Taylor Sheridan’s Career-Changing Advice to Jennifer Lawrence: What Did He Say?

The creator of Yellowstone once offered pivotal career guidance to The Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence through a conversation with her mother, long before they both rose to prominence. Lawrence first made a significant impact in Hollywood with her role in 2010’s Winter’s Bone, which earned her an Oscar nomination. Her fame continued to grow with major roles in X-Men and The Hunger Games series.

Years later, Lawrence was surprised to discover that Taylor Sheridan, her former acting coach, had once advised her mother against enrolling her in formal acting classes. At the time, Sheridan was teaching acting as a way to supplement his income but felt he had nothing to teach Lawrence, recognizing her innate talent even at a young age.

In a recent conversation on SmartLess, the hosts explored how this early career advice from Sheridan might have been crucial for Lawrence’s development as an actress. They discussed the distinction between “flashy performance acting” and a more “naturalistic” method, which involves immersing oneself into the narrative. This approach, though less overtly recognized, can often lead to a deeper portrayal of characters.

You have a naturalistic style yet you have received significant acclaim…,” they noted to Lawrence during the interview, suggesting, “Do you think your success could be attributed to bypassing traditional acting training?” Lawrence reminisced about Sheridan’s advice to her mother, highlighting it as a fundamental influence on her acting style. See her complete remarks here:

[…] my mom took me to this guy that this agency told me to meet to help me act or whatever. And he told my mom, “Don’t put her in any acting lessons, don’t do that.” That guy, randomly, is Taylor Sheridan. […] Isn’t that crazy? I guess he was an acting teacher or something back in the day.

I love that note, ‘Don’t take her to acting school, she’ll learn how to act.’ What a great piece of advice that was,” was the reaction. This advice proved invaluable as Lawrence went on to win an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook shortly after her rise to global fame with The Hunger Games. She also received additional nominations for her roles in American Hustle and Joy.

Although Lawrence’s career experienced some downturns following the end of The Hunger Games series and her series of Oscar-nominated performances, she has continued to deliver powerful performances in various genres, including in films like Mother!, No Hard Feelings, Don’t Look Up, and Red Sparrow. This year, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love.

Lawrence is also poised to appear alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s What Happens at Night and make a cameo in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Meanwhile, Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise has expanded significantly with several upcoming spinoffs. He is also celebrated for his work on Hell or High Water, Sicario, Wind River, and more.

From their earlier encounter, both Jennifer Lawrence and Taylor Sheridan have emerged as significant creative forces in the entertainment industry. SmartLess, where this revelation was discussed, is hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, and was also nominated for a Golden Globe this year for Best Podcast.