Jennifer Lawrence Regrets Everything She’s Ever Said or Done

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Jennifer Lawrence Regrets Everything She’s Ever Said or Done"

Podcast: The Interview (The New York Times)
Air Date: November 1, 2025
Host: Lulu Garcia-Navarro
Guest: Jennifer Lawrence

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with actress Jennifer Lawrence, centered around her new film, “Die My Love,” her journey through motherhood, experiences with fame, mental health, and her evolving sense of public responsibility. Lawrence opens up candidly about navigating postpartum depression, the pressures of celebrity, reevaluating her public and political voice, and her growth as both an actor and mother.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Genesis of “Die My Love” & Working with Scorsese (02:36–04:10)

• Recommendation & Book Club Mystique: Martin Scorsese, after reading Ariana Harwitz’s book in his private book club, reached out personally to recruit Lawrence for the adaptation.

  • Lawrence was “overwhelmed” at the timing, having just given birth to her first child, but found herself “in a really good place… able to go to those darker places” necessary for the role. (03:11)
  • On Scorsese’s book club: “I know. I don’t know. I mean, I could just ask.” (03:54, Jennifer Lawrence)

• Reflections on Book Clubs: Lawrence admits attempts at a personal book club, calling it a “soft book club” due to conflicting tastes among friends.

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2. Motherhood, Identity, and Mental Health (04:10–14:42)

• Themes of the Film: Lawrence sees the film as poetic and open to interpretation: losing identity in motherhood, rage, the changing nature of relationships.

  • “Everybody I talk to comes away with something different.” (04:23, Jennifer Lawrence)

• Portrayal of Postpartum Experience:

  • Lawrence discusses the ambiguity of her character’s mental health, referencing both lived experience and research with specialists.
  • Lawrence reveals she experienced postpartum depression after her second child, marked by anxiety and intrusive thoughts:
    • “I just felt like a tiger was chasing me every day. I had so much anxiety.” (07:32, Jennifer Lawrence)
    • Credits the medication Zerzuve for helping her through.

• Anxiety & Guilt as a Mother:

  • Lawrence talks about lifelong struggles with anxiety and the common feeling of “never doing it right” as a parent.
  • “I just kind of live in guilt… but I can do a reality check and be like, everybody’s okay. You’re just spinning. But she can’t, and she doesn’t.” (09:23, Jennifer Lawrence)

• Creativity and Sacrifice:

  • The tension between motherhood and creative fulfillment:
    • “I do wrestle with… it feels vain and selfish that I love being a creative person as much as I do. My kids and my family are more important, obviously, but they feel like equal parts of me.” (11:17, Jennifer Lawrence)
  • Reading history, particularly about the American Revolution, as a form of mental escape and processing.

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3. Body Image, Nudity, and Autonomy (13:35–15:15)

• Nudity in Film While Pregnant:
  • Lawrence addresses the “freedom of vanity” she felt being pregnant and filming nude scenes, letting go of self-consciousness.
    • “I really was not adequately prepared for how I was like, oh, I’ll just be like four or five months. I won’t even start showing until I’m six or seven months. And that’s not true when it’s your second. I just kind of had to let go of any vanity.” (14:00, Jennifer Lawrence)
  • Lawrence’s humor surfaces in her self-deprecation—“What technically are the differences between me and a prostitute?”—and her quick assertions on self-judgment. (15:00, Jennifer Lawrence)

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4. Fame: Persona, Perception, and Backlash (15:45–23:41)

• Reckoning with Public Persona:

  • Reflects on past years being seen as “too much,” “too loud,” or fake, and the pendulum swing from public adulation to backlash.
    • “I was young and nervous and defensive and awkward… as horrified as I am at some things… I was young.” (16:29, Jennifer Lawrence)
  • Describes the feeling of public rejection after high-profile falls at awards shows; the sense of being found “a fraud.” (17:44)

• Burnout & Retreat from the Spotlight:

  • Acknowledges exhaustion from constant exposure and being “quoted and people talking about the quotes.”
  • “I needed a break from it. People needed a break from it. Then I took a break and enjoyed the break. It was a mutual breakup.” (18:19, Jennifer Lawrence)
  • Time off included living with her cousin, walking dogs, falling in love, and learning about postwar art.

