Yesterday, we covered Jennifer Lawrence’s cover photoshoot for the February issue of Vanity Fair, and there was no shortage of cheesecake booty pictures with a very promising headline of “most desirable” to boot as well as an intriguing combination of Bar Rafaeli and Brigitte Bardot vibes thrown in for good measure. Now we have some more of the (tentatively) promised excerpts from the full VF piece, and let me warn you that the interview frames Jennifer in terms of a “no holds barred” sort of piece.
Naturally, I don’t believe that it’s possible for anyone who’s been in Hollywood for longer than, say, one (financially or critically) successful film to be truly uncensored; that is, unless we’re talking about Bill Murray, who has been around long enough to know that a publicist is not nearly as important as one’s own personal 800 number. As for Jennifer, she’s still got studio publicists around which to tiptoe, so let’s take this interview with a grain of sea salt. Here are those aforementioned excerpts:
She used her Katniss bow & arrow for good: “One time I actually used it for defense. I pulled into my garage and I heard men in my house. And I was like, ‘I’m not letting them take my stuff. I had just gotten back from training, so I had the bow and arrows in the back of my car. I went to my car and I put this quiver on me and I had my bow and I loaded it and I’m walking up the stairs. And I look, and my patio doors were open, and there were guys working right there, and I was like, ‘Heyyy, how you doin’?'” Lawrence’s friends were disappointed by the anticlimactic outcome of the event, the actress [explains]: “They were like, ‘We’ve got to stage someone to break into your house and you can kill them!’ That would be the funniest news ever. Katniss Everdeen actually kills someone with a bow and arrow!”
On her profession: “Not to sound rude, but [acting] is stupid. Everybody’s like, ‘How can you remain with a level head?’ And I’m like, ‘Why would I ever get cocky? I’m not saving anybody’s life. There are doctors who save lives and firemen who run into burning buildings. I’m making movies. It’s stupid.'”
On her idols: “Once I’m obsessed with somebody, I’m terrified of them instantly. I’m not scared of them–I’m scared of me and how I will react. Like, for instance, one time someone was introducing me to Bill Maher, and I saw Meryl Streep walk into the room, and I literally put my hand right in Bill Maher’s face and said, ‘Not now, Bill!,’ and I just stared at Meryl Streep.” So, did she meet Meryl Streep? “Of course not. I just creepily stared at her.”
[From Vanity Fair]
I love the idea of Jennifer Lawrence as a fangirl — even if it is as clichéd as a Meryl Streep fangirl. Notice that (unlike Anne Hathway, for better or worse), Jennifer has not compared herself to Streep (either positively or negatively) in any way. She’s merely drooling, right? At the same time, it’s important to realize that both Anne and Jennifer are conducting Oscar campaigns in their own ways. One of them is comparing herself to the greats, and the other is comparing herself to the masses. So who shall win the race? Perhaps both of them will — after all, they are both running in different categories. We shall see.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN
I love JLaw! It can get exhausting how serious people take actors, so it’s nice that she’s not all artsy and pretentious. Hope it stays like that. I don’t watch a lot of movies, I don’t think I’ve seen one Meryl Streep movie, so I can’t say if I’m a fan or not….
JL is refreshingly angst free.
I agree, she’s great!
please, wake up, this girl has been prepared to be loved by “People”, not to be original and “normal”.
@Mel, I’ve been a fan since Winter’s Bone and her interviews from the beginning have been interesting and display an original turn of mind for a young Hollywood actress.
This girl had a car wreck bc she thought she saw Honey Boo Boo while driving in GA – That is hilarious and likeable, not made up, sorry darlin.
Zoe Kravitz said she knocked on JL’s door and she answered in a towel, letting her in and talking to her like it was no big deal…she talks with her BF about what constitutes a nice ass..this stuff is not made up by some publicist..she is a quirky girl next door who happens to also be an actress…this does exist lol..and shocker, people do happen to like it.
…yet not refreshingly botox-free..how sad when even the most beautiful actresses give in prematurely to the “posh poke”. Hopefully, she won’t feel the need to do it again..she doesn’t need it! As for being angst-free, well, I’m sure Jennifer herself would disagree. It’s so weird when superfans act as if those they admire are perfect or superhuman.
