23 Times Jennifer Lawrence Was Awesome Before She Was Super Famous
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Jennifer Lawrence has undergone many transformations over the years, both on and off screen, but one thing has remained constant: her easy-going personality. Long before the 26-year-old was the darling of Hollywood, she was proving major fame has nothing to do with being a fun and lovable person. From her striking red carpet appearances to her signature funny expressions, keep reading for all the ways J. Law was awesome before you knew her!
She Avoided That Awkward Yearbook Photo
Sure, the haircut and earrings are outdated, but Jennifer's eighth grade portrait from Kammerer Middle School in Louisville, KY, isn't the type of picture you'd be embarrassed to see on your parents' mantel.
She Wasn't Afraid to Take a Tumble
Jennifer made her first TV appearance in a commercial for MTV's My Super Sweet 16, playing a spoiled birthday princess who is carried around her party and falls. She never forgot the experience. “I want to thank MTV,” she said during her SAG acceptance speech in 2013. “I earned my SAG card when I was 14 . . . I remember getting it in the mail and it being the best day in my entire life because it officially made me a professional actor, which put me in a category with all of you.”
She Got Goofy
The road to an Oscar can be paved with terrible roles, like her performance as a mascot in a 2006 episode of Monk.
She Got in the Leading Man's Face
Do you think Tony Shalhoub knew she was destined for greatness?
She Was a Trickster
Jennifer played the girl next door on The Bill Engvall Show from 2007 to 2009. Before she volunteered as tribute in The Hunger Games, Jen surprised her TV parents with a fake belly ring.
She Hung Out With Chloë Grace Moretz
Yes, that cute little girl is Chloë! The two were costars in 2008's The Poker House.
She Had Some Serious Red Carpet Moves
Just look at Jen strike a pose at the Movieguide Faith and Values Awards in 2007.
The Spotlight Called Her Name
She really couldn't help but upstage Selma Blair, the leading lady in The Poker House, at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2008.
She Faced Stiff Red Carpet Competition
Jennifer was a couple years away from the A-list when she walked the red carpet with Charlize Theron, with whom she costarred in 2008's The Burning Plain.
But She Held Her Own
Jen dazzled next to the bombshell at their movie's premiere.
She Went to Sweet 16 Birthday Parties . . .
Here's Jen hanging out at actor Tyler Neitzel's bash. She was just 17!
She Foreshadowed Several Epic Faces
In 2009, Jennifer gave us a taste of what was meant to be.
She Was a Disaster in Heels
Jennifer has a long history of losing her balance at events. In 2008, over five years before her last Oscars fall, she nearly lost it at the Venice Film Festival.
At 18, She Was Already an Award Winner
Jennifer took home the trophy for best young actress at the Venice Film Festival in 2008, marking one of the first of many awards to come her way.
She Practiced Her John Hancock With Grace
My oh my, Jen — that's a pretty fancy autograph you had at the Venice Film Festival in 2008.
She Looked a Little Nervous Around Jon Hamm
The two presented together at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards in 2011.
She Was Never Worried About Her Manicure
As she awaited the release of The Hunger Games in January 2012, Jennifer passed the time with outdoor activities.
Or Being Caught Kissing Nicholas Hoult
Later that month, Jennifer and Nicholas shared a sweet moment.
She Kept Her Volkswagen After Cashing the Hunger Games Checks
By August 2012, Jennifer was a household name. And yet there she was, just like the rest of us, parked at the self-service pump.