Jessica Chastain might have been the breakout actress of year in 2011, but 2012 unquestionably belongs to Jennifer Lawrence. The 22 year old actress not only starred in The Hunger Games, one of the year’s biggest blockbusters (which has already made her the highest-grossing action heroine), but also in one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, Silver Linings Playbook. Of course, along with the praise comes the talk shows, the magazine covers, the endless photographers… all the “benefits” of being a young, talented, and beautiful actress. In February’s issue of Vanity Fair, Lawrence speaks about coming to terms with her almost-sudden explosion of fame.
Though she currently is one of the most famous actresses in the world, Lawrence admits that she’s perplexed by how popular she had become. She says, “Not to sound rude, but [acting] is stupid. Everybody’s like, ‘How can you remain with a level head?’ And I’m like, ‘Why would I ever get cocky? I’m not saving anybody’s life. There are doctors who save lives and firemen who run into burning buildings. I’m making movies. It’s stupid.'”
Lawrence says that not only is “stupid,” but the fact that she is no longer the unknown teenager she was a few years ago makes it sometimes seem like her success isn’t worth it. She confesses, “I call my mom sobbing all the time … dealing with the repercussions of having no more anonymity. You lose privacy. As much as this is a curse, as stupid as it sounds, to make as much money as I am by doing something that I love, it’s hard not to regret it when you’re being chased by 15 strangers.”
In fact, Lawrence reveals that she still hasn’t gotten used to her current level of fame — especially when she encounters actors that she looks up to. She says, “Once I’m obsessed with somebody, I’m terrified of them instantly. I’m not scared of them—I’m scared of me and how I will react. Like, for instance, one time someone was introducing me to Bill Maher, and I saw Meryl Streep walk into the room, and I literally put my hand right in Bill Maher’s face and said, ‘Not now, Bill!,’ and I just stared at Meryl Streep.” However, when asked if she actually met Streep, Lawrence confesses, “Of course not. I just creepily stared at her.”
via Vanity Fair and The New York Daily News