• Growth and Deliberateness:

  • Now more careful in public appearances: “I think I’ve also grown up and I’m a lot more nervous about whatever I say publicly…I try not to…give an interview that’s like a bunch of sound bites and a word salad.” (20:49, Jennifer Lawrence)

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5. The Gendered Pressures of Celebrity (21:22–23:41)

• Media Scrutiny & Morality Policing:

  • Lawrence reflects on how the media often places moral scrutiny on young women (e.g., asking only female leads about controversial directors).
    • “I feel it when it’s time for women to be the morality police…You just watch not one male actor get asked that question.” (22:19, Jennifer Lawrence)

• Owning Her Story:

  • Rejects framing her experience as solely gendered but recognizes the intensity of public ire toward women.
  • Emphasizes setting her own boundaries for public access: “I have to be in control of how much access is given and how much isn’t.” (23:41, Jennifer Lawrence)

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6. Navigating Demanding Directors and Acting Process (24:43–29:00)

• Experience with Difficult Directors:

  • Stays “loose” on set; credits David O. Russell for teaching her to handle directness and intensity.
    • “If he didn’t like something, he was just like, that was terrible. Looked like shit. Do it better. And that was…helpful.” (26:23, Jennifer Lawrence)
  • Amy Adams called Lawrence “Teflon” on set—Lawrence counters she is “extremely sensitive,” laughing at the contradiction.(27:20–27:46)

• On Competition and Creativity:

  • Describes being highly competitive in life, but not in acting: “I feel secure, so why would I get competitive?” (28:02, Jennifer Lawrence)

• Preparing for a Scorsese Film:

  • Shares her process of “panicking,” briefly hiring acting coaches, then not following through, and preparing lines.
    • “That is my process. And at this point, it’s almost like superstitious.” (29:22, Jennifer Lawrence)

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7. Political Expression, Regret, and Recalibration (31:15–35:53)

• On Being Politically Outspoken:

  • Reflects on activism during the first Trump administration—feeling compelled to speak out—but now questions the impact:
    • “Celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. And so then what am I doing?” (32:14, Jennifer Lawrence)
  • Concerned about polarizing audiences and “protecting [her] craft.”

• Art as Political Expression:

  • Prefers to make statements through documentary films and production company output (“Bread and Roses,” “Swarovski vs Texas”).
    • “Pretty much a lot of my movies coming out for my production company are expressions of the political landscape. That’s how I feel like I can be helpful.” (34:07, Jennifer Lawrence)

• Regret and Reflection:

  • “I regret everything I’ve ever done or said.” (35:14, Jennifer Lawrence)
  • Explains that public discourse, and specifically the political moment after a second Trump term, now feels different—more sobering and complex.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s kind of like turning all the lights on and looking at the monster under the bed.” (03:28, Jennifer Lawrence, on reading Die My Love)
• “I just felt like a tiger was chasing me every day. I had so much anxiety.” (07:32)
• “There’s not going to be a franchise of this film. But who am I to say?” (06:28, Lulu Garcia Navarro)
• “I don't think that there's anything wrong with prostitution either.” (15:05)
• “I'm very good at attacking myself. I can find every angle. In fact, I should do this interview.” (15:09, Jennifer Lawrence)
• “If something comes across my phone, I just absolutely could never watch it. Like an old interview or something. I’m just like, oh my God, so cringe.” (16:29)
• “I was just so tired of being quoted and people talking about the quotes…” (18:19)
• “I feel it when it's time for women to be the morality police... You just watch not one male actor get asked that question.” (22:19)
• “Celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. And so then what am I doing?” (32:14)
• “I regret everything I've ever done or said.” (35:14)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:36] — How Scorsese’s book club led to the film
• [04:10] — Discussing “Die My Love” and motherhood themes
• [07:32] — Personal experience with postpartum depression
• [09:23] — Lifelong anxiety and parental guilt
• [13:35] — Nudity, body image, and pregnancy
• [16:29] — Reflections on celebrity persona and backlash
• [18:19] — Stepping back from public life
• [20:49] — New approach to publicity and interviews
• [22:19] — Gendered scrutiny in media and morality
• [26:23] — Working with difficult/direct directors
• [28:02] — Competitive spirit: acting vs. life
• [32:14] — Political recalibration post-Trump administration
• [34:07] — Art as political action
• [35:14] — Regrets and reflections

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Tone & Language

Lawrence is candid, self-deprecating, and wry—often using humor to discuss difficult topics. The conversation is thoughtful, at times vulnerable, and unfiltered, with moments of both introspection and levity.

