It’s been several years since we’ve had a big “Jennifer Lawrence promotional tour” and I legitimately missed her, while also understanding why she needed a break and why we needed a break from her. She was too ubiquitous, too confessional 24-7, too much, too everywhere. The stuff that made her famous – her likability, her honest, confessional interviews, her humor – were being used against her and exploited. Worse yet, the work was suffering. Her picker was off, and audiences could tell. So, after a two-year absence, J-Law is returning to fame and stardom to promote Don’t Look Up. She’s married now and expecting her first child. She’s also still the same J-Law – even though she’s taking pains to not get too personal with Vanity Fair, she still talks about everything under the sun. You can read the full VF piece here. Some highlights:
Her box office disappointments. “I was not pumping out the quality that I should have. I just think everybody had gotten sick of me. I’d gotten sick of me. It had just gotten to a point where I couldn’t do anything right. If I walked a red carpet, it was, ‘Why didn’t she run?’… I think that I was people-pleasing for the majority of my life. Working made me feel like nobody could be mad at me: ‘Okay, I said yes, we’re doing it. Nobody’s mad.’ And then I felt like I reached a point where people were not pleased just by my existence. So that kind of shook me out of thinking that work or your career can bring any kind of peace to your soul.”
On Harvey Weinstein: “Harvey’s victims were women that believed that he was going to help them. Fortunately, by the time I had even come across Harvey in my career, I was about to win an Academy Award. I was getting The Hunger Games. So I avoided that specific situation. Of course, I’m a woman in the professional world. So it’s not like I’ve gone my entire career with men being appropriate. But, yeah, that’s a perfect example of where getting power quickly did save me.”
On her husband: “I really enjoy going to the grocery store with him. I don’t know why but it fills me with a lot of joy. I think maybe because it’s almost a metaphor for marriage. ‘Okay, we’ve got this list. These are the things we need. Let’s work together and get this done.’ And I always get one of the cooking magazines, like 15 Minute Healthy Meals, and he always gives me a look like, ‘You’re not going to use that. When are you going to make that?’ And I say, ‘Yes, I am. Tuesday!’ And he’s always right, and I never do.”
She got to make out with Timothee Chalamet on Don’t Look Up: “It would have been a lot more enjoyable if you weren’t seeing your aging self next to a 17-year-old in a two-shot who weighs 100 pounds soaking wet. I’ve never felt fatter and older in my life.”
Whether she’s forgiven her Kentucky Republican roots: “Yeah, I mean…. No, there were certain things, in the Trump presidency, there are certain things that happened over the last five years that are unforgivable. And it’s been wild. It’s wild to disagree on things you thought you would never…there’s no way we’re going to disagree on this in 2021. White supremacy. Attacking the Capitol. Nazis being the bad guys. Or just, science. I don’t know.”
There’s a lot more because of course there is – she talks a bit about her husband Cooke and mentions some jewelry gifts he’s gotten her, but her favorite gift from him is the Hereditary script, because that’s her favorite movie. She also talks about a near-death experience she had when she was traveling on a private plane and both the engines went out and she thought she was going to die. Poor woman. She sounds like she’s in a much better place psychologically these days, because I remember how she was before she took this break. She was just burned out to a crazy degree, burned out on work but mostly on being famous. She seemed like she was teetering on the edge of some kind of (slapstick) nervous breakdown. It’s good that she took a big break and she sounds a lot healthier now.
Cover & IG courtesy of Vanity Fair.
That cover photo is giving me big Blake Lively vibes. I mean, I love it, but… *shrug*
I agree about the cover. The second photo is better. She looks beautiful.
JLaw always sounds so young in her interviews. I know she is young, but she is not a child. I laughed at the part where she said Timothy Chalamet made her feel old and fat because I’m sure that’s how she has makes other women feel. Anyway, best of luck to her.
@ FHMom, I adore her!! I do think that she was getting close to burn out and it’s great that she stepped back and had some time off, enjoyed her life and was able to take time fir herself. The topping on the cake was marrying Cooke and how much she cherishes his gift. What a lovely gift!! He sounds like a keeper for certain!! I am glad that she is able to take some time for herself. I have missed her. I have enjoyed everything she has been in. She isn’t afraid of getting dirty like Winter’s Bone, which I enjoyed immensely.
