Earlier than The Starvation Video games and purple carpet dominance, Jennifer Lawrence was only a rising star with one thing to show. That second got here with Winter’s Bone, the gritty indie drama that modified every part for her. However to lock in that function, and really grow to be Ree Dolly, Lawrence didn’t simply act powerful. She lived it. She carried a shotgun round along with her all over the place in actual life. And no, it wasn’t a film prop.
Based on Jennifer Lawrence: Woman on Hearth by Nadia Cohen, the Oscar-winner didn’t need to “faux” to be powerful, she wished to really feel it. “On the recommendation of an in depth relative again in Kentucky, she spent weeks carrying an empty shotgun all over the place along with her as a result of she feared anybody watching the movie who knew something about weapons would know inside seconds whether or not or not she had ever held a weapon earlier than. She wished to really feel as if she was really looking, not simply pretending” (through Cheat Sheet).
This wasn’t about shock worth. It was about authenticity.
Winter’s Bone adopted Ree Dolly, a poor teenager from the Ozarks on a mission to seek out her lacking, drug-dealing father whereas holding her household collectively. The film leaned into themes like poverty, patriarchy, and survival, and Lawrence knew she couldn’t faux that sort of grit.
Director Debra Granik initially doubted Lawrence’s casting. She thought the actor regarded too polished for the function. So Lawrence went full methodology. She hopped off a red-eye flight, walked via the rain, confirmed as much as the audition with unwashed hair and a runny nostril. That was sufficient to land the half, however it wasn’t the tip of her prep.
She chopped wooden. She realized to struggle. She studied easy methods to carry herself like somebody used to survival.
Lawrence’s dedication didn’t simply impress the director, it blew critics away. Her efficiency earned her an Oscar nomination for Finest Actress in a Main Position. She was solely 20. And despite the fact that Natalie Portman took dwelling the statue for Black Swan, the excitement round Lawrence by no means pale.
From there, her profession exploded. Simply two years later, she gained the Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook. She adopted that with nominations for American Hustle and Pleasure. Each step ahead might be traced again to Winter’s Bone, and that shotgun.
The movie itself made waves on the competition circuit, profitable the Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Movie at Sundance. It additionally earned a fame for gritty realism. An enormous a part of that was Lawrence. Not only for her expertise, however as a result of she took authenticity so severely.
Later roles may’ve introduced in blockbuster {dollars}, however it was that $16.1 million indie that began all of it. And sure, she carried a shotgun to get there.
Name it wild, name it excessive. But it surely labored.
For extra such tales, try Hollywood Information
Should Learn: Iron Man Star Jeff Bridges $8 Million House Burns To Ashes, Beyonce’s Mom & Different Celebs Who Misplaced Their Multimillion-Greenback Homes In The Tragic LA Fires
Comply with Us: Fb | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google Information