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Summary Flow

Jennifer Lawrence shares a deeply personal look at her evolution as an artist and person, from the heights of youthful superstardom and backlash to a measured, thoughtful adulthood. She traces how her roles, motherhood, and the public gaze have shaped and challenged her, ultimately leading to a reevaluation of how she shows up in both art and activism. The interview threads together her vulnerabilities, humor, reflections on regret, and a hard-won sense of self-awareness. For listeners—even those unfamiliar with her recent work—this conversation sheds light on the pressures of fame, the complexity of womanhood, and the challenge of remaining authentic in a scrutinizing world.

Transcript

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

This podcast is supported by the US Businesses of Philip Morris International. PMI US is on a mission to improve public health by replacing cigarettes with smoke free products. We are committed to helping ensure these products are available only to adults 21 and over. That's why we partner with retailers to enhance age verification and promote responsible retail practices helping prevent underage access. To learn more, see our 10 point [e-mail] from the new York Times this is the Interview. I'm Lulu Garcia Navarro. One of the things I often get asked about this job is what is the hardest thing about interviewing famous people? And the answer is both obvious and a real challenge. Many stars, and especially female stars, have experienced the ugly side of celebrity culture which has made them wear about opening up. That's also true for today's guest, Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence had a heady start to her career, starring in two huge franchises, the Hunger Games and X Men, and winning an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook, all before she turned 23. Off camera, the public couldn't seem to get enough of her offbeat humor and outspoken Persona. Privately, though, Lawrence told me she was feeling pretty beat up and was waiting for the inevitable backlash. And it came in waves of negative attention and headlines about whether she was too much, too annoying, too outspoken, a fake. So after almost a decade of being in the limelight, in 2018, Lawrence took a step back from acting, fired her agency and did some soul searching. And now, as I found out when I sat down with her, she is demonstrably different. We talked in advance of her new film, Lynne Ramsey's Die My Love. She plays a young mother losing her mind in rural Montana. Lawrence told me her character, Grace, brought up a lot of complicated feelings because of her own struggles with postpartum symptoms. We started, though, talking about how this project came to her, which involved a very famous director and his very private book club. Here's my conversation with Jennifer Lawrence. Thank you so much for joining the interview. I'm so excited to talk.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Thanks for having me.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I want to talk about your new film because I have a lot of thoughts. This film was adapted from a book by Ariana Harwitz and Martin Scorsese was the one who wanted you to play this role after he read the book in his book club. I know when he reached out, what did he say?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

It was very complimentary. So I I would be remiss to repeat it. Please do. No, it was very nice, but he was just like, I think first of all, he said that I should read it and that I would Be good in it. And I read it. I had just had my first baby, and so it was a lot. It was really overwhelming. I read it in one sitting, but I was actually in a really good place. And my postpartum journey, I didn't struggle in the kind of classic postpartum way. I bonded right away with my son. And so I think because of that, I was able to allow my mind to kind of go to those darker places. I think if I was in a dark place and I read it, I would be too afraid of it. And so it's kind of like turning all the lights on and looking at the monster under the bed or something.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Hmm. Before we move on, who is in Marty Scorsese's book club?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I know. I don't know. I mean, I could just ask.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I think you need to.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I mean, the worst he could say is, I don't feel like telling you.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Are you in a book club?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I'm in a soft book club. So we tried. We tried to make, like, an official book, but we're just too different in our tastes. Mm.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Back to the film. As I was watching it, it seemed to me sort of like this scream against the current elevation of domestic life and perfect motherhood as sort of the pinnacle of the. Of female achievement. What is this film about for you?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

It kind of morphs for me. I think that it's definitely about somebody losing her identity and motherhood and rage at not just her husband, but the change of the relationship, the change of the love. But what I really like about it is it's kind of. It's poetry. There's not kind of a single way to look at it. There's like, a statement and then breathing room for you to read into what the statement means to you. Everybody I talk to comes away with something different.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

How do you view what Grace, your character, is actually going through? Because I've read reviews that say that she has postpartum depression. I've read reviews that say that she, you know, is bipolar. I've read reviews that say that she has psychosis. I'm wondering, first of all, does it matter? And then how you understood what she is experiencing.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

It's another thing that kind of morphed for me and never really felt, like, one thing. I was pregnant. I was in my second trimester.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

When you were filming this?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

When I was filming this, and I think there were, like, there were certain realities that I just. I couldn't look at. And I spoke to a postpartum specialist who told me that a number one Cause of death in mothers in the first year is suicide. And that obviously went into our thinking about the ending. The forest. What is the forest? What is the fire? Do they find their way back to each other? What does all of it mean? And so I think I saw the forest as more of like a cleansing.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

We should say at the end, she walks into this burning forest.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Are we supposed to do this? Am I gonna, like, ruin the movie for a minute?