As for looking different, I don’t see that. I have come to distrust magazine covers as they are overly photoshopped. I will wait until I see an actual public picture.
I hope that she and Cooke are extremely happy!!! I am glad that she is insightful and looks inward and explores herself and how she is portrayed and is protecting herself now. I wish her the best that life has to offer!!
I agree – it’s a nice photo, but doesn’t really look like her?
Heavily photoshopped…
She looks good.😘😘
And I agree, I’m getting Blake Lively, Michelle Phillips, Jean Shrimpton et al vibes.
I thought that right away!
Did she have a brow lift or is it the exaggerated eye liner? I can’t tell, but something looks different about her.
Her nose looks different.
It kills me when pretty stars alter their faces. When you already have a small nose and decide to go under the knife again. Ugh
It looks the same, but you might be co fused by the contouring makeup.
She had her nose done. At least once. It’s pretty noticeable, comparing to photos from 2010. It’s more narrow and straight now.
I don’t think she’s done anything to it other than the original nose work, which I think looks good. I just looked pictures, it was very well done, just a slight refinement like Miley Cyrus, Angelina Jolie, and a bunch of others have done.
Magazine photos are so heavily edited these days, half the time you can’t even tell who it is.
@Lucy2:
I’ve seen some of those “before” photos.
This woman has done a way, waaaaay more, than just one or two nose jobs.
I AM sick of the basic sexy blonde. No affront to her soul IJS>
How many decades has this been THROWN in our faces as ideal femininity? Save for the 1920s, how long will our culture idealise the basic white woman trope??
I have to say I really like her. She seems grounded enough to know what her limits are rather than pushing through. Mazel Tov on the baby and marriage. That’s all I got.
Her husband appears dull af but maybe that’s good for her. His dull to her always being “on.“ *shrugs*
I don’t know either of these people personally of course so who knows. Just the vibe I get from them.
Serious question — have any male celebrities ever had to remove themselves from the public eye for a time for being overexposed and people “getting sick of” them? It’s happened to Taylor Swift, to Anne Hathaway. I find it interesting, and sad, that the women who need to take a break from the limelight haven’t done anything other than just annoying people, while there are men who have done genuinely bad things and continue to get steady work. The “likability” standards women must live up to are awfully high.
Tom Hiddleston comes to mind.
I agree that women are judged more harshly, but the only woman you listed who I think had a pure overexposure backlash was Anne Hathaway. Jennifer made a bunch of disappointing movies in a row, and Taylor’s personal life eclipsed her songwriting. I like both of those women, but I don’t think the reaction to either was purely based on their being too much in the press.
Tom Hiddleston is a good example I didn’t think of. Unfortunately, it always seems to be people who are just “over-earnest” or “too eager” who are forced out of the spotlight, rather than people with actual wrongdoings.
RARELY sort of. Like, Mel Gibson early cancelled or people getting fed up of Jim Carrey’s schtick.
Cumberbatch and Hiddleston took needed breaks from the public eye.
Cumberbatch? Don’t know if people got sick of him or if his fans were too much to handle.
They don’t, but quite a few of them should
Seems like it’s typically a thing that happens to women. Everyone “gets sick of them” and they have to disappear for a while.
Also, re: Harvey Weinstein: she’s lucky she had that endorsement deal with Dior. That cut off another one of his paths of access: strong arming his targets into wearing Marchesa on the red carpet.
Jude Law. Jake Gyllenhaal. It happens with men too. Let’s go back further: Monty Clift, Alan Ladd.
It’s not really a sexist issue.
Hugh Grant?
She actually does sound rather healthy here. I like Jen immediately when she came onto the scene but last year or so she shared that she was a baby republican and it turned me off, as well as the interaction she had w/ a member of the foreign press at the Golden Globes. So did her friendship with Amy Schumer but it’s not up to me for force my beliefs onto others. It seems as though she’s enjoying her husband and her marriage and hopefully that continues as she is on the cusp of welcoming her baby.
You were turned off because she grew up in a conservative household in Kentucky and was a Republican as a young adult because she didn’t know better, but then grew up, got a mind of her own, and realized she was wrong? Jesus. You sound fun. And also like you’re perfect.
