Jennifer Lawrence Lost Herself After ‘The Hunger Games’

Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games

Jennifer Lawrence was one of the most sought-after movie stars in the world after she rose to fame following The Hunger Games. However, fame does not always equal happiness and it also means a loss of control.

In a recent interview, Lawrence said that the fame following The Hunger Games caused her to lose herself. Sadly, it took years to regain control of her own life.

Jennifer Lawrence talks post-The Hunger Games career

Some actors would kill for a role like Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. This would allow many to finally achieve their dreams in the movie industry and let them finally make a secure living in Hollywood. However, with fame comes a loss of control and that is what happened to Jennifer Lawrence after the franchise became a super hit and she became one of Hollywood’s most in-demand stars.

Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games

At the London Film Festival’s Screen Talk series (via Variety), Lawrence talked about the bad side of becoming a top movie star. “I became such a commodity that I felt like every decision was a big, big group decision,” she said. “When I reflect now, I can’t think of those following years; just a loss of control.”

While the fame came with massive paychecks (Lawrence was the top-paid actress in 2015 and 2016), she wanted the control back of her career. She wanted to choose her own roles once again. She had actually proved herself before The Hunger Games. Her role in 2010’s Winter’s Bone earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

However, not many people saw that movie, as it was an indie prestige release. More people saw her as Mystique in the X-Men franchise, starting in 2011, and in The Hunter Games, starting in 2012. After The Hunger Games, Lawrence said she “lost herself” thanks to that and then winning her first Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook, which hit theaters the same year as The Hunger Games.

However, Lawrence said she eventually found herself again, and “t feels personal for me the first time in a long time.”

Jennifer Lawrence in Causeway

What is next for Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence had an impressive run with major box office hits. She starred in the three The Hunger Games movies and four X-Men movies between 2011 and 2019. Along the way, she still got some awards for quality movies, mostly with David O. Russell. For the director, she starred in Silver Linings PlaybookAmerican Hustle, and Joy. On top of her Oscar win, she picked up nominations for the other two Russell movies.

The actress also starred in the Netflix dark comedy Don’t Look Up in 2021, and the movie that has her really excited about finding herself is her next one, Causeway. Lawrence said this movie felt like “diary pages.” It is a  drama about a soldier returning from combat with a brain injury, struggling to acclimate to her home surroundings.

Check out the trailer here:

Are you a Jennifer Lawrence fan? What are your thoughts on her more personal acting work in recent years? Let us know in the comments below.

Shawn Lealos
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