Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence is an American actress and producer known for her roles in independent dramas and major action franchises. Her feature films have earned more than $6 billion globally. Recognized as the world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, she was also named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Born on August 15, 1990, in Louisville, Kentucky, Lawrence grew up with two older brothers. Her mother managed a summer camp, while her father owned a construction firm and coached her youth basketball team. She attended Kammerer Middle School and participated in various sports, horseback riding, and school and church plays. Discovered by a talent scout at age 14 during a trip to New York City, she began auditioning for acting roles, opted not to pursue modeling, and left school early to focus entirely on her acting career. Lawrence launched her career with guest roles on television shows such as Monk and Medium before securing a main role on the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show, which earned her a Young Artist Award. She made her feature debut in the 2008 drama Garden Party and won the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival for The Burning Plain. She gained major critical recognition for her breakthrough role in the 2010 independent drama Winter's Bone, which earned her a National Board of Review Award and her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. International stardom followed when Lawrence was cast as Mystique in the X-Men film series and Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games franchise. Her portrayal of Everdeen established her character as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time. Lawrence also collaborated with director David O. Russell on several acclaimed projects. At age 22, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook. She subsequently won a BAFTA Award for American Hustle and a Golden Globe Award for the biographical film Joy. Her later screen credits include the science-fiction romance Passengers, the psychological horror film Mother!, the thriller Red Sparrow, and the dark comedy Don't Look Up. Transitioning into producing, she established the production company Excellent Cadaver in 2018 and has since produced and starred in projects including Causeway, No Hard Feelings, and Die My Love. Outside of acting, Lawrence established the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation to support organizations such as the Special Olympics and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. She is an advocate for women's reproductive rights and an active member of the anti-corruption group RepresentUs. Additionally, she sang lead on the globally charted 2014 single "The Hanging Tree." She is married to gallery director Cooke Maroney, with whom she has two children.