I’m sorry, botox? When has it ever been speculated or suggested that she has had botox? She’s a 22 year old girl, I find it hard to believe she has.
I know most people here really like her, but I think she’s a member of the Overexposure Brigade.
I like her and I agree. Like her less with every interview. I know that they have to answer all these personal questions but it’s too much. No mystery.
I just think that her “always saying the right thing” responses are overkill. Yeah, you don’t want to be skinny, your profession is funny business, you love Meryl…like she reads it from the book
I agree 100%. I am officially sick of her. The interviews are fake and controlled by PR people. Anyone who thinks they know anything about her after reading one of these is delusional
I like her but she’s in serious danger of over-exposure..
I love this girl. And she’s right about the acting business. People save lives and yet we pay millions for people to act.
People are paid millions to act because they bring in millions of dollars. Millions of dollars aren’t made by individuals when they save lives.
You’re talking about two different things, here — two different industries and areas.
So we shouldn’t talk about that being effed up and a skewed way to live? Just because they’re different industries doesn’t make it right. There’s nothing wrong with pointing out the absurdity in disparages like these. They are actually absurd.
Really? This interview gave you the impression that Jennifer is “just like us”.
She gave solid sound bites but played the interview to the middle of the pack. Her whole star image plays to the people magazine audience. There’s nothing wrong with that strategy but it’s just as calculated as Anne’s image.
And it’s more telling and disappointing than Anne’s ‘try’.
Give Jen a year and if she’s still doing interviews like this one, many will find her disingenuous and full of try.
Agree.
As I said on another thread, when you’re a big Hollywood star, you’re essentially a commodity to be cynically marketed. NOTHING these people say in interviews is spontaneous or candid. And if Jennifer did say anything which went against her carefully calculated ‘girl next door’ image, you can be sure her people would ruthlessly excise it before it ever made the light of day – major stars, and/or their agents, usually get to pre-approve the texts of interviews before they go to press. And when we’re talking about something as high-profile as a VF cover story, you can be sure nothing is left to chance.
Which isn’t to say that Jennifer isn’t a perfectly nice young woman. Just that there’s no such thing as a candid interview with an up-and-coming Hollywood star.
There is actually an unscripted, unedited interview of her. A half hour one-to-one sitdown on Youtube for TIFF, which I doubt that many people have seen. She came over well – a lot less manic than she does on talk shows, for obvious reasons of nerves I’d imagine. They asked about early starts and she started saying she had one 12 am call, and made a face about how rough it was, and then she started to laugh and said she was complaining to one of her brothers about it and he was all, “aww, your life is so hard, it’s terrible doing what you do… I bet they could find someone else to do it.”
Right now I think it’s genuine. She’s not been famous that long. But they are still playing it up – that girl-next-door naturalness – for all its commercial worth, and as she grows up, even though that won’t be her anymore, I imagine they will keep right on playing it. She reminds me a lot of Kate Winslet when she started out. At first it was genuine; she was sweet, normal, aware that she was incredibly lucky and slightly gobsmacked by it all. Then it became faked and scripted because that was her image and she and her people consciously foster it, despite the fact she’s now a spoilt little diva. I doubt JL will remain as normal as she is, either. It isn’t a normal life.
The one thing that does make me think she may be okay is she actually doesn’t give much away at all. People think she’s really open because she tells jokes about her childhood (past, safely locked away from scrutiny) or mocks herself a lot. But she shares very, very little about her relationships, romantically or personally. And if you compare that with Kate WInslet’s sharing endlessly about her husbands, and their relationships, and her children, it gives you a bit of hope that maybe she is a lot better at using her sense of humour and apparent openess at protecting what is truly personal to her.
I totally agree.
I agree with the others before me about the over exposure bit. I absolutely love her. Huge girl crush on her, but I really really don’t want to become sick of her.
