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Jennifer Lawrence's family spoke with WDRB in Louisville, KY about her whirlwind Oscar season, her start in the business, and how she's "just Jen" to them. And tonight, (Thursday night)on WDRB News at 10:00, her parents open up about what has been so difficult about her fame, and talk more about the perks of it all too, what her co-stars are like and which one of them has promised to come to the summer camp the family owns, Camp Hi-Ho. We'll be sure to post when it's available.
Jen and her parents on Oscar night
From the WDRB interview:
Her mom admits hindsight might have changed the fateful trip that started it all, when she gave in to Lawrence's pleas at age 14 to take her to New York to explore acting.
"I really thought let's just get this over with and go to spring break and you'll hear 'don't let the door hit you on the way out so many times'. I would have never taken her if I thought something actually would have happened so the joke was on me," says Karen Lawrence.
The doors weren't closing, only opening. Now Lawrence is everywhere.
"It's weird to see her posters and magazines at Target and Kroger," says Blaine Lawrence.
But she's still just Jen to them
She's not a megastar, she's just Jennifer.
"Her nickname was ‘Nitro' growing up. She was just pretty wild – explosive, "says Blaine Lawrence.
They say watching TV is one of her favorite things to do when she gets to come home to her parents' house in east Louisville.
Oddly enough, with no professional acting training, her parents say it might have helped her hone her craft.
"When she was a little girl she was glued to the TV and I thought she was just enjoying herself, but I think she was doing research and studying and thinking I can do that," says Gary Lawrence.
"But she didn't watch TV like a normal person. She was glued to the TV. She would get on her knees and study it," says Karen Lawrence.
It seems to have paid off. She's snagged tons of awards for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, including the Oscar. There's also speculation she snagged a boyfriend as well in co-star Bradley Cooper.
"She is not dating Bradley Cooper, nor was she ever. They're just really good friends. No truth to it," her family says.
There are also rumors Prince Harry is interested, but Lawrence's mom jokes that would never work out.
"I don't think she could get along with her mother in law. That would bring the kingdom down," says Karen Lawrence.
Her role in Silver Linings Playbook was certainly no joking matter.
Her mom was right by her side for all the ups, and was on the front row when Jennifer Lawrence fell on the stairs.
"I was just glad she didn't knock her front teeth out. I saw her head go down and I just thought ‘oh boy, if she gets blood all over that gown'. She just fell and recovered and didn't really talk about it," says Karen Lawrence.
She handled it with grace, something that comes naturally for her. But the glitz and glamour do not.
"Her favorite thing to do is work, and come home and eat a bowl of popcorn and put her pj's on and do nothing else. So it's not so glamorous to do all these other things. It's work and it's exhausting for her," says Gary Lawrence.
Lawrence's days are packed filled with things like interviews, promotional shoots, even a trip to New York to host Saturday Night Live. On days with awards ceremonies, things really get crazy and start with her stylist.
"It started with wardrobe. Rachel Zoe and her whole team coming in. Chopard coming in with their jewelry. And three to four people, hair and make-up people and jewelry people, manicurist, etc." her family says.
"I call it the pit crew . They just take over the house so I just stay out of the way," says Gary Lawrence.
A photo her mom snapped at the Golden Globes shows underneath it all, she's staying true to herself. Taken under the table right after her Best Actress win, you can see her hand dripping in borrowed diamonds, digging into a bag of chips.
"It's hard because we don't feel any different and Jen doesn't either. Just because she's won an award, doesn't change who she is but people's perception of you is different and they expect you to be different. That's been the hardest part. She is a 22-year-old human being and she will make the same mistakes we all make and grow. She's just going to make those mistakes under a microscope," her family says.
Thursday night on WDRB News at 10:00, her parents open up about what has been so difficult about her fame, and we'll talk more about the perks of it all too, what her co-stars are like and which one of them has promised to come to the summer camp the family owns, Camp Hi-Ho.