Jennifer Lawrence Incorrectly Credits 'Hunger Games' As First Action Movie With Female Lead

While Jennifer Lawerence believes her "Hunger Games" character Katniss Everdeen was a strong female role model for girls, in a recent interview she incorrectly credited the movie franchise as the first action film to put a woman in a lead role.

Speaking with Viola Davis for Variety's "Actors on Actors" series, Lawrence reflected on her time starring in "The Hunger Games" movies and the importance of her role as the female lead.

"I remember when I was doing 'Hunger Games,' nobody had ever put a woman in the lead of an action movie because it wouldn't work — because we were told girls and boys can both identify with a male lead, but boys cannot identify with a female lead," Lawrence told Davis.

"And it just makes me so happy every single time I see a movie come out that just blows through every one of those beliefs and proves that it is just a lie to keep certain people out of the movies. To keep certain people in the same positions that they've always been in."

However, "The Hunger Games" wasn't the first action movie led by a female lead.

Sigourney Weaver starred in the original "Alien" movie franchise, which began in 1979, Halle Berry led the 2004 action flick "Catwoman," and Angelina Jolie starred in the 2010 film "Salt," among countless other action movies have been centered around female leads.

Although Lawrence praised the "Hunger Games" franchise for casting her as a female hero, she wasn't happy about what went on behind the scenes once she landed the role.

"I remember the biggest conversation was, 'How much weight are you going to lose?'" Lawrence revealed.

"Along with me being young and growing and not able to be on a diet, I don't know if I want all of the girls who are going to dress up as Katniss to feel like they can't because they're not a certain weight. And I can't let that seep into my brain either."

Although the 2012 film had certain drawbacks, it thrust Lawrence into the spotlight. Since then, the Academy Award winner has learned to balance her Hollywood career and personal life.

Lawrence married Cooke Maroney in 2019 and gave birth to their first child, Cy, in February.