Here's Why Jennifer Lawrence Was 'Immediately Rejected' for The Role of Bella Swan Role in 'Twilight'

Editor's note: This article was originally published on July 24, 2023. It has since been updated.

Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence has carved an enviable career graph in Hollywood with noteworthy performances in big-budget films including Mother, Silver Linings Playbook, X-Men, and the Hunger Games franchise. However, recently the Red Sparrow actress revealed that she was "immediately rejected for the role of Bella Swan in Twilight." 

As per the Hollywood Reporter, Lawrence made the big revelation while appearing on The Rewatchables podcast with Bill Simmons, she alleged that she "didn’t even get a callback" for the role, which eventually went to Kristen Stewart. “I auditioned for ‘Twilight,'” the Joy actress confirmed, “They turned me down immediately. I didn’t even get a callback. But my life would’ve been totally different. I got ‘Hunger Games,’ I think, like, a year later. It was probably after ‘Winter’s Bone.'”

Variety reports that the Twilight franchise launched in 2008, making it a $3.3 billion commercial success worldwide, and it turned Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner into overnight teen sensations. Lawrence explained to the podcast host that she was terrified of 'instant fandom' and the paparazzi culture that followed Twilight's success.

She was worried that if she debuted with another franchise, The Hunger Games, then eventually she would be subjected to the same treatment. "I was still in a franchise, so I was still trying to counteract the franchise-ness," Lawrence said. "I’d still be doing that if I was in ‘Twilight.’ But I almost didn’t do ‘Hunger Games’ because ‘Twilight’ had come out and that fandom had happened." She continued - "It was so hard to explain to people. It was like I don’t think you understand this level of fame … I just assumed it was gonna be like Twilight, like the Twilight-level Fame, and that was just never something I had in mind."

"I assumed it was going to be the ‘Twilight’ level of fame and that was never something I had in mind. I never wanted to be the most famous person on the planet. That’s a very different life than I pictured for me," the Serena actress stated. 

Jennifer initially wanted to be a part of only 'indie projects' to make her mark in Hollywood - “I wanted to do indies, and I wanted to do good films, but I didn’t want to be the most famous person on the planet,” she said, adding that she would have been “miserable” if she had landed Twilight. “That’s a very different life than what I had pictured for myself.”

Lawrence starred as fiery Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games franchise, the film series grossed over US$2.97 billion worldwide, catapulting Lawrence into the worldwide spotlight almost overnight. Reportedly, Lionsgate is all set to add more to The Hunger Games franchise later this year with the prequel movie The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Lawrence recently told Variety that she is open about returning to the franchise as Katniss - “Oh, my God – totally!” Lawrence said when asked about a “Hunger Games” return. “If Katniss ever could ever come back into my life, 100 percent.”