Claim: Jennifer Lawrence has been the highest-paid actress in the world.

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence -LRB- born August 15 , 1990 -RRB- is an American actress . Since 2015 , Lawrence has been the highest-paid actress in the world , and her films have grossed over $ 5.5 billion worldwide . She appeared in Time 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 and Forbes Celebrity 100 the following year and in 2016 .   During her childhood , Lawrence performed in church plays and school musicals . When she was 14 , a talent scout spotted her in New York . She then moved to Los Angeles and began her acting career by playing guest roles in television shows . Her first major role came as a main cast member on the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show -LRB- 2007 -- 2009 -RRB- . Lawrence made her film debut with a supporting role in Garden Party -LRB- 2008 -RRB- , and had her breakthrough playing a poverty-stricken teenager in the independent drama Winter 's Bone -LRB- 2010 -RRB- . She achieved wider recognition for playing the mutant Mystique in X-Men : First Class -LRB- 2011 -RRB- , a role she reprised in later installments of the series .   Lawrence 's fame continued to grow with her starring role as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games film series -LRB- 2012 -- 2015 -RRB- , which established her as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time . She went on to earn various accolades from her collaborations with director David O. Russell . Her performance as a depressed widow in the romance film Silver Linings Playbook -LRB- 2012 -RRB- received an Academy Award for Best Actress , making her the second youngest Best Actress Oscar winner . Lawrence subsequently won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing a troubled wife in the black comedy American Hustle -LRB- 2013 -RRB- . She also received Golden Globe Awards for her roles in both of these films and for playing the eponymous inventor in the biopic Joy -LRB- 2015 -RRB- .   Lawrence is known in the media for being a vocal advocate of feminism and gender equality , and is the founder of the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation through which she supports various charitable organizations .