Jennifer Lawrence is an American actress born on August 15, 1990. She’s famous for being in big action movies and also smaller, serious ones. Her movies have made over $6 billion all over the world. She was the highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016. She was also on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2013 and Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list from 2013 to 2016.
Lawrence started acting when she was a teenager, doing small parts on TV. Her first big role was on a TV show called The Bill Engvall Show from 2007 to 2009. Her first movie part was in a drama called Garden Party in 2008. But she got noticed when she played a poor teenager in the movie Winter’s Bone in 2010. Then, she became famous for playing Mystique in the X-Men movies from 2011 to 2019 and Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games movies from 2012 to 2015.
She worked a lot with a director named David O. Russell and got a lot of awards for it. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for playing a widow in the movie Silver Linings Playbook in 2012. She also won a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe for playing a strange wife in American Hustle in 2013. And she won more Golden Globes for playing a businesswoman in Joy in 2015. After that, she took a short break from acting because some of her movies didn’t do so well and people were talking a lot about her choices.
But she came back with a movie called Don’t Look Up in 2021. Then she made and acted in two more movies, Causeway in 2022 and No Hard Feelings in 2023.
Jennifer Lawrence is a feminist, which means she believes in equal rights for women. She also speaks up for women’s rights about their bodies. In 2015, she started a foundation to help kids in need and support the Special Olympics. She also started her own company for making movies in 2018. She’s part of a group that fights corruption in politics, and she’s been in videos talking about why it’s important to protect democracy.
| Full Name | Jennifer Lawrence |
| Date of Birth | August 15, 1990 |
| Place of Birth | Indian Hills, Kentucky, United States |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters) |
| Spouse | Cooke Maroney (m. 2019) |
| Children | Cy Maroney |
| Net Worth | $160 million |
Jennifer Lawrence’s Early Life and Education
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence was born on August 15, 1990, in Indian Hills, Kentucky. Her dad, Gary ran a construction company, and her mom Karen (née Koch), managed a summer camp. She grew up with two older brothers, Ben and Blaine. Her mom raised her to be strong like her brothers, so she wasn’t allowed to play with girls her age in preschool because she was too rough with them.
Jennifer went to Kammerer Middle School in Louisville. She didn’t have the best time growing up because she was energetic and had trouble with social situations. But when she was on stage, all those worries disappeared, and acting made her feel good about herself. She was into cheerleading, softball, and field hockey, and even played basketball on a boys’ team coached by her dad.
She loved riding horses and often visited a local farm, but she got hurt once when she fell off a horse and hurt her tailbone. She used to perform for her dad at home, dressing up as different characters.
Her acting journey started when she was nine playing a role in a church play. She kept at it acting in more church plays and school musicals. When she was 14 she was spotted by a talent scout in New York City while on vacation with her family. Her mom wasn’t too thrilled about her becoming an actress but they moved temporarily to New York so she could try out for roles. Even though the talent agents were impressed with her skills Jennifer’s mom thought they were just being nice.
Despite feeling lonely and isolated at times Jennifer Lawrence signed up with a talent agency and convinced her parents to let her audition for roles in Los Angeles. While her mom thought modeling might be a good fit for her, Jennifer was set on acting. She left school at 14 without finishing and focusing on her acting career instead. She even worked as an assistant nurse at her mom’s camp between acting gigs.
Career
2006–2011: Early roles and breakthrough
Jennifer Lawrence started acting in 2006 with a small part in a TV show that never aired. Then, she appeared on other shows before landing a regular role on a comedy series called The Bill Engvall Show. Critics liked her acting and she even won an award for it.
Her first movie role was in 2008, where she played a troubled teen in Garden Party. After that, she starred in a drama called The Burning Plain and a music video. In 2008, she also acted in The Poker House, where she played a girl living in a tough situation. Critics praised her acting in these roles.
Her big break came in 2010 when she starred in Winter’s Bone, a movie about a girl looking for her missing father while taking care of her family. Critics loved her performance and she won several awards for it.
In 2011, she appeared in two other movies, Like Crazy and The Beaver. Then, she starred in X-Men: First Class as a mutant named Mystique. The role required a lot of makeup and preparation but the movie was a big success making Jennifer Lawrence even more famous.
