What was shooting a sex scene with Chris Pratt like for Jennifer Lawrence? "Really bizarre."
During The Hollywood Reporter's "Actress Roundtable," Lawrence talked about doing her first "real sex scene" for the movie Passengers. After an inquiry from Cate Blanchett about her definition of the word "real," Lawrence confirmed that, no, there was no "penetration" (Blanchett's word). The Mockingjay - Part 2 actress did note that "everything was done right; nobody did anything wrong. It's just a bizarre experience."
So, how did she get ready for the scene? "I got really, really drunk," she said. "But then that led to more anxiety when I got home because I was like, 'What have I done? I don't know.'" The fact that Pratt is married was a source of more anxiety for Lawrence. "It was going to be my first time kissing a married man, and guilt is the worst feeling in your stomach," she said. "And I knew it was my job, but I couldn't tell my stomach that. So I called my mom, and I was like, 'Will you just tell me it's okay?' It was just very vulnerable. And you don't know what's too much. You want to do it real, you want everything to be real, but then… That was the most vulnerable I've ever been."
The eight actresses involved in the roundtable discussion — including Lawrence, Blanchett, Brie Larson, Jane Fonda, and Kate Winslet — covered a broad range of topics, ranging from pay to age in Hollywood. You'll notice that all of the women involved, however, are white. THR knew it would be criticized for that decision, and published a piece explaining why there were no women of color represented. "Even for me, a white man, it was impossible to ignore the fact that every one of these women was white — whether old or young, English, Australian, or American," executive editor for features Stephen Galloway wrote. "That was appalling. The awful truth is that there are no minority actresses in genuine contention for an Oscar this year."
While it's better that The Hollywood Reporter acknowledged the problem, it doesn't absolve the publication from the rightful criticism it's getting. Perhaps THR could have featured Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, who starred in the acclaimed indie Tangerine and are the focus of an Oscar campaign. Tessa Thompson may not be the primary subject of the awards chatter for Creed, but her movie is certainly making more waves than the two films Helen Mirren is in this year, Trumbo and Woman in Gold. Admitting that the system you're operating in is retrograde is a step in the right direction — the next one is doing something to fix the problem.
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