Screengrab via YouTube/Sony Pictures Entertainment
Jennifer Lawrence is widely regarded as one of the most talented actresses of her generation. However, despite her immense talent, she admits to feeling hesitant about working with Method actors. In a recent interview on the show Hot Ones, where celebrities eat spicy chicken wings, Lawrence opened up about her reluctance to engage with actors who fully embody their characters during filming.
During the interview, Lawrence expressed her concerns, saying, “I would be nervous to work with somebody who’s Method because I would have no idea how to talk to them. Like, do I have to be in character? That would just make me nervous”
Method acting, a technique pioneered by actors like Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando in the 1950s, gained significant popularity in the 1970s thanks to Brando’s followers, including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Dustin Hoffman. These actors used the Method approach to deliver some of the most acclaimed performances in history. While Method acting continues to be used by many modern actors, some, like Jared Leto, have taken it to extremes. Leto famously sent bullets to his cast members during the filming of Suicide Squad (2016), blurring the lines between reality and performance.
Although Lawrence has never worked with Leto, she has collaborated with another famous Method actor: Christian Bale. The two played warring spouses in American Hustle (2013), both earning nominations for their performances. Lawrence mentions her experience working with Bale and reveals that she learned a valuable lesson from him.
Reflecting on her time working with Bale, Lawrence shared, “I had always been very on, off, on, off until I did American Hustle when I worked with Christian Bale. I noticed when the camera started rolling and the crew kind of started preparing, like it was going to be 10 seconds or whatever until action, he would start getting ready. And then I saw that and I was like, ‘That seems like a really good idea.’ And then I started to do that.”
Ironically, Lawrence has faced accusations of going Method herself. While filming mother! (2017), Lawrence tore her diaphragm due to her intense dedication to the role. Director Darren Aronofsky attributed the injury to Lawrence’s unrelenting commitment. Aronofsky, who was dating Lawrence at the time, commented, “I don’t work well with method actors, I work best with actors who basically when you say ‘cut’ it’s over.”
Lawrence confirmed Aronofsky’s statement, acknowledging that this was the only time she truly lost herself in a role. She even struggled to separate the fictional world from reality, leading to hyperventilation on set. The mixed results of her approach resulted in Lawrence receiving both critical acclaim and a Golden Raspberry nomination for Worst Actress. As a result, she took a two-year break from acting before returning with a cameo in X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019).
Since then, Lawrence has regained her stability and delivered impressive performances. She received great reviews for her role in the recent drama Causeway (2022) and has already garnered praise for her comedic skills in No Hard Feelings.
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