Without a doubt, Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most bankable and prolific actresses in Hollywood today. From playing Kathniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games trilogy, to the mutant Mystique in the X-Men franchise, Lawrence will surely give it her all.But box-office record-breaking films are not the only thing that made Jennifer Lawrence a household name in Hollywood. She has also received acting awards from prestigious award-giving bodies. She won Best Actress at the 2012 Academy Awards for Silver Linings Playbook (At 22, she was the second youngest to win Best Actress), BAFTA Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2013 for American Hustle. She also received Golden Globe Awards for both movies and for the 2015 movie Joy, based on the true story of Joy Mangano.Although she’s successful today, Lawrence underwent some tough roles.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Passion For Acting Challenged Her Mental Toughness
While acting allowed her to make ends meet, Jennifer Lawrence admitted that there were some movies that challenged her mental and emotional toughness. One such movie was The Poker House, a 2008 film that also starred Selma Blair and Chloe Grace Moretz.
The Poker House debuted at the Los Angeles Film Festival where it received great reviews. The movie earned Jennifer Lawrence a “Best Performance” award at the Festival. Lawrence’s role as Agnes was actually based on the teenage years of the film’s director Lori Petty that took place in the 1970s.
Jennifer Lawrence plays the role of Agnes, a teenage girl who is raising her younger sisters Bee and Cammie, played by Sophi Bairley and Chloe Grace Moretz, respectively. Selma Blair stars as Sarah, their mother, who is an alcoholic and drug dependent.
In the movie, The Hunger Games star also had some powerful and emotional scenes with her co-star Selma Blair. According to Lawrence, Selma is a great actress. Jennifer Lawrence added that this was true even if they were off-camera. She ended by saying that an actress of Selma Blair’s caliber can really improve your performance.
Jennifer Lawrence Struggled After Her Role In The Poker House
In one of her interviews, the Academy Award-winning actress admitted that she found it hard to get over The Poker House mentally even after she was done shooting the movie. In an interview with Filmmaker, she said that the character of Agnes still lingered on even after the movie was already several months under wrap.
She said, “I was only 16 when I made The Poker House and it was my first movie. With the film, I knew I had to take all of it on and it took a toll on me.” Lawrence said. However, despite the impression the movie left on her, she asserted that it was not a big deal for her. My friends knew a therapist. All I needed was consult her for a little while. I just needed someone to talk to.”
Lawrence revealed that she also experienced some mental issues after playing Kathniss in Hunger Games in 2012. Starring in the franchise is definitely one of the Jennifer Lawrence's career defining moments. As the face of the movie franchise and her popularity going to the next level, Lawrence once doubted herself if she could handle her rising acting career.
Jennifer Lawrence 'Was Lost' But Bounced Back
In an interview with Screen Talk during the London Film Festival, she admitted having lost control of herself after the success of the first “Hunger Games” in 2012 and winning an Oscar for Silver Lining Playbook.
“I think I lost a sense of control. After the release of The Hunger Games and winning the Oscar, I became a huge commodity that I felt like every decision I make was a big, big group decision. As I reflect now, I can’t think of the years that followed because I just lost control.” Lawrence narrates.
The actress went on to become one of the most sought after actress. In 2013, Time Magazine named Jennifer Lawrence as one of the “100 most influential people in the world.” For two straight years in 2015 and 2016, Forbes listed her as one of the world’s highest paid actresses making $52 million and $46 million, respectively. In 2017 and 2018, she was the third and fourth highest paid actress with total earnings of $24 million and $18 million. As of 2019, Jennifer Lawrence earns more than $6 billion worldwide.
In late 2021, she finally returned to doing movies and filmed Causeway, which was put on hold temporarily due to the pandemic. The actress now feels that she is able to control her career on her own terms.