June 23, 2008.