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I don't know. You brought it up. That's why I have to be clear on what it is.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I guess I have, like, franchise paranoia, but maybe it's fine.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Franchise paranoia. I think there's not gonna be a franchise of this film. But who am I to say?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I would agree with you.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

At any rate, she is someone who is very.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

She's really depressed. She's really. She's really unhappy. She's really angry. And I think the love that you have for your child, I think sometimes when I think that she was so lost that she felt like she was the only thing wrong with her baby and that she was the only thing that could ruin her child. And when I watched it back after having my second child and actually experiencing postpartum depression, that was a really, really weird experience. I walked away with so many different opinions about it that I don't want to share, because then I'll give up the whole movie and the allegories like, what am I doing?

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Well, let me ask you something else then. You just said you experienced postpartum depression after your second child. Can you talk to me a little bit about what that looked like for you? And I guess that must have been surprising, perhaps, because.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, because I was ready and I knew what I was doing and I felt more confident. I just expected to feel the way I did with my first, which I feel like it should just be said. I think postpartum is just a physical experience that happens to everybody. I mean, your hormones are doubling every day in your first trimester. And then those hormones plummet after you have a baby. They plummet again when you wean. So my experience with my second was I just felt like a tiger was chasing me every day. I've had so much anxiety. I had nonstop intrusive thoughts that I was just like, at the whim of. They controlled me.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Fear about your child? Fear about yourself?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, fear about my child. Just picturing every worst case scenario and then just doubting everything that I was doing. Everything that, you know. And then I was already in therapy, but I got on a called Zerzuve And I took it for two weeks, and it really helped me. So if anybody's having postpartum zerzuve, I'm not paid by them, but they could maybe throw me something.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

But that helped.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah. I went on a pill that was designed for postpartum. I took it for two weeks, and it helped a lot.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I'm a parent myself, and also someone who suffered from mental illness, PTSD, and other things. And so, you know, I was watching the film, and again, I think what's really powerful about the film is that it can speak to different things that people have experienced. There's the universality, of course, anyone who's been a parent and a mother, but also just anyone who's struggled with their mental health. Have you, other than that time of postpartum depression, struggled with mental health issues, things like that, that helped you sort of understand the character a little better?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, I've struggled with anxiety for most of my life. And anxiety's close friend is normally depression. Because by the end of the day, you're so exhausted from the, like, adrenal burnout that you just kind of plummet and get really sad from that. So I've. I've struggled with that before. I think more of what I brought into the headspace is the feeling of just never feeling like you're doing it right. Like, I just kind of, like, live in guilt and just, you know, is this the right breakfast? Is this what we should be talking about on the way home from school? I just kind of am always worried that I'm failing them, and I can keep myself from being, like, swallowed by that. Cause I know I'm a good mom, and I know my kids are happy, and I have a great husband, and I have great support at home. So I can do a reality check and be like, everybody's okay. You're just spinning. But she can't, and she doesn't. And so she really just goes there. So that was very easy for me to follow that. That spiral spin down the drain.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

The other thing that she sort of deals with is a loss of her creative self. That is also really hard. I mean, one of the things that I think, as mothers, you can feel often is just how your child seems to just leech all of the. All of the energy, all of the feeling of motivation out of you, and you just give it all to them. And as someone who is in a creative field, as an actor, I mean, was that something that you kind of were able to connect with?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah. I mean, having kids is sacrificial and it's gratifying and it's amazing and rewarding. It's all of the things, but it's not sacrificial. And yeah, I've never had to say no to something before that I really wanted to do. I could just go do it. I do wrestle with it feels vain and selfish that I love being a creative person as much as I do. My kids and my family are more important, obviously, but they feel like equal parts of me, like an equal part. Like I would not be complete if I couldn't make movies. I just wouldn't. And on the one hand, like when I had my son, my firstborn, I was like, being an actress is the perfect job for being a hands on mom. Like I can go years without working. I can be so hands on, you know, and then I go work a little bit, they visit, yada, yada, yada, and like this is perfect. And then now I'm realizing I'm like, oh, that was Covid and you are quite busy. And so I'm kind of reckoning with that and have been of just like, how much is it okay to love this and not want to give it up? I definitely relate to that. I found the opposite problem with creativity. I had so much anxiety when my second was born that the only way I could escape was in stories and books and in particular the American Revolution. And so I really lost myself in kind of ideas. And that's always been how I digest feelings.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