I agree that J.Law’s approach is probably just as calculated in its own way as Anne’s, but I don’t care. We’re all forced to be exposed to celebrity interviews in some fashion, even if it’s just while standing on line at the supermarket and seeing magazines. So if one has to see celeb quotes, I’d rather see J.Law’s level-headed ones versus Anne’s try-hardness any day.
She looks gorgeous in this shoot, and I love her cover, it’s very pretty.
As much as I’m aware she is gearing up for an Oscar campaign, I find it really hard to believe her strategy is as contrived as Anne Hathaway’s is. Jennifer always comes across as refreshing and relaxed, and in every interview I’ve seen of her (on television, red carpet’s, etc), she’s very humorous and bubbly.
I just find her so damn likable, and genuine. She is an extraordinary talent in addition, so I hope her awards season goes well for her.
I actually buy into her persona…I do think she is low key. I mean, she’s 22 and known primarily for her acting. Do you know how rare that is to be so young and actually respected? Most of them at that age are known as celebrities first.
I adore Jennifer! She doesn’t starve herself and she has real talent. It’s so nice to see someone her age not partying all the time and dating every guy in town. She’s got a great future ahead of her 🙂
Love this girl. I’m kinda on the fence on who I’ll be cheering on come Oscar time. LOL! Her or Jessica.
I like the photoshop cover of her it makes her look cute the other pics where she is just herself out and about well she could be anyone. Nothing spectacular to me.
Love her!!….and I agree with how most 22 year old actresses are celebrities first, actresses second. Lawrence is and always has been an actress first. Btw, love the shoot I want that red Ralph Lauren dress!!.
She tries so hard to be funny and down to earth but she comes off as such an airhead. She can’t make herself not sound dumb. If acting is so stupid then why take millions of dollars for it? Way to piss off the Academy.
I like this girl a lot and definitely think she is a quality actress, but no way she deserves an Oscar for her role in SLP. She is a natural and was good, but nothing spectacular. And I loved movie, so I’m not a hater!!!
I love Jlaw!!
her commentary on her job looks like “sissy job” by Christian Bale
I love her!!! I saw her yesterday at Barney’s in rodeo and me being ghetto yelled “oh it’s that katniss bitch!” In excitement. She looked at me and smiled. I was there with my gays and she started talking to to one of my friends about the boots (Barney’s was having a sale)they were both looking at. She was sooo normal and wearing non-designer clothes.
Anne Hathaway and her are trying so hard… They’re both annoying.
I like her but I can’t help but wonder why is her face always so puffy. It was very distracting to me when I saw her in the X-Men movie.It is like she is allergic to nuts and just had one.
She had a puffy face because she DID have an allergic reaction to the the makeup used on Xmen.
Right on! I never understand why actors thought so highly of themselves. All they do is recite lines (that someone else wrote), are told where to stand and how to move in a scene (by someone else), have a number of takes to get it right etc. Seriously, how is talent defined in acting? Actors are just puppets
Right on! I never understood why actors thought so highly of themselves. All they do is recite lines (that someone else wrote), are told where to stand and how to move in a scene by someone else whilst wearing clothes someone else chose for them. They then have a number of takes to get it right and once the movie is done they are paid millions for it. Seriously, how is talent defined in acting? Actors are just puppets
Maybe it’s just me but this “Oscar campaigning” probably isn’t going to be effective…how is calling your job stupid going to help you win an award for doing that job? And if we’re comparing Anne’s strategy (minus biscuit flashing) to Jennifer’s, I would much rather compare myself to the greats and strive to be that then act “like the masses.” Anne’s comments might be grating at times but at least she shows drive and ambition.
Right on! I never understood why actors thought so highly of themselves. All they do is recite lines (that someone else wrote), are told where to stand and how to move in a scene by someone else whilst wearing clothes someone else chose for them. They then have a number of takes to get it right and once the movie is done they are paid millions for it. Actors are just puppets
they’re paid by millions and their entourage is some “yes man”
I just can’t like this girl, especially after her “fk PETA” comments.
Considering Anne Hathaway has acted opposite Meryl Streep, it makes sense for Hathaway to be compared to her or to be asked about what it feels like to be compared to her. As far as I know, Jennifer Lawrence has never done a movie with Streep.