Jennifer Lawrence Biography: Age, Career, Awards and Life
Jennifer Lawrence Biography: Oscar-Winning Actress and Producer
Jennifer Lawrence is an American actress and producer from Louisville, Kentucky. She is best known for playing Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games films and for winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook. This Jennifer Lawrence biography follows her career from teenage television roles to leading parts in both blockbusters and independent dramas.
She earned her first Oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone (2010) and won at the age of 22, becoming the second-youngest winner in the category. She has since added a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards and further Oscar nominations. Her latest film as lead and co-producer is Die My Love (2025), directed by Lynne Ramsay.
Her influence extends beyond acting. She founded the production company Excellent Cadaver, set up the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation and has been a Dior ambassador. She was born on 15 August 1990 and is 36 years old as of November 2026.
Jennifer Lawrence Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jennifer Shrader Lawrence |
| Other names | Jennifer Lawrence Maroney |
| Date of birth | 15 August 1990 |
| Age | 36 years old as of November 2026 |
| Birthplace | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actress, producer |
| Main field | Film acting; franchise films and independent drama |
| Education | Left school at 14; describes herself as self-educated |
| Spouse | Cooke Maroney (married 2019) |
| Children | Two sons |
| Major honours | 1 Academy Award (4 nominations); 3 Golden Globe Awards; 1 BAFTA Award |
| Company | Excellent Cadaver (founded 2018) |
Early Life and Family Background
Lawrence was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Her father, Gary, owns a construction company and her mother, Karen (née Koch), managed a summer camp. She has two older brothers, Ben and Blaine.
Her family owned a horse farm when she was a child. She has said she was a hyperactive and anxious child who felt like a misfit, and that performing helped ease her anxiety. At the age of nine she had her first acting part, in a church play, and she continued with church plays and school musicals.
Education
Lawrence attended Kammerer Middle School in Louisville. She was 14 when a talent scout spotted her on the street during a family holiday in New York City, and the family later moved briefly to the city so that she could audition.
She left school at 14 without a diploma or a GED, putting her career first. She has described herself as self-educated, and she has no formal acting training.
Jennifer Lawrence Biography: Beginning of Career
Lawrence began with a television pilot called Company Town in 2006, followed by guest roles in Monk and Medium. Her first regular part was Lauren, the rebellious teenage daughter in the TBS sitcom The Bill Engvall Show, which ran from 2007 to 2009 and earned her a Young Artist Award.
She made her film debut in Garden Party (2008). Later that year she appeared in The Burning Plain, which won her the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Emerging Actress at the Venice Film Festival.
Winter’s Bone and the First Oscar Nomination
Her breakthrough came in the independent drama Winter’s Bone (2010). She played Ree Dolly, a 17-year-old in the Ozark Mountains who cares for her family while searching for her missing father. Before filming, she spent a week living with the family on whom the story was based and learned skills such as skinning squirrels and chopping wood.
The role brought her first nominations for the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award and the Academy Award for Best Actress. She was the second-youngest Best Actress nominee at that time.
X-Men and The Hunger Games
In 2011, Lawrence played the shapeshifter Mystique in X-Men: First Class, a role she repeated in Days of Future Past, Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. The make-up required hours of preparation each day.
In 2012 she starred as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, adapted from Suzanne Collins’s novels. The film earned more than $690 million worldwide and made her the highest-grossing action heroine of all time. She played the role in four films, and Catching Fire remains her highest-grossing release at $865 million.
Jennifer Lawrence Biography: Silver Linings Playbook and Awards Success
Later in 2012, Lawrence starred in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, playing Tiffany, a young widow who forms a bond with Bradley Cooper’s character. She won the Golden Globe, the SAG Award and the Academy Award for Best Actress, and became the second-youngest winner in the category at 22.
She worked with Russell on two more films. In American Hustle (2013) she played the neurotic wife of a con man, earning a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In Joy (2015) she played the inventor Joy Mangano, winning her third Golden Globe and a fourth Oscar nomination.
Later Films and a Break from Acting
Lawrence starred in the science fiction romance Passengers (2016), the psychological horror film Mother! (2017) and the spy thriller Red Sparrow (2018). The reception for these films varied, and she has since said she regretted Passengers.
After a run of mixed-reviewed films, she took a break from acting. She returned in 2021 with Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, which broke a Netflix viewing record in its opening week and earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Producing and Die My Love
In 2018, Lawrence founded Excellent Cadaver. The company produced Causeway (2022), a drama in which she plays a soldier with a brain injury, and Bread and Roses (2023), a documentary about Afghan women under Taliban rule. She also produced and starred in the comedy No Hard Feelings (2023), which earned her another Golden Globe nomination.
