She made the bold statement during an Actors on Actors interview.
Jennifer Lawrence has claimed she was the first woman to lead in an action film for her role in the Hunger Games franchise.
Joining Viola Davis in a Actors on Actors conversation for Variety, Lawrence proclaimed: “Nobody had ever put a woman in the lead of an action movie” before her role as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games series.
“We were told girls and boys can both identify with a male lead, but boys cannot identify with a female lead,” the 32-year-old continued.
“It just makes me so happy every single time I see a movie come out that just blows through every one of those beliefs, and proves that it is just a lie to keep certain people out of the movies.
“To keep certain people in the same positions that they’ve always been in.”
While Lawrence was seemingly trying to make the point that roles for women and men in Hollywood typically differ unfairly, the comments quickly went viral on social media.
People were quick to point out that a “ton of other women were cast as female leads in action films” such as Linda Hamilton, Sigourney Weaver, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and Uma Thurman.
Lawrence is apparently so self-obsessed that she forgets a ton. of other women were cast as female leads in action films: Linda Hamilton, HELLO. Sigourney Weaver? Angelina Jolie? Halle Berry? Uma Thurman and the ladies of Kill Bill? "DEATH PROOF" CAST? Lawrence is annoying. https://t.co/KSOmx9MAVG
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) December 7, 2022
Jennifer Lawrence talking about how she was the first female lead in an action movie pic.twitter.com/lNPsLkNOz8
— Madeline Fry Schultz (@madelineefry) December 7, 2022
https://twitter.com/AGoldmund/status/1600656490850836480
This week on "White Feminism in Cinema," Jennifer Lawrence forgets in a @Variety interview that Pam Grier, Halle Berry, and other women starred in action films long before her. pic.twitter.com/81yn4hHIC6
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) December 7, 2022
Hey @Variety, it's not an exhaustive list but could you get this to Jennifer Lawrence so she knows a bit about the lead women in action movies who came before her? Thanks. pic.twitter.com/Q0zTVU0vqo
— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) December 7, 2022
Another Twitter user had a screenshot of Variety’s since-deleted tweet, featuring Lawrence’s controversial assertion.
Variety just deleted this tweet, which contained a very stupid quote from Jennifer Lawrence, who apparently doesn't actually watch movies. pic.twitter.com/7KWz0jX4Uv
— Jon Miltimore (@miltimore79) December 7, 2022
Some social media users did rush to defend the Oscar-winning actor.
“Everyone’s dragging J-Law for this, but it’s pretty clear she’s sharing (with great derision) what was told to her and her team by studio execs, not what she thought at the time,” one fan wrote.
Everyone's dragging J-Law for this, but it's pretty clear she's sharing (with great derision) what was told to her and her team by studio execs, not what she thought at the time. https://t.co/IsTiKAyT0x
— @alishagrauso.bsky.social (@AlishaGrauso) December 7, 2022
Another tweeted in her defense that the “controversy is stupid” surrounding the actor’s statement.
“Yes, Jennifer Lawrence is wrong about female-led action movies, but her main thesis is correct,” they said.
“Engage with that, maybe you’ll learn something.”
This controversy is stupid. Yes, Jennifer Lawrence is wrong about female led action movies, but her main thesis is correct. Engage with that, maybe you'll learn something. https://t.co/34bnr4vAb7
— Olivia Truffaut-Wong (@iWatchiAm) December 7, 2022
Also every example people are listing to mock Jennifer Lawrence are films that were clearly meant for/marketed to adults?
Hunger Games was primarily a kid's movie—so viewed through that lens, isn't what she said sort of true? Kids' action movies were always male leads.
— Kendall Brown (@kendallybrown) December 7, 2022
You can watch Lawrence and Davis’ Actors on Actors segment below.
Clip via Variety
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
