Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most accomplished actresses in Hollywood. She has starred in many acclaimed films that have brought her numerous accolades, such as the Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe Awards. The actress has also headlined blockbuster franchises and has worked with acclaimed directors.
Lawrence returned to acting after a small break with the films Don’t Look Up, Causeway, and No Hard Feelings. The actress revealed recently that she is afraid of working with method actors as she does not know how to react to them when they are still in character off-camera.
Jennifer Lawrence Is Afraid of Method Actors
As one of the most recognized stars in the world, Jennifer Lawrence is always a big draw when it comes to large ensemble casts. In her career, Lawrence has starred along with stalwarts such as Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Donald Sutherland, Christian Bale, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The actress has stood out in these large ensemble films, especially in films like American Hustle, which saw her share screen space with legendary actors such as Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Bradley Cooper. Lawrence played the role of Bale’s disturbed and erratic wife Rosalyn Rosenfeld in David O Russell’s dark comedy. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role.
In a recent interview on the YouTube talk show Hot Ones, Lawrence revealed that she was afraid of working with method actors who immerse themselves in the role even off-camera. She said,
“I would be scared to work with somebody who’s method because I would have no idea how to talk to them. Like, do I have to be in character? That would just make me nervous. But I haven’t seen another process that I’ve been curious about, because you don’t really know about them all the time.”
The actress mentioned that she was fascinated by Christian Bale’s ability to get into character and prepare ten seconds before the camera started rolling. She said that she, too, was on and off while filming.
Actors Who Are Notorious For Method Acting
Method acting is an immersive technique of getting into character in order to give a more sincere performance. The method was theorized by noted Russian thespian Konstantin Stanislavski, who explored it in detail in his books Actor Prepares, Building a Character, and Creating a Role.
Many actors over the years have gained notoriety for using the Method for their phenomenal performances. Actors have made sure to stay in character throughout the duration of the shoot in order to give a more convincing performance. Legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis is known for his complete immersion into character. He reportedly did not walk for the entirety of My Left Foot, in which he plays a man with cerebral palsy.
Other actors who have tried the Method are Jared Leto, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, and more. Leto reportedly was in the character of the Joker in Suicide Squad off-camera too and reportedly sent deranged gifts to his co-stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Viola Davis. Jennifer Lawrence’s co-star Christian Bale is also known for his intense physical transformation, where he gains and loses weight depending on the character.
The Method has also been criticized by many, including noted actor Laurence Olivier, who reportedly took a dig at Dustin Hoffman who wanted to stay awake during the night to match his character in the film Marathon Man. The noted actor reportedly told Hoffman to, “try acting”.
