Many little girls dream of being princesses or unicorn trainers, or singers or actresses when they grow up. While the latter two are more achievable, we lose interest in those career-paths when we reach adolescence and new feelings of self-doubt kill those far-fetched dreams, or other things have piqued our interest.
But apparently, for
Jennifer Lawrence, she always knew she was going to be a star. The 27-year-old actress had her big break with The Hunger Games in 2012, and has since gone to star in films like Joy, Mother! and Silver Linings Playbook, which earned her her first Oscar. Offscreen, Lawrence seems a genuinely awesome person, known for her humour, her confidence and a no-nonsense approach to
standing up to things she does not agree with.
Lawrence's drive and goodwill were yesterday recognised in the form of the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, and presented by Lansing herself, the former Paramount Studios CEO recalled the first time she met
Lawrence at a dinner party before the release of the first Hunger Games film. She said that the young actress had left an impression on her due to her unwavering faith in her own future career.
"I first met Jennifer over five years ago, and it was at a small dinner party at [studio executive] Michael Burns' house," Lansing said.
"There were about 12 people there and Michael came over to me and he asked me if I could sit next to Jennifer. He told me he was worried about her.
"Michael told me that Hunger Games was about to come out and he believed that it was going to be a hugely successful film and he said that Jennifer had absolutely no idea how his life was going to change."
73-year-old Lansing, who had a long career in Hollywood as an actress and later as a studio executive, described Lawrence as "a highly confident woman" saying that she didn't think the star "needed any advice from anyone".
"But then, Jennifer did something quite remarkable," she added.
"She turned to me and she said, 'I know Michael is worried about me, and I know he wanted you to talk to me but please don't worry about me.'"
She recalled how Lawrence told her: "I have a secret. I always knew I was going to be famous, so I am totally prepared for it."
"In that simple, direct honesty I actually knew everything I needed to know about Jennifer," Lansing added.
"I knew she was a very, very special person and I knew she was going to be more than fine."
The Leadership Award was presented to Lawrence at The Hollywood Reporter's annual Power 100 Women in Entertainment breakfast on Wednesday, and she is the youngest person to have ever received it at 27. Past recipients have included
Oprah Winfrey,
Diane Keaton,
Shona Rhimes,
Meryl Streep,
Helen Mirren,
Jodie Foster and
Halle Berry.
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Lansing concluded her speech saying: “I know that Jennifer will continue to be a role model and an inspiration for women everywhere. Because of Jennifer, I believe that young people will view philanthropy and giving back as just a natural part of their lives.”
Lawrence took the stage to accept the award before addressing the star-studded crowd with her own powerful speech.
She thanked all the influential women in the film industry who "stood up to adversity", giving a special shout-out to several women in the room including Rhimes,
Gal Gadot and
Angelina Jolie.
"Let's be outspoken, let's be resilient, let's all be silence breakers," said Lawrence, voicing her dream to create an environment "where outspoken women matter, where outspoken women lead."
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Well, if Lawrence was so sure about becoming famous when she was younger, here's hoping this dream of hers can also come true.
