Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence is a prominent American actor born on August 15, 1990, in Louisville, Kentucky. She gained widespread acclaim for her performances in both independent films and major blockbusters. Lawrence first achieved recognition with her Oscar-nominated role in "Winter's Bone" (2010) and became a household name through her portrayal of Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games" franchise (2012–2015). Her versatility as an actress is further highlighted by her performances in "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress, and "American Hustle" (2013).
Over the years, Lawrence has seamlessly transitioned between various genres, starring in films like "Passengers" (2016) and "Red Sparrow" (2018). In addition to her acting career, she has been vocal about political issues and women's rights, especially during the 2020 presidential election and beyond. On the personal front, Lawrence married art dealer Cooke Maroney in 2019, and they welcomed a son in 2022. Her dedication and talent have solidified her position as one of Hollywood's leading actresses, with several exciting projects anticipated in the coming years.
Subject Terms
Jennifer Lawrence
Actor
- Born: August 15, 1990
- Place of Birth: Louisville, Kentucky
Significance: Jennifer Lawrence is an American actor whose film credits include Winter’s Bone (2010), the Hunger Games franchise (2012–15), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Hustle (2013),Passengers (2016), and Red Sparrow (2018). Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including for Academy Awards, establishing her as one of Hollywood’s top actors.
Background
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence was born on August 15, 1990, in Louisville, Kentucky. The only daughter of Gary, who owned a construction firm, and Karen (née Koch), the founder of a children’s camp called Camp Hi-Ho, Lawrence grew up with two older brothers, Ben and Blaine.
Growing up in the suburbs of Louisville, where her family owned a horse farm, Lawrence spent her childhood days riding horses, playing sports, cheerleading, and hanging around with her brothers. Her first real acting experience came at the age of nine when she was chosen to play the role of a sex worker in a church play, which was based on the book of Jonah. Furthermore, when she was fourteen years old, Lawrence played the tragic role of Desdemona in a local production of William Shakespeare’s Othello, performed at the Walden Theatre.
One day, while Lawrence and her mother were in New York City for spring break, a model scout approached her on the street and asked if he could take a picture. She agreed to the request and gave the recruiter her mother’s phone number in case he needed to contact her—and he did. It was during that fateful trip that Lawrence decided that she did not want to model exclusively; instead, she would pursue acting and sign only with an agency that would let her audition for scripted parts.
Having always struggled with school and as she was determined to become an actor, Lawrence dropped out of middle school around the age of fourteen and moved to New York City for a time with her mother (her family would end up taking turns spending time with her in New York) to continue auditioning. After relocating to Los Angeles, her first substantial break into the industry came in television in 2006 when she appeared in an episode of the detective drama series Monk as a school mascot. From 2007 to 2009, she portrayed Lauren Pearson, a rebellious teenager, on The Bill Engvall Show, a TBS comedy series that ran for three seasons.
Acting Career
Lawrence achieved international recognition for her role as Ree Dolly in the 2010 film Winter’s Bone. This mystery-drama, which follows seventeen-year-old Ree as she tries to solve a dark family secret in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, was met with critical acclaim, and Lawrence’s performance was universally lauded, earning her a 2011 Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
After Winter’s Bone, roles continued to come Lawrence’s way. In 2011, she became part of the increasingly popular superhero genre of films when she portrayed Mystique, a shape-shifting mutant, in X-Men: First Class. She would return to her role as Mystique in several films within the X-Men franchise, including X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019).
The year 2012 proved particularly successful for Lawrence. First, she played the role of Katniss Everdeen, a skilled archer fighting for justice in the fictional, dystopian world of Panem in The Hunger Games, the first of four sci-fi films based on the best-selling novels by Suzanne Collins. All of the films in the franchise, which include The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1 (2014), and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 2 (2015), were extremely successful at the box office, making Lawrence a household name across the globe.
Meanwhile, Lawrence also starred as Tiffany Maxwell in 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook. Set in Philadelphia, this romantic comedy–drama follows Pat Solitano Jr. (played by Bradley Cooper), a struggling man estranged from his wife who falls for Lawrence’s character, a quirky, sex-crazed young widow. Once again, her performance was widely praised and helped her earn a 2013 Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role and a 2013 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy, among other accolades.
