Jennifer Lawrence, known for her stunning performances from films like “The Hunger Games” to “Die My Love,” has captivated audiences for nearly two decades. Despite her success in award-winning and box office hits, Lawrence has expressed that her early career reputation did not always align with the professional image she aspired to portray.
In a conversation with The New Yorker, Lawrence, now 35, reflected on those early career days, describing herself as ’embarrassing.’ The profile, published on October 27, delves into how she felt her interviews from that time showed her as ‘so hyper,’ a realization that now makes her cringe and has led some fans to question the authenticity of her media persona.
She explained, “Well, it is, or it was, my genuine personality, but it was also a defense mechanism,” suggesting that her ‘cool girl’ image was genuinely her, but also a form of self-protection. Lawrence often found herself having to defend this behavior, saying, “It was a defense mechanism, to just be, like, ‘I’m not like that! I poop my pants every day!’”
Although her acting career began in 2006, it was during the early 2010s that she gained significant attention with films like “Winter’s Bone” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” winning her an Oscar at just 22 years old. As her fame soared, so did the scrutiny, with paparazzi frequently following her around Los Angeles. This constant exposure left her worried that the public would tire of her.
Lawrence feels that this overexposure led to her being ‘rejected,’ not for her work or political views, but for her persona. “I look at those interviews, and that person is annoying,” she acknowledged. “I get why seeing that person everywhere would be annoying. Ariana Grande’s impression of me on SNL was spot-on.”
She continued, “I felt – I didn’t feel, I was, I think – rejected not for my movies, not for my politics, but for me, for my personality.”
Ariana Grande, who is also familiar with the public’s gaze, famously parodied Lawrence on “Saturday Night Live” in 2016. In the skit, Grande portrayed a caricature of Lawrence during a Celebrity Family Feud segment, repeatedly calling herself ‘a regular person.’ Lawrence later told Vogue in 2017 that Grande’s impersonation was “spot-f***ing on.”
Despite these reflections on her early years and her once-goofy demeanor, Lawrence feels more polished now. Yet, she couldn’t help but share a recent mishap before speaking with The New Yorker, where she got her mouth guard stuck. “Can you imagine? After ten years of being, like, ‘I used to be folksy, but everyone thought everything was a shtick,’ then I show up for my first day of this,” she joked while mimicking a clumsy person wearing a mouth guard. “I was, like, I will do anything to prevent this from happening. It would be like if I tripped and fell on my way into the room.”
Fortunately, she managed to avoid a repeat of her memorable 2013 Oscar incident, where she famously tripped on stage while receiving her Best Actress award.
“Die My Love,” also featuring Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte, will be released in theaters on November 7.