When Jennifer Lawrence landed the role of Katniss Everdeen, she knew it was a “great responsibility.” It was 2012 and The Hunger Games books were a big hit with kids – especially young girls. It was an opportunity to play the female lead in an action movie.
But that wasn’t the focus when her casting was announced. “I remember the biggest conversation was ‘How much weight are you going to lose?’ was,” Lawrence said in her chat with Viola Davis for Variety.Actors over actors.” Aside from the fact that she’s young — and therefore still growing and dieting isn’t advisable — Lawrence “didn’t want all the girls who are going to dress up as Katniss to feel like they can’t , because they aren’t a certain weight.” She also knew she couldn’t “leak” that into her brain either.
Davis is familiar with altering her physique for a role — except for her, it was about gaining strength rather than losing weight. To prepare for The Women King, Davis trained five hours a day, six days a week for three months to transform into a warrior leader.
For both pioneers, the roles brought new representation to Hollywood. “I remember when I was shooting Hunger Games, nobody had ever put a woman in the lead role in an action film because it wouldn’t work – because we were told that girls and boys could both identify with a male lead, but boys don’t identify with a female lead,” Lawrence said. “And it makes me so happy every time I see a movie come out that breaks every one of those beliefs and proves it’s just a lie, certain people Keeping them out of the movies. Keeping certain people in the movies in the same positions they’ve always been in.”
Despite the strength the two actors bring to their passion projects, motherhood triggered a whole new fear for them. “It was the scariest thing in the whole world, thinking about starting a family. What if I mess it up? What if I can’t make it?” Lawrence said. “Every day as a mother I feel terrible. I feel guilty. I play with him and think, ‘Is that what he wants to do? shall we be outside we are outside What if he’s cold? What if he gets sick? shall we be inside Is that enough? Does that develop your brain enough?”
Davis shared an anecdote about how she accidentally locked her daughter in her car, and Lawrence admitted to driving around with her son who wasn’t buckled in his car seat. “He just stumbled around, just flew. OK, great! Good to know we all almost killed our kids.” Regardless of the car breakdowns, we know their two children will have a role model worthy of the big screen.
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