The American Revolution. Do tell.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Well, I read this amazing book called the Revolutionary by Stacey Schiff.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Haven't read it.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

It's about like Sam Adams and just kind of. I feel like the closest thing we can get to a crystal ball is history. And I feel like we're all kind of fighting over what it means to be an American right now. And so I just was interested in what the original Americans ideals were. What did they think that they were building, what did they think they were getting away from and what did they think they were creating?

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I do want to talk about the American Revolution and politics, but I wanted to ask you one more thing about the film that struck me. There's a lot of nudity in the film. There's a lot of unvarnished nudity in the film. And you know, knowing that you were pregnant, I'm just wondering how you. We have such a complicated relationship in this country with nudity and women. And I was wondering how you thought about that in the film and like challenges of that.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I'm definitely not bothered by people that are bothered by nudity. They don't have to see it, they can fast forward it. But I don't really care about being judged in that way. There's this freedom of vanity in a way, because I'm pregnant and it's my second. I really was not adequately prepared for how I was like, oh, I'll just be like four or five months. I won't even start showing until I'm six or seven months. And that's not true when it's your second. I just kind of had to let go of any vanity. I mean, I sucked in as hard as I possibly could have. But I wasn't gonna diet, I was pregnant, I couldn't exercise, I was working. So there's just this kind of real freedom to it.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Did that feel good, that release?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, it feels nice. I mean, I do have moments where I'm like, what technically are the differences between me and a prostitute? But it doesn't keep me up at night. What? Well, I don't think that there's anything wrong with prostitution either.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I'm not saying that there is. I just. It's funny that your mind went there. I'm just.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Oh, I'm very good at attacking myself. I can find every angle. In fact, I should do this interview.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

What would you ask you?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

No, my God, it would be so sad.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Sorry, I have the prosecution because your public is asking for justice.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Oh, no, it means she didn't like something. What'd I say? Actually, now that we're paused, I'm going to pee.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Okay. At this point, Jennifer Lawrence gets up, we take a little break. Then a few minutes later, she comes and sits back down for the rest of the interview. Is everything okay?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, no, I didn't get yelled at. I just peed. I believe in freedom of the press.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I believe in freedom of the press, too. Damn.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

It reminds me of one battle after another. Talking about freedom, baby.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Okay, so the other thing is that you. Your sort of Persona in the world has been someone who is very funny and out there and has sometimes been viewed as like, too loud, too much and has sort of faced backlash. And also, people are charmed by it. And I was wondering now, looking back at that era, what do you think about how you were perceived and how you sort of interacted with the public as you were coming up when you were younger?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I mean, now that I'm in my 30s and a mom, I can see how young I was. Like, when I meet a 23 year old now, I mean, think about a 23 year old, they're they're children. And so as horrified as I am at some things, like, if something comes across my phone, I just absolutely could never watch it. Like an old interview or something. I'm just like, oh, my God, so cringe. But I get it. I was young and nervous and defensive and awkward. I remember when I was nominated for Silver Linings and somebody was like, everybody loves you. What does that feel like? And I was like, it feels like precarious, you know, Like, I'm waiting for it because, like, it's not, you know, it's going to come down. That's just, like, the nature of things. And then I fell getting my Oscar. And then the next year, I remember the moment I was waving to fans and I tripped on a cone. And I remember being like, fuck, that's it. Like, nobody's gonna believe that. Nobody's gonna believe that I fell two years in a row. I did.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Because after you tripped on your Oscar.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

People said that I faked it.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

