The surprising world record held by Jennifer Lawrence
Since Jennifer Lawrence first appeared on screens in the 2000s, she has risen to become one of cinema’s most recognisable stars, partly due to her diverse list of acting credits. From The Hunger Games franchise and the X-Men series to Silver Linings Playbook and Mother!, Lawrence has moved seamlessly through genres.
Lawrence got her start in the business after she was scouted on the streets of New York City while on holiday. Soon enough, she was auditioning for agents despite her mother’s hesitation. Yet, Lawrence’s talent was undeniable, and she continued to pursue her goal of becoming a star.
Her first significant role was in The Bill Engvall Show, which won her the Young Artist Award for ‘Outstanding Young Performer in a TV Series’. However, that was only her first taste of success. Only two years later, she would earn her first Academy Award nomination following her breakthrough film performance in Winter’s Bone. Despite being her fourth movie role, Lawrence’s skill was enough to land her in the company of established stars such as Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman and Annette Bening in the ‘Best Actress’ category.
While Portman took home the award for her performance in Black Swan, Lawrence needn’t have worried. In 2013, she won ‘Best Actress’ for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, directed by David O. Russell. Since then, Lawrence has received two more Oscar nominations for American Hustle and Joy.
Yet, the Academy Awards aren’t the only institution to have honoured Lawrence. Alongside a Bafta, Critic’s Choice Movie Award, Golden Globe, Independent Spirit Award and more, Lawrence is also a Guinness World Record holder. In 2015, she secured her place by becoming the ‘Highest-grossing female action movie star,’ a title she also earned the following year. The accolade was measured against box-office gross, with Lawrence’s action movies raking in a worldwide total of $4,005,735,448.
These statistics take into consideration six movies, including The Hunger Games and X-Men franchises. According to the Guinness Book of Records’ official website, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is Lawrence’s highest-grossing action movie, with a gross of $864,868,047.
One of Lawrence’s best-known roles is Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games series, based on the novels by Suzanne Collins. The fearless protagonist proved incredibly popular with children, teenagers and adults alike, and The Hunger Games became one of the highest-grossing films of 2012. Its sequel, Catching Fire, was even more successful, and the subsequent additions to the franchise, Mockingjay – Part 1 and Part 2, also grossed hundreds of millions.
However, around the same time, Lawrence was utterly unrecognisable as the all-blue mutant Mystique in the X-Men series, with X-Men: Days of Future Past earning $748,121,534. Lawrence was dedicated to her character, undergoing hours of makeup for the first movie, X-Men: First Class, which resulted in severe blisters. As a result, a bodysuit was made for Days of Future Past, allowing Lawrence to perform more comfortably.
It seems like Lawrence couldn’t have been any more successful in the 2010s if she tried. Alongside various accolades and her Guinness World Record, she was even named the highest-paid female actor in 2015 and 2016.
