Why Hollywood Casts Jennifer Lawrence Over Shailene Woodley

May 2024 ยท 1 minute read

Once in a blue moon, there comes a potentially career-making role that draws interest from tons of actors. That table was previously reserved for men (as with James Bond, Jason Bourne, Sherlock Holmes, and similar franchise-anchoring characters), but then along came Suzanne Collins' bestselling Hunger Games books, making heroine Katniss Everdeen a speedy springboard into the big leagues for whoever was lucky enough to land the part.

As producers were assembling the Hunger Games cast, both Lawrence and Woodley had recently drawn critical raves. Lawrence's work in Winter's Bone earned her the first of her three (and counting) Oscar nominations, and Woodley's part in The Descendants gained her a Golden Globe nom. The crucial difference? Hunger Games director Gary Ross had already been impressed with Lawrence's earlier work opposite Mel Gibson in The Beaver, once even calling her the Michael Jordan of movie stars.

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