Jennifer Lawrence Shares Her Unexpected Model Scout Experience That Changed Everything

Jennifer Lawrence in New York City on Jan. 7, 2026.
Credit :

Dia Dipasupil/Getty 

NEED TO KNOW

• Jennifer Lawrence shared the story of how she started her acting career while speaking with Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast.
• The Oscar winner recounted a chance encounter with a model scout in New York City during a trip with her mother.
• Lawrence stated that she likely would not have pursued acting if she hadn’t been approached as a teenager.

In a surprising revelation, Jennifer Lawrence disclosed that acting was not her first career choice during a recent appearance on the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler. The actress, who is now 35, initially pursued fashion after being approached by a talent scout while visiting New York City as a teenager.

Recalling the pivotal moment, Lawrence described a trip to New York City with her mother, where they watched a street performance. During this outing, a talent scout named Daniel approached them and requested to take a photo of her, prompting an unexpected turn in her career path.

Jennifer Lawrence attends the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards.

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

In an amusing reflection on the encounter, Lawrence humorously noted the lack of caution in their decision to let a stranger take her picture. “If he had told us to meet him in a hotel room, we one hundred percent would have,” she joked. She later discovered that pop star Joe Jonas had worn that very photo on his T-shirt during a concert, which Lawson found amusingly perplexing: “I was like, ‘How did Joe Jonas get it?’” Poehler responded in disbelief, “That’s so weird.”

Jennifer Lawrence on “Good Hang with Amy Poehler”.

Good Hang with Amy Poehler/YouTube

Lawrence mentioned that she has seen the picture since then but is unsure of what to do with it, joking, “I’m not going to print it out.” After that encounter, she was interviewed by modeling agencies, where it became clear that her interests might not align with the modeling world. “What was becoming really apparent was like, ‘If you’re a model, you’re a model,” she said, noting the lack of connection between modeling and acting at that time.

Determined to pursue acting, she insisted on signing with an agency that would also allow her to act. “Somewhere during those interviews, I decided that I would only sign with an agency that would also let me act,” she explained.

Jennifer Lawrence attends the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards.

Kevin Mazur/Getty 

Reflecting on her early aspirations, Lawrence admitted she never envisioned acting as a viable career. Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, she did not personally know any actors. However, her perception shifted after the modeling encounter. “But then once it was kind of brought up as a possibility, I mean, I would always watch Hillary Duff when I got home from school and then I would, like, do Hillary Duff in the mirror. So it kind of all came together,” she noted.

When Poehler expressed disbelief at how coincidental and fortuitous her scouting was, Lawrence acknowledged that she likely wouldn’t have considered acting if not for that street encounter. “I don’t think so,” she stated, affirming that before that day, she wouldn’t have realized acting was a possibility for her.

Jennifer Lawrence in New York City on Jan. 7, 2026.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty 

Following that encounter, Lawrence’s acting career swiftly took off, beginning with guest roles on television. Her initial significant role came in the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show, where she was part of the main cast from 2007 to 2009. Lawrence made her film debut in 2008’s Garden Party, playing a troubled teen named Tiff. However, it was her performance in the 2010 independent film Winter’s Bone that garnered her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress, establishing her as a formidable talent in Hollywood.

Since then, she has captivated audiences with her performances as Mystique in the X-Men film series and Katniss Everdeen in the The Hunger Games franchise, further solidifying her status as a leading actress. In 2013, Lawrence won an Oscar for Best Actress at the 85th Academy Awards for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, making history as the second-youngest winner in that category. To date, she has received a total of four Oscar nominations.