7 Major Roles Jennifer Lawrence Wanted (But Didn't Get)

J-Law might be a great actress, but she can't do it all!

Jennifer Lawrence The Force Awakens
Lucasfilm/Lionsgate

Jennifer Lawrence took the world by surprise with her fiery, epic performance in The Hunger Games quartet of films, though she was equally praised for her appearance in 2010’s indie darling Winter’s Bone. Rocketed to superstardom, she could seemingly have any role she desired, and studios were clamoring to have her sign on to their projects, as an endorsement from the young silver screen phenom usually translated to box office success.

While her rabid fanbase may make it seem like she can do no wrong, her time in Tinsel Town has been far from perfect. She's had tons of positive press coverage and has become one of the most recognizable female celebs of the era, but that doesn't mean she can just walk into a production and take whichever role she desires.

Though her status as a pop culture icon should theoretically boost a studio's box office offerings, the self-ordained simple girl from Kentucky has lost out on tons of different roles for a host of differing reasons. They say you can't succeed without first experiencing failure, and J-Law, though she doesn't show it, knows all too well what it's like to wait on a callback that never comes.

7. Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Jennifer Lawrence The Force Awakens
Disney

“The only time I’ve ever been truly devastated by losing an audition,” Jennifer Lawrence confessed during an interview with People Magazine in March of this year, "was Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. That one really devastated me.”

At its core a bold and uplifting film about resilience and self-empowerment, Jennifer Lawrence could have been a great fit for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Courageous and fearsome as Ree Dolly, Lawrence could easily have taken what she learned on the set of Winter's Bone and applied it to Alice's weird encounters in Wonderland. However, the lead role of Tim Burton’s twisted reimagining of the classic Lewis Carroll story went to the relatively unknown actress Mia Wasikowska.

Wasikowska was a decent fit for the role, and 2010's Alice in Wonderland was met with generally favorable reviews. Lawrence could have propelled the project beyond the realm of mere decency, however, and the film would have been much more celebrated had it boasted just a bit more star power. Johnny Depp was in the midst of a decline at the time, and the introduction of the up-and-coming young starlet would have offset that drama nicely.

Contributor

Sometimes I like to write in between sessions of Rocket League.