Jennifer Lawrence Doesn't Regret Dropping Out Of Middle School: 'I Wanted To Forge My Own Path'
Jennifer Lawrence embraces unconventional roles, and she feels the same way about education, dropping out of school at the tender age of 14.
In an interview in an upcoming episode of 60 Minutes, the Red Sparrow actress opens up to Bill Whitaker about forging her own path of self-education after quitting formal school at a young age.
School Blues
Candid as usual, the Oscar-winning actress says she struggled in the classroom as a student.
"I never felt very smart," Lawrence admits, adding that reading scripts and discovering acting opened up a whole new part of her brain that she didn't want to let go of. "It's just an overwhelming feeling of, 'I get this. This is what I was meant to do.'"
Lawrence has previously called reading her first script the first time she has ever understood anything in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2013. So the budding actress left formal education to focus on her career at a young age.
"I dropped out of middle school. I don't technically have a GED or a diploma. I am self-educated," she explains, saying that she harbors no regrets over her decision. "I wanted to forge my own path. I found what I wanted to do and I didn't want anything getting in the way of it."
In fact, Lawrence adds that she even prioritized her work over friends for a good chunk of her career.
At 14, it might sound crazy to listen to a child who is asking to drop out of school, but Lawrence's parents gave her the benefit of the doubt, and it paid off. Now, at only 27 years old, she is already an Oscar winner and one of the most renowned actresses of the current generation.
Lawrence's next role is mystery thriller Red Sparrow, which opens in theaters on Friday, Mar. 2.
Nudity On The Big Screen
In the 60 Minutes interview, Lawrence also discussed shedding her clothes for her Red Sparrow role.
Initially, the actress was hesitant to do any nudity for film after her nude photos were hacked and leaked in 2014. However, one of the things she learned from her new film is the world of difference it makes when nudity is her choice.
"I feel like something that was taken from me I got back and am using in my art," Lawrence explains, saying she felt empowered after shooting the scene.
The full 60 Minutes interview with Lawrence will air on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.
