Jennifer Lawrence, American actress
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide to date. She appeared in Time's 100 most influential people in the world list in 2013 and the Forbes Celebrity 100 list from 2013 to 2016.
During childhood, Lawrence performed in church plays and school musicals. At 14, she was spotted by a talent scout while vacationing in New York City with her family. She moved to Los Angeles and began her acting career in guest roles on television. Her first major role was that of a main cast member on the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show (2007–2009). She made her film debut in a supporting role in the drama Garden Party (2008), and had her breakthrough playing a poverty-stricken teenager in the independent mystery drama Winter's Bone (2010). Lawrence's career progressed with starring roles as the mutant Mystique in the X-Men film series (2011–2019) and Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games film series (2012–2015). The latter made her the highest-grossing action heroine of all time.
Lawrence received various accolades for her three collaborations with filmmaker David O. Russell. Her performance as a troubled young widow in the romance film Silver Linings Playbook (2012) won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the second-youngest winner in the category at 22. She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing an unpredictable wife in the black comedy American Hustle (2013). Lawrence also received Golden Globe Awards for both of these films, and for her portrayal of businesswoman Joy Mangano in the biopic Joy (2015). A series of negatively reviewed films, including Passengers (2016) and Red Sparrow (2018), and the subsequent media scrutiny of her choices of roles led to a small break from acting. She returned in 2021 with the black comedy Don't Look Up.
Lawrence identifies as a feminist and advocates for women's reproductive rights. In 2015, she founded the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, which advocates for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Special Olympics. She formed the production company Excellent Cadaver in 2018. She is an active member of the nonpartisan nonprofit anti-corruption organization RepresentUs and has served as a spokesperson in its videos about protecting democracy.