Jennifer Lawrence facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence in 2016
Born	Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (1990-08-15) August 15, 1990 (age 34) Indian Hills, Kentucky, U.S.
Other names	Jennifer Lawrence Maroney
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	2006–present
Organization	Excellent Cadaver Jennifer Lawrence Foundation
Spouse(s)	Cooke Maroney ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list
Signature

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress and producer. She is famous for her roles in big action movies and smaller, independent films. Her movies have earned over $6 billion around the world! She was the highest-paid actress globally in 2015 and 2016. Time magazine included her in their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.

Jennifer started acting as a teenager with small parts on TV. Her first main role was in the TV show The Bill Engvall Show (2007–2009). She first appeared in a movie in Garden Party (2008). She became widely known for playing a teenager from a struggling family in the movie Winter's Bone (2010). Jennifer became a huge star playing Mystique in the X-Men film series (2011–2019) and Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games film series (2012–2015). Her role as Katniss made her the highest-earning female action hero.

Jennifer worked with director David O. Russell on three movies, which brought her a lot of praise. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for playing a young woman facing challenges in Silver Linings Playbook (2012). She was only 22, making her one of the youngest winners in that category. She also won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in American Hustle (2013). She received Golden Globe Awards for both of these films, and for playing businesswoman Joy Mangano in Joy (2015). After some films that received mixed reviews and a lot of public attention, she took a short break from acting. Jennifer returned with the comedy Don't Look Up (2021). After that, she produced and starred in the drama Causeway (2022) and the comedy No Hard Feelings (2023). In 2025, she received more praise for her main role in the drama Die, My Love.

Jennifer believes in equality for women and supports women's health choices. In 2015, she started the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, which helps organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Special Olympics. She is also involved with RepresentUs, a group that works to prevent corruption. In 2018, Jennifer started her own production company called Excellent Cadaver.

Early Life and Interests

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence was born on August 15, 1990, in Indian Hills, Kentucky. Her father, Gary, owned a construction company, and her mother, Karen, managed a summer camp. She has two older brothers, Ben and Blaine. Her family had a horse farm when she was little, and Jennifer had a horse named Muffin. Her mother wanted her to be strong like her brothers.

Jennifer went to Kammerer Middle School in Louisville. She grew up in a Christian home. She has said that she didn't always enjoy her childhood because she was very energetic and felt shy around others. She felt like she didn't quite fit in. However, when she was performing on stage, her shyness disappeared, and acting made her feel successful. She participated in cheerleading, softball, field hockey, and basketball, even playing on a boys' team coached by her dad. But she didn't really like team sports.

Jennifer loved horseback riding and often visited a local horse farm. She once injured her tailbone after falling off a horse. When her dad worked from home, she would perform for him, sometimes dressing up as a clown or a ballerina. Jennifer had her first acting role at age nine in a church play. For the next few years, she continued to act in church plays and school musicals.

How Jennifer Started Acting

When Jennifer was 14, she was on a family vacation in New York City. A talent scout saw her on the street and arranged for her to audition for agents. Her mom wasn't sure about an acting career, but they moved to New York for a short time so Jennifer could try out for roles. After her first audition, agents told her she was the best young actress they had seen.

She signed with CESD Talent Agency, which helped her audition for roles in Los Angeles. Her mother encouraged her to try modeling, but Jennifer really wanted to act. She felt acting was a "natural fit" for her. She even turned down several modeling offers. She left school at 14 without a diploma. Jennifer has said she is "self-educated" and that her acting career was her main focus. Between acting jobs, she often visited Louisville and helped her mother at her summer camp.

Career Highlights

Early Roles and First Big Success

Jennifer Lawrence at the 2007 Movieguide Awards

Jennifer started her acting career with a small part in a TV show pilot called Company Town (2006). She then had guest roles in shows like Monk (2006) and Medium (2007). Her first regular TV role was as Lauren, a rebellious teenager, in The Bill Engvall Show (2007–2009). Critics praised her performance, and she won a Young Artist Award in 2009.

She made her movie debut in Garden Party (2008). She also appeared in The Burning Plain (2008), playing the younger version of a character whose mother had a secret relationship. She won an award for Best Emerging Actress at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. In 2008, she starred in The Poker House as the oldest of three sisters living with a mother who struggled with addiction.

Jennifer's big breakthrough came in the independent movie Winter's Bone (2010). She played Ree Dolly, a 17-year-old girl in the Ozark Mountains who takes care of her family while searching for her missing father. To prepare, she lived with a family in the Ozarks and learned skills like fighting and chopping wood. Critics loved her performance, calling it powerful. The movie won an award at the Sundance Film Festival. Jennifer received her first nominations for major awards, including the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Actress.

Jennifer Lawrence at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011, where she received her first Academy Award nomination for Winter's Bone (2010)

In 2011, Jennifer had a supporting role in Like Crazy, a romantic drama. She also appeared in The Beaver. After her serious role in Winter's Bone, Jennifer wanted something different. She found it in the superhero movie X-Men: First Class (2011), where she played the shapeshifting mutant Mystique. She had to train and spend eight hours in special blue makeup for the role. The movie was a success, earning $350 million worldwide.

Becoming a Global Star

In 2012, Jennifer starred as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, based on the popular book series. The story is set in a future world where teenagers are forced to fight in a televised event. Jennifer was a fan of the books but was unsure about taking such a big role. Her mother convinced her. She trained in archery, climbing, and combat for the part. Critics praised her portrayal of Katniss, calling her "strong and convincing." The movie earned over $690 million worldwide, making Jennifer a global star and the highest-earning female action hero.