2012–2015: Established actress
In 2012, Jennifer Lawrence played Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, a movie based on Suzanne Collins’ book series. Katniss is a teenage girl in a future where the government is bad, and she fights against them after winning a tough televised game. Lawrence wasn’t sure about the role at first because it was a big deal, but she agreed after her mom convinced her. She trained hard for it, learning archery and other tough stuff, but even got hurt running into a wall!
The movie did well, and Lawrence’s acting was praised a lot. Critics liked how she played Katniss. It made a ton of money and made her a famous action hero.
Later that year, Jennifer Lawrence was in another movie called Silver Linings Playbook, where she played Tiffany, a young widow who finds love with a guy who has a mental illness. Critics loved her in this too, saying she was good at playing a complex character. She won a bunch of awards for it, including an Oscar.
She was also in The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, where she did some underwater scenes, even though she got an ear infection!
In 2013, she was in a comedy crime movie called American Hustle, playing a funny and neurotic wife. People liked her performance a lot, and she won more awards.
In 2014, she played Serena in a drama about a couple involved in crime. The movie didn’t do well, but she was back as Mystique in an X-Men movie, which did well.
Then she finished up The Hunger Games series with two more movies. In one of them, she even sang a song for the soundtrack!
In 2015, she worked with the same director again in Joy, playing a single mom who becomes a successful businesswoman. Critics praised her acting, even though the movie wasn’t a big hit. She won another Golden Globe for it and got nominated for another Oscar.
2016–2019: Career fluctuations
In 2016, Jennifer Lawrence had quite a busy year! She lent her voice to a documentary called A Beautiful Planet, where astronauts show us Earth from space. Then, she returned for the third time as Mystique in X-Men: Apocalypse. Some people thought the movie had too much action, but Jennifer still won Favorite Movie Actress at the People’s Choice Awards.
She also starred in Passengers with Chris Pratt. They played two people who woke up too early on a spaceship. Jennifer was nervous about filming intimate scenes, so she had a drink to calm her nerves. Even though Passengers didn’t do as well as expected, Jennifer defended it as a “complicated love story,” though she later regretted being part of it.
In 2017, Jennifer Lawrence’s only movie was Mother!, directed by Darren Aronofsky. She played a wife facing scary situations at home. It was a tough role for her, and she even had to use extra oxygen and hurt her rib during filming. The movie divided audiences but got praise from critics for Jennifer’s strong performance.
The next year, Jennifer starred in Red Sparrow as a Russian spy. She trained hard to speak with a Russian accent and learned ballet for the role. Despite feeling challenged by the sexual aspects of the character, Jennifer found it empowering to do nude scenes. Although some critics didn’t like the ending, they praised Jennifer’s and other actors’ performances.
Finally, in 2019, Jennifer appeared for the last time as Mystique in Dark Phoenix, but the movie didn’t do well with critics or at the box office.
2020–present: Hiatus and return to film
After being in some movies that got mixed reviews, Jennifer Lawrence decided to take a break from acting for a bit. She wasn’t happy with how her films were turning out, and she wanted to stay away from the spotlight for a while. During this time, she focused on things at home.
When she was 19, Jennifer had wanted to work with director Adam McKay. Finally, in 2021, she got the chance to star in his Netflix movie called Don’t Look Up. She got paid $25 million for it! In the movie, she and Leonardo DiCaprio play two scientists trying to warn everyone about a huge asteroid that could destroy Earth. Jennifer even changed her hair and did a lot of research to look like a real scientist.
The movie got mixed reviews but critics loved Jennifer and Leo’s acting. They said they were amazing to watch. Jennifer got nominated for another Golden Globe because of her performance. The movie did well on Netflix breaking records for the most views in a week and becoming the second most-watched movie in a month.
After that, Jennifer Lawrence starred in a smaller movie called Causeway in 2022. She played a soldier with a brain injury. She also produced the movie through her company, Excellent Cadaver. She said she liked doing smaller projects like this one.
Then, Jennifer produced a documentary called Bread and Roses in 2023. It’s about women in Afghanistan living under the Taliban. She also starred in a comedy called No Hard Feelings that same year. In the movie, she plays a woman who dates a shy 19-year-old for money. People liked the movie and thought Jennifer was really funny in it. She even got another Golden Globe nomination for her role.
