Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Jennifer Lawrence
Discover the career path of Jennifer Lawrence, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Jennifer Lawrence is an acclaimed American actress and producer known for her roles in both blockbuster franchises and independent films. She achieved significant financial success, being named the world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016. Her films have collectively grossed over $6 billion globally. Lawrence has also been recognized as one of the most influential people in the world, appearing in Time's 100 list and Forbes Celebrity 100.
2005: Filmed The Devil You Know
Jennifer Lawrence filmed the small-scale production The Devil You Know in 2005, but it was released in 2013.
2006: Minor Role in Company Town Pilot
In 2006, Jennifer Lawrence began her acting career with a minor role in the television pilot Company Town, which was never sold, and also appeared in Monk.
2007: Main Cast Member on 'The Bill Engvall Show'
In 2007, Jennifer Lawrence began her first major role as a main cast member on the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show.
2007: Guest Role in Medium and series regular on The Bill Engvall Show
In 2007, Jennifer Lawrence had a guest role in Medium and became a series regular on The Bill Engvall Show, playing Lauren.
2008: Film Debut and Award at Venice Film Festival
In 2008, Jennifer Lawrence made her film debut in Garden Party and The Burning Plain, where she shared the role with Charlize Theron. She won the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival for The Burning Plain and starred in the music video for "The Mess I Made" by Parachute and Lori Petty's The Poker House
2008: Film Debut and Award
In 2008, Jennifer Lawrence made her film debut with a supporting role in Garden Party and won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for her performance in The Burning Plain.
2009: End of 'The Bill Engvall Show'
In 2009, Jennifer Lawrence finished her role in The Bill Engvall Show.
2009: Young Artist Award for The Bill Engvall Show
In 2009, Jennifer Lawrence won a Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Performer in a TV Series for her role in The Bill Engvall Show.
2009: Filmed The Beaver
Jennifer Lawrence filmed The Beaver in 2009 alongside Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson, but the production was delayed and didn't earn back its budget.
2010: Breakthrough Role in Winter's Bone
In 2010, Jennifer Lawrence had her breakthrough role in Winter's Bone as Ree Dolly. She prepared for the role by living with a family in the Ozarks and learning to fight, skin squirrels, and chop wood. She received the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance and her first nominations for a Golden Globe Award, SAG Award, and Academy Award for Best Actress.
2011: International Stardom with X-Men
In 2011, Jennifer Lawrence achieved international stardom for portraying Mystique in the X-Men film series.
2011: Joining the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
In 2011, Jennifer Lawrence joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
2011: Supporting Role in Like Crazy
In 2011, Jennifer Lawrence took on a supporting role in Like Crazy, a romantic drama about long-distance relationships, starring Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones.
2011: Recognition as a Sex Symbol
In 2011, Jennifer Lawrence was listed on Victoria's Secret's "Sexiest Up-and-Coming Bombshell" list and People's Most Beautiful People.
2011: X-Men: First Class Release
In 2011, Jennifer Lawrence's first high-profile release came with the superhero film X-Men: First Class, where she played Mystique. For the role, Lawrence lost weight and practiced yoga and had to undergo eight hours of makeup.
2012: Filming of Serena
In 2012, Jennifer Lawrence filmed "Serena", a drama set in the depression-era, where she played Serena Pemberton alongside Bradley Cooper. The movie was later released in 2014 and received poor reviews.
2012: Silver Linings Playbook Release and Awards
In 2012, Jennifer Lawrence played Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook, winning a Golden Globe, SAG Award, and the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her final film of the year was House at the End of the Street.
2012: Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games
In 2012, Jennifer Lawrence portrayed Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games film series, becoming the highest-grossing action heroine of all time.
2012: Starred in The Hunger Games
In 2012, Jennifer Lawrence starred as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, which became a top-grossing film featuring a female lead and established her as a global star. She practiced archery, rock and tree climbing, and hand-to-hand combat techniques for the role.
2012: Academy Award for Silver Linings Playbook
In 2012, Jennifer Lawrence won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, becoming the second-youngest winner in the category at age 22.
January 2013: Hosted Saturday Night Live
In January 2013, Jennifer Lawrence hosted an episode of the NBC late-night sketch comedy Saturday Night Live.
2013: Appearance on People's Most Beautiful People
In 2013, Jennifer Lawrence appeared on People's Most Beautiful People list.
2013: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
In 2013, Jennifer Lawrence reprised her role as Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. During underwater stunts, she suffered an ear infection that resulted in a brief loss of hearing.
2013: BAFTA Award for American Hustle
In 2013, Jennifer Lawrence won a BAFTA Award for her supporting role in the black comedy American Hustle.
2014: Fundraising for the Special Olympics as Part of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 Premiere
In 2014, Jennifer Lawrence collaborated with Omaze to host a fundraising contest for the Special Olympics as part of the premiere of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
2014: Sang Lead on 'The Hanging Tree'
In 2014, Jennifer Lawrence sang lead on the single "The Hanging Tree", which charted worldwide.
2014: Serena and X-Men releases
In 2014, Jennifer Lawrence starred as Serena Pemberton in the depression-era drama "Serena", based on the novel by Ron Rash. She also reprised her role as Mystique in "X-Men: Days of Future Past", which became the highest-grossing film in the X-Men series at the time.
2014: Topping FHM's 100 Sexiest Women and Glamour's Best Dressed Women List
In 2014, Jennifer Lawrence topped FHM's 100 Sexiest Women list and Glamour's annual listing of the best dressed women. During Raf Simons's tenure at Dior, Lawrence became a celebrity ambassador for the brand, appearing in advertisement campaigns for its fashion and perfumes.
