Long before Jennifer Lawrence became an Oscar winner, she was an aspiring actress beginning to lay the groundwork for a Hollywood career.
At one point, Lawrence went to see an acting coach who ultimately returned her money because, he said, she already had it all and there really was nothing he might teach her. She didn’t recall who that teacher was until Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. told her Saturday during a panel for her Apple/A24 film Causeway at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event.
Near the end of the panel, Fleming told Lawrence that when he spoke with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan regarding his growing universe of TV series, and how young actress Isabel May provided the spark for 1883 when she came in to read for a lead in Mayor of Kingstown. He instead built 1883 around May, who narrated the origin story of Yellowstone’s Dutton family.
Sheridan told Fleming that May reminded him of Lawrence, who came to the classes he taught while Sheridan was a struggling actor who supplemented his income by teaching acting. This was before Lawrence’s breakout turn in Winter’s Bone.
When Fleming finished his retelling of the story, Lawrence might only say one word.
“What?” she said.
“I remember going to see someone and him telling my mom, ‘Here’s your money back. Just don’t put her in any acting lessons whatever you do,’ ” Lawrence recalled. “Was that Taylor Sheridan?”
Told it indeed was the prolific show creator and director, Lawrence said, “I gotta tell my Mom.”
Sheridan, who turned to writing following he left a regular role in Sons of Anarchy over money, was nominated for an Oscar for writing Hell or High Waterand currently has several prequels in the works spinning off from Yellowstonewhich just returned for its fifth season. The premiere simulcast on Paramount Network, CMT, Pop and TV Land averaged 15.7 million viewers, the most watched show across all of TV in 2022.
Lawrence stars and made her feature producing debut on Apple/A24’s Causewaywhich premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and debuted on Apple TV+ on November 4.