THE APPRECIATION OF NEWSWOMEN WEARING BOOTS BLOG: Aug 15, 2013

Today we have a guest piece written by freelance

pop culture and entertainment blogger Spencer Blohm.

THANK YOU Spencer for sharing with us.

Today is the birthday of one of the newest members of Hollywood’s A-List, Jennifer Lawrence. It may be hard to believe given her incredible success and her self-assured air, but Jennifer is only turning 23! She is not only garnering attention for her talents, but also for her outgoing personality and convictions - to stay true to herself in an industry that encourages fitting the mold. So let’s take a look back at how this young lady managed to make the journey from a T.V. show extra to an Oscar winner in only seven years.

Jennifer was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky along with two older brothers. During her youth she ventured into acting in local youth theaters and managed to get her parents to take her to audition for a New York talent agent at the age of 14. Despite her parents’ protests, she was determined to become an actress, so she struck a deal with them: once she graduated from high school, she would be free to pursue her dream. Being the driven young woman she is, she then managed to graduate high school two years early, with a 3.9 GPA.

Her first major acting role was a bit part in the 2006 CBS made-for-TV movie called Company Town. She continued to secure small guest roles on television in shows such as Monk, Cold Case, and Medium until she got her first regular acting gig in 2007 when she was cast as one of the lead roles in The Bill Engvall Show. In 2008 she got her first film role in the independent film Garden Party, but it was just a small role in a forgettable film. That same year she landed parts in two more films: The Burning Plane and The Poker House, the latter of which was her first starring role.

Her breakthrough role came in 2010 when she landed the leading role in Winter’s Bone, a small, independent film. Despite its miniscule budget and limited distribution Jennifer’s performance immediately helped Winter’s Bone earn rave reviews from critics, and she found herself nominated for almost every major award including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award, all at the age of 20.

The following year, 2011, she starred in The Beaver, which had its released delayed due to the behavior of the star of the film, Mel Gibson. That same year she starred in two very different films; the independent romance film Like Crazy and the big-budget superhero film X-Men: First Class, in which she played the infamous Mystique.

It was also during this time she was offered the role of a lifetime in The Hunger Games - and she almost turned it down! After deliberating for three days over whether or not she was going to be able to handle the instant fame that would surely come once the film was released, she decided to accept the starring role of Katniss Everdeen. When the film opened on March 23, 2012, it pulled in a whopping $152.5 million its first weekend, making it the third highest grossing opening weekend ever, and the highest grossing opening weekend for a non-sequel. Jennifer was right about one thing: she was an instant superstar.

Less than seven months after The Hunger Games opened, her second film of that year was released; Silver Linings Playbook. Jennifer starred as Tiffany Maxwell a recently widowed woman with her share of mental health issues. Her performance was deemed the best of the year by a number of critics and for the second time in two years she was up for almost every major acting award. The difference this time around was that she started winning them. Award Season turned into Jennifer Season as she took home an MTV Movie Award, a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award, a SAG Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and, of course, the Academy Award for Best Actress. As if she wasn’t getting enough press at this time, she rose to the top of the best dressed lists thanks to the endless parade of Christian Dior gowns that were given to her by the house (along with a contract to become the new face of Dior).

This year promises to be another bright one for the actress as she releases three new films, included the much anticipated The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Also this week it was revealed that she was selected to appear on the cover of the much anticipated September issue of Vogue magazine, a much coveted honor that has been given to the likes of Charlize Theron, Lady Gaga, Keira Knightley, Kate Moss, and Sarah Jessica Parker in the past.

It looks like 23 is going to be just as good to Jennifer as 22 was, so happy birthday Jennifer, keep on being the hilarious, talented, down-to-earth girl we came to love!

About the Author: Spencer Blohm is a freelance entertainment and film blogger for Direct-Ticket.net. Despite his best attempts he has been unable to convince his friends to set up a Hunger Games-style battle in the woods to prepare for the upcoming film. He lives and works in Chicago where his archery skills are of absolutely no use.