Jennifer Lawrence recently shared that she faced pressure to slim down for her iconic role in The Hunger Games series. Now 32 years old, she portrayed the fearless Katniss Everdeen in the sci-fi franchise when she was just 20. Lawrence admitted that discussions about her weight were at the forefront during that time. She described the role as a significant responsibility and mentioned that the main focus was on how much weight she would need to lose for the character.
“It was a significant discussion”: Jennifer Lawrence, aged 32, disclosed that she faced pressure to shed pounds for her breakthrough role in The Hunger Games trilogy. In the film series, based on novels of the same name, Katniss is portrayed as a malnourished young woman fighting for survival in a deadly game. Executives suggested that Jennifer needed to slim down to authentically portray this character. During a conversation with Viola Davis for Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’ series, Jennifer admitted, “In Hunger Games, it was a tremendous responsibility. Those books were hugely popular, and I knew that the audience was children. I remember the main discussion was, ‘How much weight are you going to lose?'”
Rising talent: In the series, adapted from a popular book series, Katniss is portrayed as a hungry young woman fighting to survive in a challenging game (depicted as a character in 2014).
During a conversation with Viola Davis for Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’ series, Jennifer shared that playing the role in The Hunger Games was a significant responsibility. She recalled the pressure she faced regarding weight loss, with executives asking how much weight she planned to shed for the role. Despite the expectations to lose weight, Jennifer maintained her strength by choosing not to diet for the role, both for herself and her young fans. She expressed her concerns about young girls dressing up as her character, Katniss, feeling restricted by certain body standards. Jennifer emphasized her commitment to not letting those pressures affect her mindset. Jennifer has been vocal about her stance on not starving herself for a role, as she firmly stands against dieting. She highlighted the importance of exercise but emphasized the negative impact of working while hungry. According to Glamour, Jennifer stated, “I don’t diet. I do exercise! But I don’t diet. You can’t work when you’re hungry, you know?”
Not giving in: Despite feeling pressure from executives to slim down, Jennifer remained steadfast in her approach, choosing not to change her diet for the role – for the sake of both herself and the young fans watching.
In an interview with Vanity Fair about her role in the movie Red Sparrow, Jennifer Lawrence shared her experience of being disciplined for the first time in her career. She explained that portraying an ex-ballerina required her to truly embody the character, which meant being hungry and disciplined. She recalled a time when she was asked to lose 15 pounds in just two weeks for a role in the Hunger Games, a request she adamantly refused. Despite trying to follow a specific diet to get into character, Jennifer struggled to stick to it, often feeling uncomfortable and anxious when hungry. She confessed to feeling overwhelmed even after eating just “five banana chips”. This challenging experience taught her the importance of discipline and dedication in portraying a character convincingly.
