Jennifer Lawrence Spent Days Deciding if She Should Do ‘The Hunger Games’

For many actors, being cast in a film like The Hunger Games is a dream come true. Based on the eponymous book, the movie already had a large built-in audience. Furthermore, the film would become the beginning of a huge franchise, making billions of dollars and household names out of its lead actors. But despite the perks of the job, Jennifer Lawrence nearly turned down the role.

While Jennifer Lawrence wasn’t super well-known prior to playing Katniss Everdeen, she had a career in the entertainment industry. The actor created a name for herself in the world of independent film. In 2010, she even earned her first Academy Award nomination for her role as Ree Dolly in Winter’s Bone. So while the actor wasn’t making millions or a bonafide celebrity, she was more than happy with her career and life.

Jennifer Lawrence explained why she nearly turned down ‘The Hunger Games’ movies

In fact, Lawrence was so content that she considered turning down The Hunger Games because she was didn’t want her life to become a media circus. She spent days weighing the pros and cons of accepting the part of Katniss. In an interview with Access Hollywood, the Red Sparrow actor got candid deciding to be in the blockbuster film.

“I gave myself three days,” Lawrence recalled. “I knew from reading the books that I loved The Hunger Games, I just didn’t know if it was worth changing my life for. I’m at a peaceful place right now…Nobody’s staked outside my house. I wanted to make sure that when I said yes I wouldn’t regret it. And I don’t regret it.”

The ‘Don’t Look Up’ star was scared of her life changing

Continuing on, Lawrence shared that she eventually realized that turning down The Hunger Games would have been a fear-based decision. “I would have said no because I was scared, and then I would have been that bitter actress telling my grandkids, ‘I’m the one that turned it down.’”

While Lawrence eventually accepted the role, she was wise to be wary about giving up her privacy. Considering The Hunger Games had such a massive and involved fan base, she was constantly in the public light. In fact, she made the mistake of going to Whole Foods the day the film premiered in theaters and she got mobbed by a group of fans. Though that was her first intense experience, it was hardly her last. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she got candid about the toll fame took on her.

Starring in ‘The Hunger Games’ meant Lawrence had to give up her privacy for a few years

“I call my mom sobbing all the time … dealing with the repercussions of having no more anonymity,” Lawrence shared. “You lose privacy. As much as this is a curse, as stupid as it sounds, to make as much money as I am by doing something that I love, it’s hard not to regret it when you’re being chased by 15 strangers.”

Fortunately, Lawrence seems to have found some semblance of peace in her career. She continues to work on projects, but has far more privacy. The fame that The Hunger Games brought her might have been challenging, but it was likely worth it to the actor when things were all said and done