Angelina Jolie Wanted Jennifer Lawrence’s ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ Role

Filmmaker David O. Russell said that, before Jennifer Lawrence was cast as the leading lady in the hit comedy drama Silver Linings Playbook, high-profile actress Angelina Jolie lobbied for the part.

Jennifer Lawrence has received rave reviews and Oscar-buzz for her role as promiscuous Tiffany in the film, but Russell says that, before her audition, he considered her “too young” for the role and was keen on giving it to other interested “major actresses” including Jolie.

Russell explained to TheWrap:

“Quite frankly, (Lawrence’s audition) was like a formality. I didn’t think she was really a contender. We had three very serious contenders (already). We had a lot of major actresses in town interested in the role, from Angelina Jolie to some other big stars, because it’s a dimensional role for a young woman. Jennifer, we frankly thought, was too young.”

Lawrence ultimately won the role through a Skype audition, and Bradley Cooper was cast opposite the young Hunger Games actress as her leading man. Cooper himself was also facing huge competition, and Russell admitted that both parts were originally intended for another celebrity duo.

“I wrote it with Vince (Vaughn) and Zooey (Deschanel) in mind, because I love Vince’s cadences … And then Mark Wahlberg — who I love and made three movies with — there was a moment where he was going to do it. That didn’t work out … and it was out of my hands … I originally wrote it for other people. But as Matt Damon very graciously said to me about the Christian Bale role in The Fighter — which he was originally intended to play — ‘It just goes to show, the right people play the right role at the right time.'”

Did you see Silver Linings Playbook? Do you think that Angelina Jolie could have played Tiffany, or can you not see anyone but Lawrence in the role?