At 23, Jennifer Lawrence learned a significant lesson about acting by observing her co-star Christian Bale on the set of American Hustle. She realized the value of preparing for a scene before the director called “action,” a practice she previously found embarrassing. Speaking in a November 1 interview with The New York Times, she said,
I was 23 and very sensitive about getting embarrassed in front of the crew. I thought acting was embarrassing. And so I would make a point of not acting until I absolutely had to, at ‘action.’ But then I would see Christian. When the crew started getting ready, it became clear we were going to start rolling soon, he would slowly start getting ready. I was like, That seems like a good idea and I should do that when I’m more mature and can handle people looking at me and being like, ‘Pshh, she’s acting.’
Lawrence, now 35 and a mother of two, reflected on this moment and her subsequent evolution. Her journey now includes navigating mental health challenges and choosing creative projects that mirror her personal growth and transformation.
Jennifer Lawrence On Postpartum, Anxiety, And Identity
Lawrence’s second postpartum experience, after the birth of her second child with husband Cooke Maroney in March 2025, was much harder than her first. She developed severe postpartum anxiety, which included distressing and intrusive thoughts about her baby. She told The New Yorker,
I just thought every time he was sleeping he was dead. I thought he cried because he didn’t like his life, or me, or his family. I thought I was doing everything wrong, and that I would ruin my children.
This anxiety led to self-doubt about her parenting, and she sought reassurance from ChatGPT for breastfeeding advice while crying. The turning point in her struggle with postpartum anxiety came from taking Zurzuvae, an FDA-approved oral medication for postpartum depression. She reported significant relief after two weeks (via The New Yorker).
In addition to hormonal imbalance, Lawrence faced a crisis of identity, questioning her roles as a mother, wife, and creative individual. She stated at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025 (via The Guardian),
The truth is extreme anxiety and extreme depression is isolating no matter where you are. You feel like an alien.
Her experience differed greatly from her first postpartum period, which was marked by battling external judgment rather than internal struggles. With her first child, she felt she was at war with the world’s opinions. The second time, the conflict was internal and neurological.
Die, My Love, And What Happens at Night Headline Next Acts
Lawrence’s upcoming film, Die My Love, reflects the emotional landscape she has recently navigated. The movie, which premieres theatrically on November 7, 2025, is her first maternal role since becoming a mother. Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the black comedy-drama explores a couple’s psychological decline after moving to rural Montana with their newborn. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a nine-minute standing ovation (via Deadline).
She filmed Die My Love while four and a half to five months pregnant with her second child, which she said helped her access the necessary emotions for the role (via Variety).
The film is based on Ariana Harwicz’s 2012 novel of the same name and was produced by Martin Scorsese. Scorsese chose Lawrence for the part after seeing her performance in the 2017 film Mother!, noting that “she truly feels everything happening, as if in a dream.”
Following Die My Love, Lawrence will reunite with Leonardo DiCaprio in What Happens at Night (via The Hollywood Reporter), directed by Scorsese. The film, based on Peter Cameron’s 2020 novel, follows a couple who travel to Europe to adopt a baby and encounter a series of mysterious characters.
The project is being financed by Apple Original Films and is currently in pre-production. Both roles signal a move toward more psychologically complex material for the actress.
Do you think creative work helps process personal struggles? Tell us your view in the comments.
Die My Love will release on November 7 (United States).