That you faked it.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, I didn't. And so that became. I was just like, yeah, I'm fucked. And I was. Everybody just kind of thought that meant everything that I did was fake. And it was like, all a shtick. This is how it felt to me, that I just kind of got, like, found out as this, like, fraud.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I mean, you said at that moment that you felt that other people had gotten sick of you and you had gotten sick of yourself. And I'm interested in that. You had gotten sick of yourself. What did that mean?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I was sick of doing this. And doing interviews is really scary. Like, I'm very blessed, I'm very lucky, I'm very grateful. I have a great job. But it's terrifying. Like, you finish an interview or you're gearing up to release a film, and it's like the circus tent, the curtains are opening, and it's just like you're putting yourself out there, and you're putting yourself out there to be picked apart. And it's scary. And I was just so tired of it. I was just so tired of being quoted and people talking about the quotes, you know, I just was so tired of seeing myself in that. In that way. I needed a break from it. People needed a break from it. Then I took a break and enjoyed the break. It was a mutual breakup.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

What did you do during that period where you took a step back? Because that was a two and a half year period where you weren't actually out in front. You got married. It was Covid. So there's reasons for all of that. But how were you recalibrating during that period?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I don't really know. I lived with my cousin for a little bit. Hi, cuz. We were, like, in our, I don't know, mid-20s, and she just kind of moved into my apartment in New York, and we became roommates, and it was fun. We watched tv, I took my dog to Central Park. Then I fell in love, and I started learning more about contemporary post war art.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

As you do.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

As you do. Well, my husband's an art dealer.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Right. May I ask how you met your husband?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, he showed me art. I was considering buying something, and I asked my friend Gene, who actually ended up directing me in. No hard feelings, but I asked him, do you know anybody in the art world? And he sent me Cook's number. And I didn't know, you know. And then I showed up to the gallery and was like, oh, my God, what is your deal? And then he stopped being my. My art advisor.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Do you find it hard to be your authentic self when you're trying to interact with the public because of what you went through? Because I saw you at this press conference that you gave in Spain, and you seem a lot more reserved than you used to be, More careful, more considered, and I'm just wondering if that is deliberate.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, I mean, I think I've also grown up and I'm a lot more nervous about whatever I say publicly. I try not to. You know, I don't want to, like, give an interview that's like a bunch of, like, sound bites and like, a word salad. I just, like. I don't think that that's, like, interesting. And I don't feel like that's, like, what I'm like. It just would feel so inauthentic and not like what I'm here to do. So I'm trying to strike that balance.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I mean, I'm gonna break the fourth wall here, but, I mean, it's always a strange thing to do. Right? I'm a journalist asking you questions. I obviously want you to give revealing answers. And you have to protect yourself as an artist and as a private person in the world. And so I often think about how complicated that dance is, especially for women. I mean, do you think as a female artist that you have been treated differently than perhaps other, you know, men because you were young, you were open to the world in a way that perhaps other people aren't? You didn't seem so jaded, I think.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Thank you. I don't know if it's different than if I were a man. Because I've just never lived that existence. I only know this one.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

That was the wrong question.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

And I feel. No, no, no, it wasn't. I'm getting around to it. I'm just dancing around your question because we are doing the dance.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

We are.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I feel it when it's time for women to be the morality police. You know, it's easy for me to see it when it's happening. You know, when somebody does a Woody Allen movie and they only ask the women, you know, well, how do you feel about working with Woody Allen? You know, and you can just watch it. You just watch not one male actor get asked that question. And I see that play out a lot of just like women being the examples, women being the morality police. And also I think there is something. I don't know what it is. It's really easy to hate women viciously in a way that it's almost like we have this ire in us that specifically there's like an extra pocket for it. And the ire that people are capable of, I think is different. I never at any point felt like this is unfair because of my gender. I felt like this is unfair because you created this. You ask and you ask and you ask and you want and you want and you want and then you don't want it anymore. And I felt like rejected. But that's now that I'm older. That is a natural push pull of the process and I have to be in control of how much access is given and how much isn't.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

After the break, Jennifer tells me about being politically outspoken early in her career and why she's approaching things differently now.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. And so then what am I doing?