Net Worth
Jennifer Lawrence’s Net Worth is estimated to be $160 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Artistry and public image
In 2012, the website IndieWire described Jennifer Lawrence as someone easy to relate to humble, and genuine when she’s not acting. Adam McKay, who directed her in Don’t Look Up, praised her for being honest and funny, saying she expresses anger beautifully. Another writer called her sharp, funny, and a bit quirky, despite her big success in movies.
Rolling Stone labeled Lawrence as the most talented young actress in America in 2012. Her co-star Donald Sutherland even compared her acting skills to those of the legendary Laurence Olivier. Director David O. Russell, who worked with her in several films, commended her for making acting seem effortless. She’s known for her roles in big blockbuster movies as well as smaller indie films, and she didn’t formally study acting or do theater. Instead, she learns by watching people around her.
Despite her fame, Jennifer Lawrence stays grounded. She doesn’t see acting as important as professions like medicine, so she doesn’t let success get to her head. She’s also careful not to let her characters’ emotions affect her real life too much. She believes in using her imagination rather than personal experiences to portray roles. Lawrence has become one of the highest-paid actresses in the world earning millions per film. She’s been recognized by Time, Elle, and Forbes for her influence and power in the entertainment industry.
Lawrence has been praised for her beauty and style as well, appearing on lists like People’s Most Beautiful People and Maxim’s Hot 100. She’s also known for her fashion sense, being named one of the best dressed by Glamour. Lawrence has a partnership with Dior, often wearing their designs to events, and even wore a custom Dior gown for her wedding.
Other ventures
Jennifer Lawrence believes in equality for all genders, which is what being a feminist means to her. She’s been vocal about this, saying it shouldn’t be scary, it’s just about fairness. She’s also been a big supporter of body positivity for women.
In 2015, she wrote about the gender pay gap in Hollywood, talking about her own experiences when she got paid less than her male co-stars for the same work in American Hustle. She’s also spoken out against people like Kim Davis who oppose same-sex marriage.
Even though she used to be Republican and voted for John McCain in 2008, she’s since criticized the party and strongly opposed Donald Trump’s presidency. She endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Jennifer Lawrence is not just about talking the talk; she walks the walk too. She’s involved in lots of charity work. She supports organizations like the World Food Programme and Feeding America. With her Hunger Games co-stars, she’s worked with the United Nations to bring attention to poverty and hunger.
She’s also started her foundation which helps out charities like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Special Olympics. In 2016, she donated $2 million to a children’s hospital in Louisville to help set up a cardiac intensive care unit.
She’s also active in politics. She’s on the board of RepresentUs, a group that wants to make anti-corruption laws in the U.S. In 2018, she helped start the Time’s Up initiative which aims to stop harassment and discrimination against women. She even joined the Women’s March in Los Angeles that year. And she’s spoken up in favor of keeping ranked-choice voting in Maine.
Personal life
In 2010, while working on the movie X-Men: First Class, Jennifer Lawrence started dating her co-star Nicholas Hoult. But by 2014, when they finished filming X-Men: Days of Future Past, they had broken up.
Then, in September 2016, she began dating filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, whom she met while filming Mother! However, they split in November 2017.
In 2018, Jennifer Lawrence found love again with Cooke Maroney, who works as an art gallery director. They got engaged in February 2019 and tied the knot that October in Rhode Island. They now live in Lower Manhattan, New York City, and also have a place in Beverly Hills, California.
In February 2022, Lawrence and Maroney welcomed their son, Cy, whose name was inspired by the American artist Cy Twombly.
Unfortunately, Jennifer Lawrence was among the celebrities affected by the 2014 nude photo leak. Private pictures of her were hacked and shared online without her consent. She described this as a “sex crime” and a “sexual violation,” emphasizing that the photos were never meant to be seen by the public.
She also called out those who viewed the images, urging them to feel ashamed for perpetuating such a violation. Lawrence clarified that these photos were originally meant for her then-partner Hoult, and unlike some others affected by the leak, she chose not to take legal action against Apple Inc., the company whose security was breached.
