The Girl On Fire

Get ready, Jen, cause this is only the start

I hope everyone is ready because we are literally watching the meteoric rise of an actress getting catapulted into superstardom. And from the looks of her gold Prabal Gurung dress at Monday's LA Premiere and her...gold (are you noticing a trend here) Ralph Lauren dress at the London Premiere, the Oscar-nominated star of The Hunger Games is ready for the attention. The director, Gary Ross, has already stated that he thinks Jennifer Lawrence should be nominated for an Oscar for her work in the film. And what better way to alert potential voters that you are interested in trophies than by dressing like one (it worked for Meryl this year). So shiny...

I'm ready for the ascent of Jen. She was great in the film that earned her that first Best Actress nom, Winter's Bone. Her Appalachian character couldn't be more different than the dolled-up movie star in these red carpet photos (seriously, she eats a squirrel she kills herself in the movie). She's already worked with the likes of Jodie Foster and David O. Russell. And she's already been apart of a blockbuster with last summer's X-Men: First Class. But, I have a feeling that playing Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games is gonna one of those iconic roles, like Indiana Jones or Sigoureny Weaver in Aliens, that will forever be associated with an actor as a mark of their legacy.

But, the best thing about Jen is that she is actually a very good actress. There are movie stars who can act and then there are actors who just happen to be movie stars. Jennifer Lawrence is the later. She is very determined to do great work. And starring in a big-budget franchise can hurt your career just as much as help if people only buy you as that character. Luckily, she's already lined up her next project. She's working with Academy Award winning director, Susanne Bier, as the title character in Serena. The story is set in 1929 North Carolina as Serena and her husband (Bradley Cooper) set up a lumber empire at any cost. But, all her ambitions are sidetracked when Serena can't give birth. When she discovers her husband already has an illegitimate child, she sets out to destroy him. Sounds like a ruthless Medea/Lady Macbeth-type role that could show a very adult side to the young actress. In fact, the role had been pursued by another famous actress who could maybe give Jen some tips on how to handle being a movie star: Angelina Jolie. Cause after March 23, her life is gonna change...

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