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[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

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Symptoms so you can sleep well through the night nyquil Intense flu. The nighttime Sniffling, aching, aching fever. Best sleep with a flu medicine. Use as directed. Keep out of reach of children. I did want to ask you about your relationship with some of your directors because you have been with directors who are known as being very difficult, challenging directors. People who are auteurs, have really clear visions. And, you know, for example, when you were making Mother with Darren Aronofsky, you hyperventilated, you tore your diaphragm, you got medical attention, and then he made you film the scene again when you got back. And I'm just wondering what that kind of intensity does for you. Like, how do you work with directors who really bring that out in you and demand that of you.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I stay loose. I think David O. Russell really taught me how to. I think because of David, I've never really. It's never really mattered what the director's kind of methodology is. I can kind of.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I mean, Amy Adams, who was in American Hustle with you, and that was obviously David O. Russell, said of you, Jennifer doesn't take any of it on. She's Teflon, sort of saying that you don't absorb some of that stuff.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, I didn't. I. But I really felt like David, that was his way of communicating in a non bullshit way. I never felt like he was, like, degrading or yelling at me. Like, if he didn't like something, he was just like, that was terrible. Looked like shit. Do it better. And that was like a very helpful conversation. Like, oh, okay, I'll do it better. How so?

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I don't know.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Slower, not so loud. It was just very, you know. And I'm not sensitive. I don't know how you can be in this industry, like, especially. I mean, these young girls hopefully are gonna grow up in a different.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Well, I mean, Amy Adams said that she cried on set when she talked about you being Teflon. She said that for her, it was hard.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Well, maybe he was harder on her than he was on me. And also, I don't know. I mean, yes, of course I'm sensitive. I'm really sensitive. I don't know why.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Sense. So we've literally had this entire conversation about how sensitive you are.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I'm so sensitive. I can't believe I just said that. That room. I had a conversation with a girl the other night. She was like, oh, I'm the middle with two brothers. And I was like, I'm the middle child with two brothers. And we just, like, talked about it passionately for five minutes. And then I Was like, I'm the youngest. I'm sorry. And she gave me the weirdest look, obviously. Cause what. But that was that. I'm like, I'm not sensitive. I'm extremely sensitive.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I was gonna say. I didn't wanna say anything, but I was like, we have talked now for.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Quite a bit about this. I'm more sensitive than Amy Adams. Just flat out, I guess I don't mean anything I say. Do you still want to continue interviewing me?

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Absolutely.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Okay.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

But maybe you're less sensitive about the acting. I guess what I'm trying to get.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

At here, I'm not sensitive about acting. I'm not competitive about acting. My husband is always really amazed because I am so competitive. Like, when we play tennis, I throw my racket. I scream, I rage. I can't do a puzzle. I'm so competitive. I make eye contact with him when we're brushing teeth sometimes because I'm like, I did it a little bit longer than you did. You notice that? And so he finds it fascinating that I'm not competitive with acting. But I think it's because I feel secure, so why would I get competitive? I feel fine. And so when it comes to getting the director, I mean, you need to have a visionary. I think it's working with a real artist that I can trust.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I mean, you're about to do a film with Martin Scorsese, which is coming up.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah. I don't know if I trust him. Yeah.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I mean, why would you. He's such an idiot.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

He's gonna really prove himself to me.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Tell me about in advance of working with a director like Martin Scorsese. You haven't actually been directed by him. I mean, how do you prepare for something like that?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I'll probably do what I always do, which is panic, and then try to get in touch with an acting teacher and then meet the acting teacher and then never see them again.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

That's your process.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

That is my process. And at this point, it's almost like superstitious. If I don't take the one meeting and then not follow up. I'll read. I'll be prepared. I'll memorize. Leo is Leonardo DiCaprio's Leonardo DiCaprio. We work together on Don't Look Up. And he knows when his character was born and what kind of cologne they wear. And like, Leo in one battle after another is so serious. And his commitment and, like, is so. It's so real. And that's what makes it hilarious. You know, his sides are covered in, like. He's like, Carrie Matherson. You know, in Homeland, like, the script. You don't know what sides mean? No. Excuse me, sorry. Didn't mean to get all the silver screen on you. Well, kid, sides.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Tell me, tell me.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Sides are just like a few pages, like a scene from the whole script. So when I was working with Leo, I was just like, I gotta be doing whatever he's doing. Like, this is incredible. But Christian Bale changed me a lot to An American hustle. I was 23, and I remember, like, I was always very sensitive about getting embarrassed in front of the crew. And, like, I thought acting was, like, embarrassing. And so I would just kind of try to make a point of, like, not acting until I just absolutely had to, like, at action. But then I would see Christian, who didn't like. It's not like he stayed in character, like, all day or anything. Like, nothing. He just. When the crew started getting ready, you know, like, the lights started getting ready and the sound, and it became clear we were gonna start rolling soon, he would kind of slowly start getting ready. And then I was like, that seems like a good idea. And I should do that when I'm more mature and can handle people looking at me and being like, pssh, she's acting.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

