Jennifer Lawrence interview: Oscar winning Marvel and Hunger Games star on body positivity, dodging paparazzi and keeping it real in the Hollywood machine
Star of X-Men, the Hunger Games, American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, opposite Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence was Hollywood’s highest-paid actress two years running, but she promises fame hasn’t changed her
The world’s highest paid actress in 2015 and 2016, Jennifer Lawrence is turning 30 on August 15. To mark the occasion, the newly married Oscar-winning star of The Hunger Games and X-Men franchises shares with STYLE her thoughts on fame, fans and body positivity in Hollywood.
The red carpets and free clothes and great hotels are all cool, but it’s not part of the job or who I am. I love acting and that’s why I’m doing this job
Her tremendous fame hasn’t changed her
“I’m still the same person that I’ve always been, but it does make it hard sometimes to adjust to being followed around and also to deal with this image that people have of you. That’s when you realise how important it is to have really good friends and keep them close to you. It has made me grow up and I’m trying to be a good example for all the people who believe in me and have supported me while I’ve been building my career. ”
Fans are her ultimate motivation
“If it weren’t for fans I wouldn’t be able to do what I love. And I would be no use to society if I couldn’t act because this is the only thing I know how to do. I love my job and so if I didn’t have fans then I wouldn’t be able to do it. The people who are waiting outside – there are no words for the amount of gratitude I have towards our fans. I’m happy to sign as many autographs as I can and say hello to as many people as I can.”
Her parents were instrumental in her becoming an actress
“I would never have gotten anywhere without my parents supporting me, and my mum believing in how important acting was to me. I was having trouble at school and I had a lot of social anxieties and stuff, and acting was the one thing that made that anxiety go away. I didn’t feel good about myself until I discovered acting and how happy it made me feel. My parents sacrificed so much for me to be able to realise my dreams and I owe them everything.”
She stays true to herself
“It’s important that as actresses we need to establish ourselves first and foremost for our talent and not for our physical appearance. When you reach a certain stature, everyone is forced to accept you as you are.