Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. The world’s highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide to date. She appeared in ‘Time’s’ 100 most influential people in the world list in 2013 and the Forbes Celebrity 100 list from 2013 to 2016.
During childhood, Lawrence performed in church plays and school musicals. At 14, she was spotted by a talent scout while vacationing in New York City with her family. She moved to Los Angeles and began her acting career in guest roles on television. Her first major role was that of a main cast member on the sitcom ‘The Bill Engvall Show’ (2007–2009).
She made her film debut in a supporting role in the drama ‘Garden Party’ (2008), and had her breakthrough playing Ree Dolly, a poverty-stricken teenage girl, in the coming-of-age independent mystery drama ‘Winter’s Bone’ (2010). Lawrence’s career progressed with starring roles as the mutant Mystique in the X-Men film series (2011–2019) and Katniss Everdeen in ‘The Hunger Games’ film series (2012–2015). The latter made her the highest-grossing action heroine of all time.
Lawrence has received a number of accolades for various films, including her three collaborations with filmmaker David O. Russell. Her performance as a young widow with an unnamed mental disorder in the romance film Silver Linings Playbook (2012) won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the second-youngest Best Actress winner at 22.
She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing an unpredictable wife in the black comedy ‘American Hustle’ (2013). Lawrence also received Golden Globe Awards for both of these films, and for her portrayal of businesswoman Joy Mangano in the biopic ‘Joy’ (2015).
A series of negatively reviewed films, including ‘Passengers’ (2016) and ‘Red Sparrow’ (2018), and the subsequent media scrutiny of her choices of roles led to a small break from acting. She returned in 2021 with the satirical black comedy ‘Don’t Look Up’.
Lawrence identifies as a feminist and advocates for women’s reproductive rights. In 2015, she founded the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, which advocates for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Special Olympics. She formed the production company Excellent Cadaver in 2018. She is an active member of the nonpartisan nonprofit anti-corruption organization RepresentUs and has served as a spokesperson in its videos about protecting democracy.
Artistry and public image
In 2012, the review website ‘IndieWire’ described Lawrence’s off-screen persona as “down-to-earth, self-deprecating, unaffected”. Adam McKay, who directed Lawrence in Don’t Look Up, considered her “a strong, funny truth-teller” woman. “No one has more beautiful anger than Jen”, Mckay said, “When she unleashes, it is a sight to behold.” An IGN writer described her as a “sharp”, “funny” and “quirky” actress who liked to “stay grounded” despite her considerable success. Lawrence has said she finds acting “stupid” in comparison to life-saving professions like doctors, and therefore does not believe in being “cocky” about her accomplishments.
In 2012, ‘Rolling Stone’ called Lawrence “the most talented young actress in America”. Her ‘The Hunger Games’ co-star Donald Sutherland found her an “exquisite and brilliant actor”, and favorably compared her craft to that of Laurence Olivier. David O. Russell, who directed Lawrence in ‘Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle and Joy’, has praised her effortless acting that makes her performances look easy.
She has played roles in both high-profile, mainstream productions and low-budget independent films, and appeared in a range of film genres. She did not study acting and has not been involved in professional theater.
She has said she bases her acting approach on her observations of people around her. She said in 2010 that she did not “invest any of [her] real emotions” or take home any of her characters’ pain. She went on to say that “I don’t even take it to craft services” and has never shared her characters’ experiences, relying instead on her imagination: “I can’t go around looking for roles that are exactly like my life… If it ever came down to the point where, to make a part better, I had to lose a little bit of my sanity, I wouldn’t do it. I would just do comedies.”
One of the highest paid
Lawrence has become one of the world’s highest-paid actresses. ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported in 2014 that she was earning $10 million per film. In 2013, ‘Time’ magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, ‘Elle’ labeled her the most powerful woman in the entertainment business, and ‘Forbes’ ranked her as the second most powerful actress, behind only Angelina Jolie. In 2014, Forbes named her the second-highest-paid actress in the world with earnings of $34 million, and cited her as the most powerful actress, ranking at number 12 on the magazine’s Celebrity 100 list; she appeared on the list again in 2015 and 2016.
In 2015, Lawrence was named “Entertainer of the Year” by ‘Entertainment Weekly’ — a title she also won in 2012—and was recognized as the highest-grossing action heroine in ‘Guinness World Records’ for starring in the ‘Hunger Games’ series. In 2015 and 2016, Forbes ranked her as the world’s highest-paid actress, with annual earnings of $52 million and $46 million, respectively. In the following two years, it ranked her as the world’s third and fourth highest-paid actresses, with respective earnings of $24 million and $18 million. ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ listed Lawrence among the 100 most powerful people in entertainment from 2016 to 2018. As of 2019, her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide.
Lawrence appeared on Victoria’s Secret’s listing of the “Sexiest Up-and-Coming Bombshell” in 2011, People’s Most Beautiful People in 2011 and 2013, ‘Maxim’s’ Hot 100 from 2011 to 2014, and was placed at number one on FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women list in 2014. From 2013 to 2015, she was featured on ‘Glamour’s’ annual listing of the best dressed women, topping the list in 2014.
During Raf Simons’s tenure at Dior, Lawrence became a celebrity ambassador for the brand, appearing in advertisement campaigns for its fashion and perfumes. She frequently wears Dior to red carpet events such as film premieres and award ceremonies. She wore a custom Dior bridal gown on her wedding day.