2014: Release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
In 2014, Jennifer Lawrence's film "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1" was released, for which she recorded the song "The Hanging Tree" for the soundtrack. The song charted on multiple international singles charts.
2015: Charitable Initiatives
During 2015, Jennifer Lawrence teamed with Hutcherson and Hemsworth for Prank It FWD, a charitable initiative to raise money for the nonprofit organization DoSomething. That year, she also launched the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, which supports charities such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Special Olympics.
2015: Founded Jennifer Lawrence Foundation
In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence founded the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, which supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Special Olympics.
2015: Fundraising for the Special Olympics
In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence partnered with Chideo to raise funds for the Special Olympics World Summer Games by screening her film Serena (2014).
2015: Release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence starred in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2", the final installment of the series. While filming a scene, she nearly suffocated due to a fog machine malfunction and had to be rescued.
2015: Release of Joy
In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence starred in the biopic "Joy", playing the role of Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop. The film was not as well-received as her previous collaborations with David O. Russell, but Lawrence's performance was praised, earning her a Golden Globe award and an Academy Award nomination.
2015: Featured on Glamour's Best Dressed Women List
In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence was featured on Glamour's annual listing of the best dressed women.
2015: World's Highest-Paid Actress
In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence was the world's highest-paid actress.
2015: Feminist Views and Gender Pay Gap Essay
In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence wrote an essay for Lenny Letter criticizing the gender pay gap in Hollywood, describing her own experiences, such as receiving lesser pay for her work on American Hustle in comparison to her male co-stars. Also, in an interview with Vogue, Lawrence condemned Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis for her opposition to same-sex marriage.
2016: Donation to Kosair Children's Hospital
In 2016, Jennifer Lawrence donated $2 million to the Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville to set up a cardiac intensive care unit named after her foundation.
2016: Releases of A Beautiful Planet, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Passengers
In 2016, Jennifer Lawrence narrated the documentary "A Beautiful Planet". She also played Mystique in "X-Men: Apocalypse", and starred in the science fiction romance "Passengers" alongside Chris Pratt. She won Favorite Movie Actress at the 43rd People's Choice Awards but later expressed regret over starring in Passengers.
2016: Starred in Passengers
In 2016, Jennifer Lawrence starred in the sci-fi romance film Passengers.
2016: World's Highest-Paid Actress Again
In 2016, Jennifer Lawrence was again the world's highest-paid actress.
2017: Release of Mother!
In 2017, Jennifer Lawrence starred in Darren Aronofsky's psychological horror film "Mother!", playing a young wife experiencing trauma. The intense role proved grueling and polarized audiences, though Lawrence's performance was praised.
2018: Time's Up Initiative and Women's March
In 2018, Jennifer Lawrence collaborated with 300 women in Hollywood to set up the Time's Up initiative to protect women from harassment and discrimination and took part in the 2018 Women's March in Los Angeles. In 2018, Lawrence spoke out in support of retaining ranked-choice voting in Maine.
2018: Formation of Excellent Cadaver
In 2018, Jennifer Lawrence formed her production company, Excellent Cadaver.
2018: Founded Excellent Cadaver Production Company
In 2018, Jennifer Lawrence founded the production company Excellent Cadaver.
2018: Starred in Red Sparrow
In 2018, Jennifer Lawrence starred in the spy thriller Red Sparrow.
2019: Cumulative Gross of films
As of 2019, Jennifer Lawrence's films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide.
2019: End of X-Men series role
In 2019, Jennifer Lawrence finished her role as Mystique in the X-Men film series.
2019: Release of Dark Phoenix
In 2019, Jennifer Lawrence made her fourth and final appearance as Mystique in the superhero film "Dark Phoenix", which was a critical and box-office failure.
2021: Release of Don't Look Up
In 2021, Jennifer Lawrence returned to acting in Adam McKay's Netflix film "Don't Look Up", playing an astronomer trying to warn humanity about an extinction-level asteroid. The film broke Netflix records and Lawrence received a Golden Globe nomination.
2021: Return to Acting with Don't Look Up
In 2021, Jennifer Lawrence returned to acting with the satirical dark comedy Don't Look Up.
2021: Support for Abortion Rights
In 2021, Jennifer Lawrence, while pregnant, attended the Rally for Abortion Justice in Washington, D.C. Standing alongside Amy Schumer, Lawrence held a sign that read "Women can't be free if they don't control their bodies."
2022: Release of Causeway
In 2022, Jennifer Lawrence starred in and produced the independent drama "Causeway", playing a soldier suffering from a brain injury. This film was produced under her company, Excellent Cadaver.
2023: Releases of Bread and Roses and No Hard Feelings
In 2023, Jennifer Lawrence produced the documentary "Bread and Roses" about Afghan women under Taliban rule, and starred in the sex comedy "No Hard Feelings", which she also produced. She received another Golden Globe nomination for her performance in "No Hard Feelings".
2023: Starred in No Hard Feelings
In 2023, Jennifer Lawrence starred in the comedy No Hard Feelings, which she also co-produced.
2024: Executive producing Zurawski v Texas
In 2024, Jennifer Lawrence executive produced the documentary "Zurawski v Texas".
2025: Starred in Die My Love
In 2025, Jennifer Lawrence starred in the psychological drama Die My Love, which she also co-produced.
2025: Premiere of Die My Love and Donostia Award
In 2025, Jennifer Lawrence's thriller "Die My Love" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and she was honored with the Donostia Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, becoming the youngest recipient of the award.
November 2026: Release of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
In November 2026, Jennifer Lawrence is expected to reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping".
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