Jennifer Lawrence attending the premiere of Silver Linings Playbook at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival

Later in 2012, Jennifer played Tiffany Maxwell in David O. Russell's romantic comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook. She played a young woman facing challenges who finds friendship with Pat Solitano Jr. (played by Bradley Cooper). Jennifer was drawn to her character's complex personality. She won the Golden Globe, SAG Award, and the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role. At 22, she became one of the youngest actresses to win an Oscar for Best Actress.

In January 2013, she hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live. She then returned as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. While filming underwater stunts, she had an ear infection and briefly lost some hearing. Critics said her portrayal of Katniss made her an ideal role model. Catching Fire earned $865 million, becoming her highest-grossing film.

In the same year, Jennifer had a supporting role in David O. Russell's comedy-crime film American Hustle. She played Rosalyn Rosenfeld, the lively wife of a con man (played by Christian Bale). She won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for her performance. She also received her third Oscar nomination, becoming the youngest actor to have three Oscar nominations.

Jennifer Lawrence promoting The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con

Jennifer played Serena Pemberton in Serena (2014). She then played Mystique again in X-Men: Days of Future Past, which was a big success, earning $748.1 million worldwide. Jennifer's next two films were the final parts of The Hunger Games series: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015). For Part 1, she recorded the song "The Hanging Tree", which became popular. Both films earned over $650 million worldwide.

Jennifer worked with David O. Russell for a third time on the movie Joy (2015). She played Joy Mangano, a single mother who becomes a successful businesswoman after inventing the Miracle Mop. Critics praised her performance, with one calling it her best work since Winter's Bone. She won her third Golden Globe for this role and received another Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Recent Films and Producing Work

Jennifer Lawrence promoting Red Sparrow in 2018

In 2016, Jennifer narrated A Beautiful Planet, a documentary about Earth seen from space. She played Mystique for the third time in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). She also starred in the science fiction romance Passengers (2016), where she and co-star Chris Pratt wake up early from a long sleep on a spaceship.

In 2017, Jennifer starred in Darren Aronofsky's psychological film Mother!. She played a young wife whose home is taken over by unexpected guests. The role was very demanding, but critics praised her performance. The next year, she played Dominika Egorova, a Russian spy, in the thriller Red Sparrow. To prepare, she learned to speak with a Russian accent and trained in ballet. In 2019, Jennifer made her fourth and final appearance as Mystique in Dark Phoenix.

Jennifer Lawrence at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival

After a series of films with mixed reviews, Jennifer took a short break from acting. She wanted to avoid too much public attention and focus on her personal life. She returned in 2021 in Adam McKay's Netflix movie Don't Look Up. She and co-star Leonardo DiCaprio played two astronomers trying to warn humanity about a comet heading for Earth. Critics generally praised Jennifer's performance. The film became one of Netflix's most-watched movies.

Jennifer starred in and produced the independent drama Causeway (2022), playing a soldier with a brain injury. She produced this film through her company, Excellent Cadaver. She also produced Bread and Roses (2023), a documentary about women in Afghanistan. In 2023, Jennifer starred in and produced the comedy No Hard Feelings. She played a young woman who agrees to date an introverted teenager. Reviewers enjoyed the film and Jennifer's comedic timing.

In 2025, Jennifer produced and starred in Die, My Love, a thriller that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Critics highly praised her performance as a single mother facing mental health challenges.

Other Activities

Jennifer Lawrence at Tulane University in 2018

Jennifer identifies as a feminist, which she explains simply means believing in equality. She has spoken out about equal pay for women in Hollywood, sharing her own experiences. She has also supported body positivity for women.

Jennifer supports many charitable organizations, including the World Food Programme and Feeding America. She has worked with her The Hunger Games co-stars, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, to raise awareness about poverty and hunger. She organized a special screening of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2013 to benefit Saint Mary's Center, an organization for people with disabilities, raising over $40,000. She also helped raise money for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

In 2015, Jennifer launched the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, which supports groups like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Special Olympics. In 2016, she donated $2 million to the Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville to create a special heart care unit named after her foundation. She is on the board of RepresentUs, a group working to pass anti-corruption laws. In 2018, she joined over 300 women in Hollywood to create the Time's Up initiative, which helps protect women from harassment and discrimination. She also participated in the 2018 Women's March in Los Angeles.

Personal Life

Jennifer grew up in a conservative family. She has said that she is "not religious" but sometimes prays out of habit.

Jennifer dated her X-Men: First Class co-star Nicholas Hoult from 2010 to 2014. In September 2016, she began dating filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, but they broke up in November 2017. In 2018, she started a relationship with Cooke Maroney, an art gallery director. They got engaged in February 2019 and were married on October 19, 2019, in Rhode Island. They live in New York City and Beverly Hills, California.

Jennifer and Cooke welcomed their son, Cy, in February 2022. He was named after American artist Cy Twombly. In March 2025, their second child was born.

Jennifer supports the LGBTQ+ community. She has spoken out in favor of their rights. She also supports women's health choices. In 2021, while pregnant, she attended a rally in Washington, D.C., holding a sign that read "Women can't be free if they don't control their bodies."

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Music videos

Awards and Recognition

Jennifer Lawrence has received many awards for her acting. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized her for these performances:

• 83rd Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actress for Winter's Bone (2010)
• 85th Academy Awards: Won Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
• 86th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for American Hustle (2013)
• 88th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actress for Joy (2015)

She has also won three Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress – Comedy or Musical for Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and Joy (2015), and Best Supporting Actress for American Hustle (2013). She also won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for American Hustle.

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Lawrence para niños