Jennifer Lawrence: Hunger Games, Hot Takes & Online Hate
Episode of Call Her Daddy · October 28, 2026 · 54 min
Alex Cooper interviews Jennifer Lawrence about her Hunger Games and other film roles, motherhood, online rage-baiting, reality TV takes, and her new haircare line Mess.
Summary
Alex Cooper, who was pregnant at the time of recording, hosted actress Jennifer Lawrence for a wide-ranging, comedic interview. The conversation opened with banter about fans, the nickname J-Law, and Lawrence's new haircare brand Mess, whose name she said she had proposed from the start before the company returned to it after reviewing thousands of alternatives. Cooper then posed hypothetical social dilemmas, and Lawrence described her habit of elaborate excuses to cancel plans, her preference for staying home, and blaming a fictional colleague when giving bad script feedback.
Lawrence recounted being discovered in New York at 14, leaving school in Kentucky, and describing herself as a former prolific liar. Reviewing photos from her career, she recalled her Hunger Games audition at director Gary Ross's house, her concern that the franchise would change her life and career, practical pyrotechnics on set, returning to Katniss with Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson for a new film, and denying Liam Hemsworth's claim that she deliberately ate tuna and garlic before kissing scenes. She also discussed Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper, the body paint process for X-Men: First Class, and how she now speaks up on set, citing an instance where unapproved crew were present during a nude scene. She linked her haircare venture to years of having no agency over her hair, culminating in her pixie cut as a protest.
On motherhood, Lawrence said she was ruled by guilt, had become more structured with her time, described postpartum anxiety after her second child, and praised the support of other mothers. She discussed using a secret TikTok account to argue about Tudor and English history, and offered takes on Spotify Wrapped, red-carpet glam bots, reality TV (naming Vanderpump Rules as her favorite), Love Island, the Summer House departure of Amanda Batula and West Wilson, and her role helping Andy Cohen investigate a reunion audio leak. She closed by recommending products from her line and rejecting claims that celebrities stage their own paparazzi photos.
Chapters
- 0:03
Introductions and fan encounters
Cooper welcomes Lawrence, and they joke about oversharing, awkward fan encounters, and the J-Law nickname.
- 2:59
Naming the Mess haircare brand
Lawrence explains how her haircare brand ended up named Mess after reviewing thousands of alternatives.
- 4:36
Messy social scenarios
Lawrence answers hypotheticals about a friend's suspicious boyfriend, white lies to cancel plans, nights off with her husband, and giving feedback on a bad script.
- 10:45
Early life and discovery
Lawrence discusses being discovered at 14, leaving Kentucky, her history of lying, and her childhood career ambitions.
- 14:51
The Hunger Games memories
Lawrence recalls her audition, her fears about fame, first-day mishaps, practical effects, the Peeta-versus-Gale debate, and backlash over a Summer I Turned Pretty take.
- 22:09
Liam Hemsworth and returning to Katniss
Lawrence denies deliberately eating tuna before kissing scenes and describes the emotional reunion with the cast for a new Hunger Games film.
- 24:08
Silver Linings Playbook and X-Men
Lawrence talks about meeting Bradley Cooper, her poor dancing, and the lengthy body paint process for Mystique.
- 27:20
Advocating for herself and hair history
Lawrence discusses being malleable as an actor, speaking up on set, and how losing control of her hair led to her pixie cut and haircare venture.
- 32:31
Motherhood
Lawrence describes waiting to have children, guilt, structuring her time, postpartum anxiety, and the support of other mothers.
- 38:22
Secret TikTok and quick takes
Lawrence describes rage-baiting strangers about English history online and shares opinions on Spotify Wrapped, music, and red-carpet glam bots.
- 42:23
Reality TV takes
The two discuss favorite reality shows, Love Island, the Summer House departures, Andy Cohen's reunion leak, the Kardashians, and Housewives fights.
- 49:59
Hair products and paparazzi
Lawrence recommends products from Mess and rejects the notion that celebrities stage their own paparazzi photos.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says that after reviewing thousands of names and eliminating others for copyright and preference reasons, her company returned to her original choice of Mess.
“And then between copywriting and, you know, 86ing certain names that we didn't like, we did land right back at mess”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says she would only raise concerns about a friend's new partner if the friend sincerely asked for her opinion.
“I wouldn't bring it up to her unless she asked. And asked in a real way”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence recounts that her mother told her at The Hunger Games premiere that she could tell in every scene when Lawrence had her period.
“My mom at the premiere of The Hunger Games said she could tell in every scene when I had my periods”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence recalls that her Hunger Games audition took place at director Gary Ross's home office and that he cried during it.
