Karen Lawrence, Jennifer Lawrence and Gary Lawrence at the New York premiere of ‘No Hard Feelings’ in June 2023.Photo:Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Jennifer Lawrencemight be one of Hollywood’s most relatable celebrities, thanks to her down-to-earth parents, Karen and Gary Lawrence.
Amid Jennifer’s rise in Hollywood, Karen and Gary made sure to stress that kindness and respect are more important than fame.
“Talent is nothing if you’re not a nice person,” Karen toldWDRBin March 2013. “That’s just who she is. And that makes us proud of her more so than her talent.”
“When I go on set, the hair and makeup people always come to me and say she’s such a nice girl, so respectful," Gary added. “And I kid her and say, ‘If I ever come and don’t hear that, we’ll have some real problems.’ But so far, so good.”
Here’s everything to know about Jennifer Lawrence’s parents, Karen and Gary Lawrence.
They met in Louisville
Gary Lawrence, Jennifer Lawrence and Karen Lawrence at the film premiere party for ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ in September 2012.Alexandra Wyman/Getty
Alexandra Wyman/Getty
Both Karen and Gary were born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. The two attended the University of Louisville, where they met through Gary’s dad, who was the dean of students. Karen and Gary dated throughout college and later settled down in their hometown to start a family.
After retiring from their jobs, Karen and Gary also established the Lawrence Family Foundation, which focuses on funding programs for children in the Louisville area, including the arts and raising money for children with cancer.
“When I was growing up, it was always important for our family to give back. I was just raised that way,” Karen toldStyleBlueprintin May 2019. “With Jennifer’s notoriety, we had a bigger platform to have more exposure and raise more money, meaning we had more money to share.”
Karen also serves as aboard memberfor the Louisville Orchestra and the Kentucky Film Commission.
They have three kids
Jennifer Lawrence with her parents, Karen Lawrence and Gary Lawrence, and brothers, Ben Lawrence and Blaine Lawrence, at the Oscars Governors Ball in February 2013.Kevork Djansezian/Getty
Kevork Djansezian/Getty
Karen and Gary have three kids: sons Ben and Blaine and daughter Jennifer — who was a surprise addition to the family.
“I didn’t realize why my nickname was Plays With Fire until I got older," she joked in an April 2012Rolling Stoneinterview. “But my parents played with fire, and they got burned.”
Nowadays, Ben is a managing partner of Louisville Geek, an information technology company, according tohis LinkedIn. Meanwhile, Blaine is the owner and director of Camp Hi-Ho after taking over the family business from his parents.
Karen and Gary are also grandparents toJennifer’s son Cy,born in February 2022, with husbandCooke Maroney, plus Ben andBlaine’s kids.
Karen founded their family day camp
The camp offers sports — on land and in the camp’s lake — as well as horse riding, archery, arts and crafts and more. There’s also a pet barn on the premises where children can learn to care for animals — and even take one home. Puppies and kittens are up for adoption or available for sleepovers if a family isn’t ready to commit fully.
The rest of the Lawrence family often helped Karen out at the camp until Jennifer’s career took off and Blaine became the next owner. Sadly, part ofthe camp burned downin November 2020, prompting the Louisville community to come together.
Jennifer later expressed her gratitude for their support and reminisced on her childhood at the camp.
By the following summer in 2022,Camp Hi-Ho reopenedbigger and better.
They raised Jennifer just like her two older brothers
Jennifer Lawrence and her brothers, Ben and Blaine, at the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards.Jeff Vespa/WireImage
Jeff Vespa/WireImage
Jennifer didn’t get special treatment for being the only girl in the family — not even when she was the first girl born into her dad’s family in 50 years. According to Karen, she wanted Jennifer to be “tough” and not “a diva.”
Years later, she recalled her feelings about the group activities.
“I’ve always had anxiety about being in a herd,” she said in the same interview. “I just wanted to break free — be an individual. There’s something about team sports, classes, I didn’t take well to it. I didn’t like it. … I hated team sports.”
Karen moved to Manhattan with Jennifer to start her career
Jennifer Lawrence hugs her mother, Karen Lawrence, after winning the Best Actress award for “Silver Linings Playbook” during the 2013 Oscars.Kevin Winter/Getty
Kevin Winter/Getty
Karen lived with Jennifer in Manhattan for a year while the then-teenager auditioned for roles, and it wasn’t easy for the family to adjust to their initial entry into the entertainment industry.
“It might as well have been a different planet,” she toldRolling Stonein 2012. “Our friends thought we were nuts. We thought we were nuts. But [Jennifer’s] brothers told us, ‘This is her baseball diamond. You’ve gotta let her play.’ "
The opportunity arose after the family vacationed in the Big Apple and a scout discovered Jennifer. Eventually, Karen and Gary agreed, but not without hesitation.
“We thought she’d go to New York, and they’d say, ‘Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,’ " Karen added. “If it wasn’t for her agent literally almost choking me, saying, ‘You don’t understand, I’ve never seen a 14-year-old like this,’ we might not have made it.”
They’ve appeared on several red carpets with Jennifer
Jennifer Lawrence, Karen Lawrence and Gary Lawrence attend the 2013 Oscars Governors Ball.Kevork Djansezian/Getty
The parents also accompanied Jennifer when she wonBest Actressat the 2013 Oscars, with Karen calling it “a proud mom moment.”
“It was a great experience, and it was really cool that we got to do that. It was exciting,” she told StyleBlueprint a few years later in 2019.
Lionsgate/Kobal/Shutterstock
“I always got asked why I did indies, not studio films, and I said it was about the script, it’s not about how big it is,” Jennifer explained in aTotal Filminterview in February 2012. “And she was like, ‘This is a script you love, a character you love, and you’re about to turn it down because of the size of it? You’re a hypocrite!’ "
The star would also be “totally” down to revisit her fan-favorite character, she toldVarietyin June 2023. “If Katniss could evercome back into my life, 100 percent.”
Jennifer and Gary have clashed about politics
Jennifer Lawrence and her dad, Gary Lawrence, attend The Weinstein Company film premiere party for ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ in September 2012.Jeff Vespa/Getty
Jeff Vespa/Getty
In a2022Voguecover story, Jennifer opened up about the political clashes in her family following the 2016 election — a topic that was on her mind following thereversal ofRoe v. Wade.
TheRed Sparrowstar explained she has worked to mend her relationship with her dad and other loved ones inher hometownin the years since the controversial election, but still finds it hard to come to terms with the differences.
“I just worked so hard in the last five years to forgive my dad and my family and try to understand: It’s different. The information they are getting is different. Their life is different,” she said. “I don’t want to disparage my family, but I know that a lot of people are in a similar position with their families. How could you raise a daughter from birth and believe that she doesn’t deserve equality? How?”
source: people.com
