Jennifer Lawrence remembers first acting gig in 2000s

Jennifer Lawrence is looking back at a very different version of herself as she reflects on how her acting career began in the early 2000s, long before red carpets and Oscar buzz became part of her life.

During a candid conversation with Leonardo DiCaprio on Variety’s Actors on Actors, the 35-year-old actress revealed that one of her earliest bookings wasn’t a movie or TV role, but a promotional commercial tied to MTV’s reality series My Super Sweet 16. 

Recalling the experience, Lawrence shared, “I did an MTV promo for My Super Sweet 16. I’m being carried on a chaise lounge and then they drop me.” 

When DiCaprio asked if she actually appeared on the show, she clarified, “No, I didn’t have the money. It was a promo for the show, playing a fictional rich girl having an over-the-top birthday party.”

The memory highlights just how unconventional and humble her start in Hollywood was. 

Lawrence explained that she began acting at 14 after moving to New York, eventually landing a steady role on The Bill Engvall Show. From there, her path slowly built toward her breakout performance in Winter’s Bone in 2010, which would change everything.

DiCaprio, 51, related to her experience, noting that he also started young and appeared in commercials before landing major roles. 

Looking back on her growth as an actor, Lawrence credited director David O. Russell with shaping her craft, saying he “taught me how to act, really.” 

Lawrence also admitted to having what she called a “bad habit” of letting go at the end of the day, often leaving preparation until the last minute.

She shared one stressful example from Silver Linings Playbook, when she had to yell sports statistics at Robert De Niro without much notice. “I didn’t know that I had to do that until the day of,” she said, adding that it was “a really bad thing to do.”

From dropped chaise lounges to working opposite Hollywood legends, Lawrence’s story is a reminder that even the biggest stars often start in the most unexpected places.