Jennifer Lawrence is a rare powerhouse actress who has received many accolades along with a rich variety of films and performances at such a young age. At 33 years old, she has already bagged an Oscar for her fascinating performance in Silver Linings Playbook when she was only 22. She was also nominated for her performances in films such as Winter’s Bone, American Hustle, and Joy. She is such a versatile actress who conveys a wide range of emotions, shows relatability, and provides credibility to any role she plays.
One of her early roles was in the 2008 indie drama The Poker House. The film was based on director Lori Petty’s own life experiences while growing up in the 1970s. Lawrence’s intensity and raw acting abilities were discovered by critics and audiences from that onwards. She was so affected by the story of the film that she did everything she could to be a part of the film. She didn’t even let her parents be aware of her involvement in the film due to a specific reason.
Jennifer Lawrence Hid The Script for The Poker House Due to Its Explicitly Brutal Nature
Jennifer Lawrence starred in the 2008 drama film The Poker House, directed by Lori Petty. The film chronicled the trials and tribulations in the life of Agnes, played by Lawrence, and her efforts to keep her younger sisters safe while living in a whorehouse where her mother worked. The dark and adult subject matter was a concern for Lawrence as she was only 18 at the time. But she was impressed with the dramatic arc of her character in the film. She also had to hide the script from her parents due to a particularly harrowing scene involving her character. She told W Magazine,
“I hid the Poker House script from my parents so that I could audition for it. By the time I got the part, it was too late: They had to let me do it. During the filming of the rape scene, my mom was there. I was okay with it. I was very ballsy at that age—the typical kind of stubbornness that comes with being a teenager. I started out fearless, and now I’m terrified. You do become more aware of your mortality as you get older. When you’re little, you jump on any wild horse. Then you get a little bit older and realize how fragile life is, and you’re more careful”
Lawrence was already doing challenging roles very early in her career. This can be taken as an early sign of how she slowly became one of the best actresses of the current generation. It is no wonder that she won her Oscar for Best Actress in 2013, merely 5 years after doing The Poker House.
Jennifer Lawrence Dreads the Idea of Living in Los Angeles
Jennifer Lawrence is no stranger to fame and popularity being an actress. But she has time and again expressed her frustrations and struggles regarding her inability to live up to people’s expectations of her. She does not feel comfortable being in the limelight all the time and prefers anonymity and living a normal life. Unfortunately, Los Angeles doesn’t seem to be a place for working actors like her. She told W Magazine,
“Sadly, I cannot live in Los Angeles anymore. I don’t understand how actors can do it. You have no life here. You are followed everywhere. It’s not like that anywhere else in the world. I don’t want to stay in L.A. and start thinking that’s reality—because it’s very far from normal. But I still love movies. I’m just going to love being in them from Kentucky, or Prague, or somewhere else.”
It is clear from her comments that Lawrence did not become an actress just to gain fame and popularity. She only wants to take part in contributing good work for the industry and leave a lasting legacy for herself among many other actors and actresses. Fame and popularity are just things that come with her job and rather act as stressful baggage that she must somehow try to handle.
Source: W Magazine