For real. I’m a lesbian and grew up with a very very conservative family on my dad’s side. I even voted for George W Bush at 18! Then I got real, I educated myself, I traveled the world and understood ‘hey, there is an entire world outside of the confines of this messy country I live in’. If we don’t ever allow growth or people to learn from their mistakes, then what’s the point?
I really like her and never really got sick of her public persona, but I did resent that she was being cast in roles that were written for women about 20 years older than her, and I couldn’t take her seriously in some movies just because of that even though she is a generally very good actress. I realize that’s not super her fault, it’s the fault of gross directors like David O. Russell, but still.
It was the same for me, I really enjoyed watching her interviews but never understood all the praise she got, to give an example, for that American Hustle scene where she sings Live and Let Die.
Yeah I lost a little bit of respect for her when she kept defending that it was ok for a 20 year old (her) to play a 40 year old, not understanding it had nothing to do with her acting chops but the unfair way in which middle aged women are treated in Hollywood: actual 40 year old women are playing 60 grandmothers whereas 60 year old men easily end up with a 20 year old women. I think she’s going to need to be 40 before she gets this, which maybe signifies someone who is slow to mature.
She definitely sounds like she’s in a better emotional place, and good for her.
Vanity Fair did her wrong with this photoshoot, though. Visibly fake eyelashes? A sweater and panties? Yuck.
Really ? I thought she looked gorgeous! 🙂
She’s a beautiful woman, but I find the styling to be pretty cringe! They could have at least given her some pants.
She looks like she is awkwardly dry humping the grass.
I know. I was trying not to see the humping pose. It’s kind of typical of her, alas. She tries to have it both ways. One minute the feminist stuff. Then the open mouth wink, wink at the men. Exhausting.
I had the same thought. Why do women need to be in a sweater and undies in a magazine? A man would never.
It is rather cliche, isn’t it?
Do men actually think women just walk around at home in a sweatshirt and underwear, like that’s remotely comfortable to be half warm half cold?
I mean…. I do? But I also have problems regulating temp and that sometimes helps lol
She looks absolutely beautiful on the cover shot! I have always liked her. I don’t really remember what she was like or doing prior to taking a break, so that is an interesting comment you made about her seeming to be on the verge of a breakdown. She has stayed very private the past few years. I can totally relate to her comments about acting next to Timothee. But, she is still very young and beautiful…wait til 40 hits!
The problem with Chalamet is his looks, not age – he is not that much younger than her but he looks like a skinny teenager and she actually looks her age. Thomas Brodie-Sangster is 31 and I would’t be surprised if he made 6 years younger Anya Taylor-Joy feel old in comparison on the Queen’s Gambit set, because he has the same teenage look 😉
Nice interview. It’s smart to take a break and enjoy real life. She looks great in the second photo. Not sure about the cover photo, her face has no expression.
Interesting that she was ok playing the love interest of men 15 years older than her (Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale), but didn’t feel great with Timothee, who is 6 years younger.
That’s also what is normalized in our society. I don’t think it’s that odd.
In that scenario, she’s the younger pretty one. She didn’t say she thought it was wrong, just that it made her feel old and fat.
Oddly, she didn’t make any of her middle aged male co stars feel fat and old! Men are lucky in Hollywood
Not sure about the Harvey comment. Yes, he took advantage of women that needed his help in their careers, but he also threatened successful women with ruining their careers. He could have done it to jlaw too. She was not as safe then as she might feel.
+1
I’m sure she was just trying to figure out why such a habitual offender would have left her alone. I’m sure many an actress he didn’t make advances on wondered as well. She thought that maybe Oscar nom and the Hunger Games protected her. She probably just feels lucky he didn’t attack her.
Magic has nothing to do with it. The ones who said nothing happened don’t need to be portrayed as lying prostitutes in order for the ones who said he assaulted or threatened them to be telling the truth. Abusers can have many victims without every person they encountered or conducted business with being one of their targets. She is not the only woman who said he didn’t make sexual advances on her. Serial abusers in positions of power can also be calculating enough to see the benefits of keeping things non-sexual with a few of the young women they’re working with.
