Jennifer Lawrence has never tried to present acting as glamorous all the time.
This week, she offered another refreshingly honest look behind the scenes.
Speaking with interviewer Josh Horowitz at 92NY on January 7, the Oscar-winning actor opened up about the anxiety she feels before starting a new film—and the surprisingly practical ways she manages it.
Getting the Hard Parts Over First
Lawrence said the beginning of any new project tends to bring a wave of nerves.
To cope, she prefers to tackle the most uncomfortable scenes right away.
On her upcoming film Die My Love, that meant filming a nude, highly physical scene with co-star Robert Pattinson on the very first day.
The scene, which involves the characters attacking each other like animals, might sound daunting.
But Lawrence said it was actually easier because she and Pattinson were strangers at the time.
Why Familiarity Can Make Things Harder
Lawrence explained that intimacy on screen can feel more awkward when actors already know each other well.
She joked about filming kissing scenes with longtime friend Josh Hutcherson during The Hunger Games, describing how familiarity can make those moments feel far more uncomfortable.
With a stranger, she said, there’s less emotional baggage—and fewer social layers to navigate.
Embarrassment as Part of the Job
The actor didn’t shy away from calling acting “very embarrassing,” especially under the direction of filmmaker Lynne Ramsay.
For Die My Love, Lawrence and Pattinson were asked to physically embody animals, lunging and moving instinctively like tigers.
To prepare, the pair took interpretive dance lessons together weeks before filming began in Calgary.
Neither, Lawrence admitted with a laugh, felt remotely qualified.
By the time filming started, she said, the awkwardness of dancing had broken down most remaining barriers.
When it came time to film the more extreme scenes, they were simply relieved it wasn’t dance class.
A Film About Unraveling
Die My Love centers on Grace, a writer and young mother who relocates from New York City to rural Montana.
As isolation sets in, Grace’s mental health begins to deteriorate, leaving her partner Jackson—played by Pattinson—confused, frightened, and increasingly helpless.
The story explores how intimacy, mental illness, and environment can collide, often quietly, within a relationship.
Speaking Openly About Anxiety Beyond the Screen
Lawrence’s comments fit into a larger pattern of openness about mental health.
In recent interviews, she has spoken candidly about experiencing severe postpartum anxiety after the birth of her second child with her husband, art dealer Cooke Maroney.
She described intrusive fears that her baby wasn’t safe and a persistent belief that she was failing as a mother.
Eventually, she said, treatment—including a newer medication for postpartum depression—helped ease those symptoms significantly.
Why Her Honesty Resonates
Lawrence’s willingness to describe discomfort, fear, and embarrassment cuts against the polished image often expected of Hollywood stars.
Rather than presenting anxiety as something she has “overcome,” she talks about managing it—on set, at home, and in her own head.
It’s a reminder that creative work, like parenting or any demanding job, often involves pushing through moments that feel deeply uncomfortable.
And sometimes, as Lawrence suggests, it helps to face those moments head-on—before they grow bigger.