You mentioned one battle after another.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Oh, my God. I saw it last night. I know that it is now further in the future. If you're hearing it. Yes.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Doesn't matter. We're timestamping it. You saw it last night?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I saw it last night. And 70 millimeter IMAX, as God intended. It's the most incredible movie I've ever seen in my entire life. I feel so grateful just for that to exist. I just, like, kiss the ground that that movie walks on.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

It's also a film that speaks to. As we started discussing, it speaks to this political moment in a very interesting and important way. That is funny, that is complicated, and.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

It'S a good idea. That's not a bad idea. What do you mean, a revolution?

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

You have been politically outspoken in the past, in the first Trump administration. You know, you had a lot to say. I'm curious how you feel about talking out now.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I don't really know if I should. I think, like, the first Trump administration was so wild, and just how can we let this stand? Like, I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. But as we've learned, election after election, celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. And so then what am I doing? I'm just sharing my opinion on something that's gonna just add fuel to a fire that's ripping the country apart. I mean, we are so divided. I think I'm in a complicated recalibration because I'm also an artist, and with this temperature and the way that things can turn out, I don't want to start turning people off to films and to art that could change consciousness or change the world because they don't like my political opinions. I want to protect my craft so that you can still get lost in what I'm doing, what I'm showing. And if I can't say something that's going to speak to some kind of peace or lowering the temperature or some sort of solution, I just don't want. I don't want to be a part of the problem. I don't want to make the problem worse.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I mean, I saw you at a press conference recently when you were speaking about Gaza. Point to our elected officials as the people who need to be responsible for answering those questions and not putting that on actors and other celebrities to sort of take a stand.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Yeah, just like if. It's like looking at a chessboard, you know, you just watch these actors, faces who have had incredible careers and done amazing things and made incredible contributions that all of a sudden, one half of the Internet or one half of the country just can't stand anymore. They don't want to see their face anymore because of blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I get so upset for those people and those actors, and it just feels so wrong. So I don't. I don't know. I try to express myself and my politics through my work. I made a documentary called Bread and Roses about the Taliban retakeover in Afghanistan and Swarovski versus Texas about the abortion ban. Pretty much a lot of my movies coming out for my production company are expressions of the political landscape. That's how I feel like I can be helpful. That's how I feel like I can, I don't know, bring awareness or do something.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Do you regret how you dealt with things before?

[Jennifer Lawrence]

I don't know. Probably. I mean, I regret everything I've ever done or said.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

But five seconds after you've done or.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Said, yeah, of course I'm gonna take the zip drives out of all of these cameras when I leave, it feels the second term feels different. Cause it's like we all knew he said what he was going to do. We knew what he did for four years. He was very clear. And that's what we chose again. I think there's something that just feels different about the second term.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

I want to thank you for being so thoughtful.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

That's Jennifer Lawrence. Her movie Die My Love will be in theaters starting November 7th. To watch this interview and many others, you can subscribe to our YouTube [e-mail] the interview podcast this conversation was produced by Seth Kelly. It was edited by Annabelle Bacon, mixing by Sonia Herrero, original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, photography by Philip Montgomery. Our senior booker is Priya Matthew and Wyatt Orme is our producer. Our executive producer is Alison Benedict. Video of this interview was produced by Paola Neudorff, cinematography by Zach Caldwell with additional camera work by Jenny Levitt, Luke Piotrowski, Zebediah Smith and Alfredo Chiarappa. Audio by Nick Pittman. It was edited by Eddie Costas. Brooke Minters is the executive producer of podcast video. Special thanks to Alyssa Wilkinson, Rory Walsh, Renan Borelli, Jeffrey Miranda, Matty Masciello, Jake Silverstein, Paula Schumann and Sam Dolnick. Next week, David talks to Fox News late night star Greg Gutfeld about his hit show humor in the Time of Trump and why he thinks the right is having all the fun.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

The way people view conservatives versus Liberals.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

Is Dean Wormer and Animal House.

[Jennifer Lawrence]

The liberals are Animal House.

[Lulu Garcia Navarro]

The conservatives are always Dean Wormer. And my goal was to flip that. I'm Lulu Garcia Navarro and this is the interview from the New York Times.

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