As clearly evidenced by her tour de force performance in those “My Super Sweet 16” promos, Jennifer Lawerence was destined for greatness from the jump.
But she still sought guidance early in her career by consulting an acting coach, who just happened to be “Yellowstone” creator and showrunner Taylor Sheridan.
Before launching a fleet of programming under the Paramount umbrella, Sheridan was a struggling actor (“Veronica Mars” fans, that’s Danny Boyd to you) making money on the side by teaching Hollywood hopefuls like Lawrence, whom he met before her breakout role in “Winter’s Bone.”
Ultimately, Sheridan chose to return her money, insisting there was nothing he could teach the future Academy Award winner.
Apparently, Lawrence had completely forgotten this flattering tidbit until a Deadline reporter connected the dots for her during a panel on Saturday for new Apple TV+ film “Causeway.”
“What?” a shocked Lawrence said, according to the outlet. “I remember going to see someone and him telling my mom, ‘Here’s your money back. Just don’t put her in any acting lessons whatever you do.’ Was that Taylor Sheridan?”
“I gotta tell my mom,” she added after Deadline confirmed the “Wind River” filmmaker was indeed the man in question.
Sheridan previously revealed the anecdote while discussing his “Yellowstone” prequel series “1883” starring Isabel May, who he said reminded him of a young Lawrence.
The only advice he recalled offering the “Hunger Games” star at the time was “don’t let anyone in Hollywood try to change you.”
Despite her best efforts and that pearl of wisdom, Lawrence recently reflected on how she “lost a sense of control” over her career following her rise to stardom.
“Between ‘The Hunger Games’ coming out and winning the Oscar, I became such a commodity that I felt like every decision was a big, big group decision,” the actor shared in October. “When I reflect now, I think of those following years as just kind of a loss of control and then a reaction to try to get [it] back.”
And should her long, winding road to stardom ever lead her back to Sheridan, Lawrence has plenty of opportunities.
In addition to the flagship series, Sheridan has yet another “Yellowstone” prequel series in the pipeline ― the Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford-fronted “1923” ― in addition to the recently launched crime drama “Tulsa King” starring Sylvester Stallone.
