As Jennifer Lawrence prepares to make her return to the big screen with a new movie, she’s opened up about her “embarrassing” early Hollywood days and what may have led to her feeling rejected by the industry.
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From her breakout role in The Hunger Games to her latest film Die My Love, Jennifer Lawrence has remained one of Hollywood’s most recognized and beloved faces for nearly two decades. Her performances have consistently drawn praise from audiences and critics alike.
Still, despite her long list of box-office hits and award-winning roles, Lawrence has admitted that her early public image didn’t always match the professional she hoped to be known as. Looking back, she believes her youthful energy and carefree attitude may have given people the wrong impression.
While speaking with The New Yorker, the 35-year-old actress didn’t hold back, describing her younger self as “embarrassing” and acknowledging how she’s changed since those early years in Hollywood.
In an in-depth profile released Monday (October 27), Lawrence reflected on how her early interviews often made her appear overly energetic — something she now finds hard to watch. At the time, her unfiltered humor and spontaneity made her a standout, but in hindsight, she feels that it may have come across differently to others.
"Well, it is, or it was, my genuine personality, but it was also a defense mechanism," she explained during the conversation.
She went on to share that much of her so-called “cool girl” image was misunderstood. Many people didn’t realize that the carefree personality she showed was actually genuine, even if it came across as exaggerated. Lawrence added: "It was a defense mechanism, to just be, like, 'I'm not like that! I poop my pants every day!'"
Jennifer Lawrence was well known for her 'quirky' interviews in her early career
Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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Lawrence’s acting career began back in 2006, but her rise to global fame came several years later, thanks to powerful performances in Winter’s Bone and Silver Linings Playbook. Her role in the latter earned her an Academy Award at just 22, cementing her status as one of the youngest winners in Oscar history.
However, the spotlight brought its own challenges. The actress recalled how, during the height of her fame, she couldn’t drive through Los Angeles without being followed by paparazzi. Her face was constantly in tabloids, and she worried that audiences would eventually grow tired of her nonstop visibility.
Looking back, Lawrence said she believes that constant exposure might have caused some people in the industry to pull away from her — a kind of unspoken “rejection” that came from simply being everywhere at once.
"I look at those interviews, and that person is annoying," she admitted. "I get why seeing that person everywhere would be annoying. Ariana Grande's impression of me on SNL was spot-on."
Opening up further, she said: "I felt - I didn't feel, I was, I think - rejected not for my movies, not for my politics, but for me, for my personality."
Interestingly, pop star and actress Ariana Grande once poked fun at Lawrence’s persona in a 2016 episode of Saturday Night Live, doing an impression of the actress that playfully exaggerated her quirks. Even Lawrence herself found the parody hilarious.
Ariana Grande famously 'spoofed' Jennifer Lawrence on SNL back in 2016
Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal
On the show, Grande appeared in a Celebrity Family Feud sketch where she played a version of Lawrence who proudly called herself “a regular person.” The spoof quickly went viral for its accuracy and humor.
Lawrence later told Vogue in 2017 that she couldn’t help but laugh, calling the impression “spot-f*ing on.” It was a moment that showed she was capable of laughing at her own public image, even when it highlighted her most awkward traits.
These days, Lawrence says she feels calmer and more grounded. Still, as she reflected on her past during her chat with The New Yorker, she revealed that she had an awkward moment on the way to the interview — she somehow managed to get her mouth guard stuck before arriving.
"Can you imagine? After ten years of being, like, 'I used to be folksy, but everyone thought everything was a shtick,' then I show up for my first day of this," she said with a laugh, mimicking her clumsy reaction. "I was, like, I will do anything to prevent this from happening. It would be like if I tripped and fell on my way into the room."
Thankfully, she avoided another moment like her famous 2013 Oscars mishap, when she tripped over her Dior gown while walking up to accept her award for Best Actress. The memory still lingers as one of the most talked-about Oscar moments in recent history.
Her upcoming film, Die My Love, co-starring Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte, is set to hit theaters on November 7 — marking another exciting chapter in the actress’s evolving career.