She executive produced the documentary Zurawski v Texas (2024), then produced and starred in Die My Love (2025). The psychological drama, directed by Lynne Ramsay, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and critics praised her performance. In 2025 she received the Donostia Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, becoming its youngest recipient.
Her upcoming work includes The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, scheduled for November 2026. She is also attached to Paolo Sorrentino’s Mob Girl, Luca Guadagnino’s Burial Rites and the mystery film The Wives.
Acting Style, Skills and Strengths
Lawrence works without formal training and has said she bases her acting on watching the people around her. Directors and critics have described her as natural and effortless. David O. Russell said her acting looks easy, and Adam McKay called her a funny truth-teller.
She has moved between large franchises and small independent films, and between drama, comedy and thrillers. She has also said she does not take her characters’ pain home with her and relies on imagination rather than her own life.
Awards, Records and Career Achievements
- 2008: Won the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival for The Burning Plain
- 2009: Won a Young Artist Award for The Bill Engvall Show
- 2011: Received her first Oscar nomination, for Winter’s Bone
- 2012: Starred in The Hunger Games, becoming the highest-grossing action heroine
- 2013: Won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG Award for Silver Linings Playbook; named to the Time 100
- 2014: Won a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for American Hustle and received her third Oscar nomination
- 2015: Became the world’s highest-paid actress, a ranking she held again in 2016; founded the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation; won Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainer of the Year
- 2016: Won her third Golden Globe and received a fourth Oscar nomination for Joy
- 2018: Founded the production company Excellent Cadaver
- 2021: Returned to acting with Don’t Look Up
- 2025: Produced and starred in Die My Love; received the Donostia Award
Business, Endorsements and Public Image
Lawrence became a Dior ambassador during Raf Simons’s time at the fashion house and appeared in its advertising campaigns, wearing a custom Dior gown on her wedding day. Forbes ranked her the highest-paid actress in the world in 2015 and 2016, with earnings of $52 million and $46 million.
Her public image is that of a down-to-earth star known for humour and candour. She wrote a 2015 essay criticising the gender pay gap in Hollywood, which became widely discussed.
Personal Life
Lawrence married the art gallery director Cooke Maroney on 19 October 2019 at the Belcourt of Newport mansion in Rhode Island. They have two sons, born in 2022 and 2025. As of 2019, they lived in Lower Manhattan and Beverly Hills.
She identifies as a feminist and supports reproductive rights, and she is a board member of RepresentUs, an anti-corruption organisation. She helped set up the Time’s Up initiative in 2018. In 2016, she donated $2 million to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville to create a cardiac intensive care unit named after her foundation.
Conclusion
Jennifer Lawrence rose from a teenage television actress to one of Hollywood’s best-known leading women. Her Oscar win, her role as Katniss Everdeen and her work with David O. Russell defined the first half of her career.
Her recent work shows a different direction. As a producer, she has backed smaller, character-driven projects through Excellent Cadaver, and Die My Love earned some of the best reviews of her later career.
Anyone reading a Jennifer Lawrence biography will find an actress who has balanced large franchises with riskier films. The next chapter, which includes a return to Katniss and several new collaborations, will show how that balance continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Jennifer Lawrence?
Jennifer Lawrence was born on 15 August 1990, so she is 36 years old as of November 2026.
Where was Jennifer Lawrence born?
She was born in Louisville, Kentucky.
What is Jennifer Lawrence’s nationality?
She is American.
What does Jennifer Lawrence do?
She is an actress and film producer.
Why is Jennifer Lawrence famous?
She is famous for playing Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and for winning the Oscar for Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook.
What awards has Jennifer Lawrence won?
She has won one Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA Award. She has also received four Oscar nominations in total.
What is Jennifer Lawrence’s education?
She left school at 14 without a diploma and describes herself as self-educated.
Who is Jennifer Lawrence’s husband?
She is married to the art gallery director Cooke Maroney, and they have two sons.
What is Jennifer Lawrence’s net worth?
There is no reliable, verified figure, so none is given here. Forbes ranked her the world’s highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016.
What is Jennifer Lawrence’s latest film?
Her latest film is Die My Love (2025). The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled for November 2026.
Daniel Brooks is a biography writer and storyteller passionate about exploring the lives of influential people around the world. From celebrities and successful entrepreneurs to renowned leaders and rising stars, he shares their life stories, family backgrounds, career journeys, achievements, and challenges. His mission is to provide readers with engaging, informative, and inspiring biographies that reveal the people behind the fame and success.
