Jennifer Lawrence is drawing criticism for falsely claiming that “nobody has ever placed a woman in the lead of an action movie” before 2012’s “Hunger Games” – and Variety has now removed the tweet in which she made that claim.
The 32-year-old actress claimed at a Variety Actors on Actors interview that she was the first woman ever cast in the lead role of an action film when she earned the part of Katniss Everdeen in the 2012 popular dystopian picture, which was not true, as previously reported.“
Lawrence discussed the issue with fellow actress Viola Davis, who did not refute it.
Twitter users attacked the actress, citing Sigourney Weaver in 1986’s “Aliens,” Angelina Jolie in 2001’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” and Uma Thurman in 2003’s “Kill Bill: Volume 1” as examples of notable female actors who had secured main action parts decades before Lawrence.
“She [Lawrence] can’t really properly say there was a retreat before Hunger Games considering female lead action movies actually THRIVED in the 2000s with HUGE budgets,” one Twitter user said. There were franchises and cinematic stars created. Angelina, Uma, Lucy, Cameron, Drew, Milla, Kate, and many more. She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.”
“Sure glad nobody ever told that to Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hamilton or Uma Thurman. They’d be pretty upset,” another user shared.
“Oh Jennifer, I love you like crazy, but did you never see any movies at all before you were hired for ‘Hunger Games’? I know there are some actors who never go to movies (Bob Hoskins was one, he never watched movies) but I would have thought you would have heard of, say, ‘Kill Bill.’”
“lol, Variety removed the tweet because the Jennifer Lawrence statement was getting dragged so hard,” another user said.
Neither Variety magazine nor Lawrence has reacted to any of the allegations as of the time of publishing.