“And then it was at the director, Gary Ross's house and his office above the garage. And he cried in my audition”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says she was nervous about taking the Hunger Games role mainly because she feared it could harm her acting career and personal life.
“What made me nervous was just the way I was afraid that it could negatively negatively affect my acting career”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says a scene of her running down a mountain amid fireballs used real explosions rather than CGI.
“A scene where I'm running down a mountain and there are like fireballs being like fired at me. And none of it was CGI”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says declaring herself Team Jeremiah on The Summer I Turned Pretty drew more hate than any other controversy in her career.
“And the level of hate that I got was bigger than any controversy I've ever been involved in in my life ever”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence denies Liam Hemsworth's claim that she intentionally ate tuna and garlic before their kissing scenes.
“He made it seem like that's just like something I did like on purpose”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says her dancing in Silver Linings Playbook was so poor that she had to record an additional line explaining her character was not a good dancer.
“After we finished filming, I had to do ADR to say like, yeah, I'm not that good of a dancer”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says her Mystique look in X-Men: First Class required body paint and glue applied over eight hours each time.
“it was all body paint and glue. And it was like it was eight hours every time”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says she now speaks up more on set, citing an incident where she objected to unapproved crew being present during a nude scene.
“there was like an instance on set where crew members who weren't approved when I was like doing nudity, you know, were on set or something. And I came down hard on it”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says her famous pixie cut was a protest after the Hunger Games production refused to give her a wig instead of repeatedly dyeing her hair.
“And so I had my first tiny little protest of giving myself the worst haircut anyone has ever seen in their life, which was the pixie”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says it is hard to praise herself as a mother because the job feels so important.
“it's hard to pat yourself on the back because this job is so important and you love your kids so much”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says having children has forced her to structure her time, which has benefited her work.
“So I'm really structured with my time now, which is just something that I never thought about or saw for myself”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence advises new mothers not to worry that their children are bored or immediately hand them something to occupy them.
“Don't worry that your kid is like bored. Don't when they get into the car seat”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence describes severe postpartum anxiety after her second child and being comforted by another mother.
“I'm really scared every day. I have such bad anxiety. I feel like I'm being chased by a tiger”
Linked moment · 43:13Skip to 43:13 using a listen link in the info box.
Jennifer LawrenceLawrence acknowledges Jersey Shore or The Real World as culturally significant but names Vanderpump Rules as her personal favorite reality show.
“I think for me and my universe, I guess I would say Vanderpump Rules”
- Alex Cooper
Cooper says Laguna Beach and The Hills were the defining reality shows of her youth and shaped who she wanted to be.
“No, for me, I would have been like Laguna Beach in the hills like that for me coming up”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says she wanted Amanda Batula and West Wilson to stay on Summer House but understood Batula reportedly faced a pay cut.
“I think she said something like she was she was getting like a pay dock or something”
Listen from 47:13 · West Wilson and Amanda Batula relationship
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence confirms she helped Andy Cohen investigate the Summer House reunion audio leak, saying it relied on public information.
“I did it in way. Everything was like public information. It was it was actually quite easy”
- Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence says she is frustrated by commenters who believe celebrities call paparazzi to stage photos of themselves.
“when people think that celebrities have called and staged paparazzi pictures”
People
In the conversation
- Alex CooperAmerican podcaster and media entrepreneur, host of Call Her Daddy
- Jennifer LawrenceAmerican actress reportedly linked to exposing the Summer House leak
Discussed
- Gary RossAmerican film director of The Hunger Games (2012)
- Josh HutchersonAmerican actor who played Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games
- Liam HemsworthAustralian actor who played Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games
- Woody HarrelsonAmerican actor who took over a train car during a Subway Takes shoot
- Bradley CooperAmerican actor and director of Is This Thing On?
- Lynne RamsayScottish filmmaker who directed Lawrence in Die My Love
- Andy CohenHost of Watch What Happens Live
- Amanda BatulaSummer House cast member
- West WilsonSummer House cast member
- Kris JennerAmerican media personality and Kardashian-Jenner family matriarch
- Kristin CavallariAmerican television personality from Laguna Beach and The Hills
- Rob RauschLove Island USA contestant interviewed by Cooper
Topics
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From the publisher
Join Alex for an interview with Jennifer Lawrence! Jennifer takes us behind the scenes of some of her most iconic roles, shares her unfiltered takes on reality TV, and gets into her chronically online habits and the viral moments that have taken on a life of their own. She also opens up about motherhood, the times she's gotten a little creative with the truth, and the inspiration behind her new haircare line. Enjoy!
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on November 1, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.