Jennifer Lawrence, one of Hollywood’s most successful actresses, has opened up with surprising candor about the early years of her career, describing her public persona as “embarrassing” and admitting she believes she was rejected by the industry for her personality. The Oscar-winner, now 35, shared these reflections in a new profile, offering a look at the personal cost of her rapid rise to fame.
During the peak of her fame in the early 2010s, Lawrence became known for a hyper, self-deprecating, and “quirky” interview style. While it seemed to endear her to many, she now looks back on that version of herself with a critical eye. “I look at those interviews, and that person is annoying,” she told The New Yorker. She believes this overexposure led to a form of professional rejection, not for her work in films like Silver Linings Playbook, but for her personality itself.
Lawrence clarified that the behavior was genuine, but it also functioned as a “defense mechanism.” In an industry that often scrutinizes young women, she felt the need to preempt criticism by being the first to point out her own flaws, often resorting to humorous and sometimes crass self-commentary. This constant visibility, fueled by relentless paparazzi attention, made her fear that the public would simply grow tired of seeing her.
She pointed to Ariana Grande’s 2016 impression of her on Saturday Night Live as being “spot-on,” acknowledging that the parody of her as an overly earnest “regular person” captured the exact persona that she now finds cringe-worthy. Despite her self-critique, Lawrence’s career has endured, and she is set to star in the upcoming film Die My Love, showing that her talent has ultimately transcended any early perceptions.