I’m really trying to figure out what’s different about her face but I can’t put my finger on it.
nose job. she looks like a blond meghan fox
I relate to her comments about work. I think over this whole pandemic situation a lot of us have overworked ourselves to the point of burnout on all fronts, and some of that is a result of being people-pleasers. If I’m constantly busy, no one can expect any more from me, right?
I agree with @Wiglet on the Weinstein comments to an extent, but I can also imagine being and her situation and thinking “why not me?” Sounds like she’s been doing a lot of self-reflection. Good for her.
I love what she says about HW. The answer’s kept short and sweet, but…she gets it. Being in a position of power can make a world of difference. And not everyone can see it (or they’re not willing to).
Whatever you like JLaw or not, I love how self-aware she is and she seems in a better place. Good for her.
She’s so beautiful and I think she’s very happy now
I think so too, she seems very happy.
I like her a lot as an actress, even in roles she was too young to do. I also like that she will just straight up disappear when she’s not promoting something, and keeps her life pretty private.
That is a stunning cover photo of Jennifer.
She was the “breath of fresh air cool girl” for a bit. I guess we’re now going to hear about baby and marriage from her. Sigh.
Ummm the cool girl is a fallacy. Unattainable double standard for women to be sexy but for it to be effortless and low maintenance
I can’t help myself I will always like her. Glad she evolved from her Republican days, that was so depressing to read about during the T era and certainly now, after their attack on our entire country.
“Jennifer Lawrence: ‘I just think everybody had gotten sick of me’”
You’re right, JLaw. I have.
Still do, by the way. Would very much appreciate if you vanished again.
Well, I, for one, DID get sick of her. She was everywhere, in every movie, doing the Jenny McCarthy routine of, “I’m a tomboy” or whatever it was, winning 2 Oscars, in every make-up or perfume ad, etc. To be honest, I was never an Anne Hathaway hater. This one annoyed me much more. Never thought she was beautiful either. Very wealthy girl from the start. I heard her parents would pay each director that gave her an audition $5,000 or $10,000 dollars. Don’t know if that’s true. Just never got or liked her.
@JFerber:
Right? Generic looking blonde, serviceable actress (at best).
Let’s be friends.
I’m really not understanding all the comments of her being so gorgeous in these photos. She looks ridiculous, so much makeup and so much photoshopping that she barely looks like herself. So JL normally isn’t what JL needs to look like to be beautiful? I’m lost. Whoever at VF thought this was a great look to give her really did her such a disservice. The second photo makes her nose look painted on with just one straight line :/
Eve, you’re on. I’ve always loved your meme of the screaming guy.
I have to admit that Timothee Chalamet line made me laugh and laugh, I can relate to this feeling (sort of!).
I’ve missed her, I never felt tired of her and I do agree that this media manufacturing of overexposure is gross. Then again, I also like Anne Hathaway and her keener drama club vibes, and never felt like she should have to hide either. Nor Hiddles…
Well, one more I can scratch off my whatever-happened-to list.
No poor woman. She’s fine. She’s coping lol. She’s doing better than most of us. I’m not crying for her if I were even capable of crying anymore lol
But I do kinda like her.
I think she is very pretty. I don’t know why people have the need to let everyone know who they hate.
She’s right, most people got sick of her, me included. Also that quote about Chalamet isn’t really flattering or appropriate, jeez… If he was a girl and she made those comments there’d be hell to pay.
Yeah, I don’t understand her comments about Chalamet, the guy is about to turn 26 and she’s 31… She’s played the love interest of men much older than her, she even dated Aronofsky. Come on! Chalamet looks young because he IS young, just like her! Can women stop feeling guilty for dating or being attracted to younger men, especially when the age gap is as insignificant as in this case?
Yes, crawling in the grass in her underwear and a cowl neck sweater…I mean haven’t we all been there? LOL….what a ridiculous pose.
That quote about Weinstein is odd.
“Fortunately, by the time I had even come across Harvey in my career, I was about to win an Academy Award.”
Huh? Silver Linings Playbook was produced by Weinstein, and she making it appear that she was about to win one when she met him. No she wasn’t. She’s trying to minimise the influence of Weinstein on her winning her Oscar.