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Every actor dreams of landing their own franchise, because, well, insta-superstardom right? Wrong. Just ask Star Wars’ Mark Hamill (otherwise known as “that dude who voices The Joker in all those Batman video games”), or The Fast and the Furious actor, Paul Walker, whose notoriety ends at that. There’s a method to achieving career longevity after the dust of a franchise settles — one that requires the right choices both on screen and off.
The most recent example is, of course, Jennifer Lawrence, who is literally everywhere now that the Catching Fire promotional frenzy is in full swing. Everything she wears, says, and does is being poured over, blogged about, and GIF’d faster than you can say Jabberjay, but is she risking overexposure or backlash?
The answer is most likely: no. Unlike other actors who’ve been handed the keys to a franchise, Lawrence hasn’t tried to capitalize on her sudden popularity. Instead, she’s been meticulous in selecting what she lends her considerable talents to, while maintaining the charm that made us all fall for her in the first place. It’s this affable approach that’s turned Lawrence into a big actress, and should serve her well, long after The Hunger Games franchise ends. Of course, she's not the first star who’s had to figure out a way to outlast the franchise that made them famous. Here, ten great actors who have paved the way for a new generation. (Shailene Woodley, take note.)
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