If you've logged into Netflix and watched Don't Look Up recently, you may have seen a strangely familiar face onscreen. Jennifer Lawrence, 31, has been missing from Hollywood movies for several years after deciding to take a career hiatus. The actress has enjoyed success in the acting industry since her late teens, and has starred in a string of highly successful movies, including Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and Red Sparrow. Her absence from the movie scene for many years has been noticeable, and fans are glad to see her back on screen.
So what is behind J-Law's extended career hiatus, and what are her thoughts on the decision? Read on to find out.
6 Jennifer Was Becoming 'Sick' Of Making Movies
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Mother! actress complained of feeling tired with acting: “I wasn't getting the quality I should have”, she explained. “I just think everyone got sick of me. I got sick of myself. I had just reached the point where I couldn't do anything right. If I walked down the red carpet, it was like, 'Why didn't she run?'"
Lawrence also vented about what her job has meant to her. “I think I've pleased people most of my life. Working made me feel like no one could be mad at me,” she revealed. “And then I felt like it had reached a point where people weren't satisfied with just my existence. So that kind of took me away from the thought that work or your career can bring any kind of peace to your soul.”
5 Jennifer Lawrence Also Wanted Time Off To Focus On Her Baby
The birth of Lawrence's first child was also a big factor contributing to her decision. Her baby with husband Cooke Maroney was born in early 2021, and Jennifer was clear in her recent interview about her need for privacy:
“If I was at a dinner party, and somebody was like, ‘Oh, my God, you’re expecting a baby,’ I wouldn’t be like, ‘God, I can’t talk about that. Get away from me, you psycho!’", she joked. "But every instinct in my body wants to protect their privacy for the rest of their lives, as much as I can. I don’t want anyone to feel welcome into their existence."
She is determined to keep her family and work life separate: "I feel like that just starts with not including them in this part of my work.”
4 She Wanted To Escape
One of the more interesting revelations from Lawrence is her feeling of entrapment in her work. As she describes, acting consumed everything, and left little time for anything else:
"I didn’t have a life. I thought I should go get one.”
Being on set became a sort of sanctuary away from the world, and she woke up to the strangeness of that. “The attention on me was so high and extreme that, in a bizarre way, the set had become a great escape. Everybody treats you normally. It’s not like you walk into hair and makeup and people are like, ‘Oh, my God!’ But you get burnt out. Eventually I had to ask myself, Am I saying yes because I want to go to work the next day? Or am I doing this because I want to make this movie?”
3 The Break Allowed Jennifer Lawrence To Spend More Time With Her New Husband
The American Hustle actress married hubby Cooke Maroney in February 2019, and was keen for them to spend more time together. When asked what she liked most about their relationship, Lawrence gave a very sweet answer:
“I really enjoy going to the grocery store with him,” she says. “I don’t know why but it fills me with a lot of joy. I think maybe because it’s almost a metaphor for marriage. ‘Okay, we’ve got this list. These are the things we need. Let’s work together and get this done.’"
2 Jennifer Lawrence Had Been Disappointed By The Critical Reception Of Her Films
The years 2016 to 2018 represented something of a downturn in Lawrence's career. After a string of big successes early on - including winning the Best Actress Academy Award for Silver Linings Playbook at just 22 – it seemed that she had nowhere left to go.
Her next few big projects received either confused and mixed reactions, such as the highly divisive Mother!, or were wholeheartedly panned – think Red Sparrow and Passengers. The failure of Dark Phoenix in 2019 seemed to be the final blow. In trying to take on more interesting roles, Lawrence had heavily damaged her career and reputation as an actor. This disappointment influenced her decision to take a career hiatus.
1 Jennifer Lawrence Was Waiting For The Right Project
After a period of focusing on family life and personal development, Lawrence was finally tempted to return to set for the production of Netflix's Don't Look Up. The comedy has proved a huge success for the platform, and excellent reviews for Lawrence's performance have seen her regain her place at the top of the acting world.