Following the success of Silver Linings Playbook, Lawrence appeared in the 2013 film American Hustle, an anarchic dramedy inspired by the events of a real-life scam that took place in the 1970s, alongside an ensemble cast featuring the likes of Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Cooper. The next year, she teamed up with Cooper once more to play the titular character in the film Serena, directed by Susanne Bier and inspired by Ron Rash’s 2008 novel of the same name. Set in North Carolina, this drama follows newlyweds Serena Shaw and George Pemberton (played by Cooper) as they try to run a timber business in the era of the Great Depression.
Further proving her versatility as an actor, in 2016, Lawrence was seen in the sci-fi romance film Passengers opposite Chris Pratt, and in 2017, she starred in the psychological horror film Mother! She then took on the lead role in the 2018 spy thriller Red Sparrow, which follows the story of Dominika Egorova, a former ballerina forced into a secret intelligence service called Sparrow School.
While Lawrence did not appear in any films released in 2020, in part due to shifting production schedules during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, she did become more politically vocal as she used social media platforms to encourage people to vote in that year's presidential election. Lawrence returned to acting in 2021’s Netflix film, Don’t Look Up, costarring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2022, she appeared in the independent film Causeway. The next year, Lawrence was in the film No Hard Feelings about a woman desperately in need of a job hired to help a young man overcome his helicopter parents and become a man. She continued to be in demand, with several projects in production for the following years. She also remained politically vocal, speaking out in favor of her prefered candidate in the 2024 election while working on a pair of documentaries about women's rights.
Impact
For her role in the film Silver Linings Playbook, Lawrence received a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar at the age of twenty-two, making her one of the youngest actors to earn those accolades in the best actress category. Throughout her years as an actor, she has shown commitment and versatility, qualities that allow her to portray very distinct characters across a variety of cinematic genres.
Personal Life
In October 2019, Lawrence married Cooke Maroney, a successful art dealer, in an intimate ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island. The couple, who welcomed a son in 2022, typically spends their time between New York and Los Angeles.
Bibliography
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Hoby, Hermione. “Jennifer Lawrence: Whip-Smart and Witty Star Who Likes a Good Fight.” The Guardian, 17 Oct. 2015, www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/18/jennifer-lawrence-a-list-actress-loves-to-speak-her-mind-film. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
"Jennifer Lawrence." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm2225369/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
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Lawrence, Jennifer. “The Jennifer Lawrence Interview, by Oprah Winfrey.” The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Dec. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/jennifer-lawrence-interview-by-oprah-winfrey-1064576. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
Lawrence, Jennifer. "Jennifer Lawrence Interview: Oscar Winning Marvel and Hunger Games Star on Body Positivity, Dodging Paparazzi and Keeping It Real in the Hollywood Machine." South China Morning Post, 14 Aug. 2020, www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3097293/jennifer-lawrence-interview-oscar-winning-marvel-and. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
Pina, Christy. "Jennifer Lawrence Reveals Why She’s Endorsing Kamala Harris: 'Abortion Is Literally on the Ballot'." Hollywood Reporter, 24 Sept. 2024, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/jennifer-lawrence-endorsing-kamala-harris-1236010817/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
Ryzik, Melena. “Shooting the Sass Easily as an Arrow.” The New York Times, 9 Nov. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/movies/jennifer-lawrence-in-silver-linings-playbook.html. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
Schneller, Johanna. “Interview with Winter’s Bonestar Jennifer Lawrence.” The Globe and Mail, 11 June 2010, www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/interview-with-winters-bone-star-jennifer-lawrence/article4353312. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
Smith, Krista. “Jennifer Lawrence, a New Light.” Vanity Fair, 27 Feb. 2018, www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/02/jennifer-lawrence-cover-story. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
Windolf, Jim, and Jessica Diehl. “Girl, Uninterruptible.” Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2013, www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/02/jennifer-lawrence-cover-story. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.