There are many great reasons to love America’s sweetheart Jennifer Lawrence. Not only is she an Academy Award-winning talent and a hilarious interview guest, but she’s also not afraid to give it her all for a performance. In the raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings the actress has one of the most awkward nude scenes, leaving many viewers wondering whether she used a body double during filming. The answer is: No. She did not. No substitutes, no stand-ins. It's all Jennifer, all the time, and she has opened up about the experience of baring it all for the NSFW scene.
In the edgy sex comedy, the American Hustle performer stars as Maddie Barker, an unfortunate Uber driver who agrees to date the socially awkward son of a wealthy couple in exchange for a brand-new set of wheels. As their (what some might say) "icky" arrangement (which the cast has responded to) unfolds, it leads to a memorable skinny-dipping escapade and an unforgettable, not-safe-for-work showdown on a nude beach, one that can be viewed with a Netflix subscription. Let's break down what the actress has said about the scene when the movie hit the release schedule.
Did Jennifer Lawrence Really Film Nude For No Hard Feelings?
It can be a big decision to bare oneself so fully onscreen. Stars like Emilia Clarke have expressed regrets about filming nude in the past, and it's certainly something actresses factor in before signing on the dotted line. It's a choice Lawrence revealed -- despite the curiosity from those around her -- that she didn't hesitate for a moment to embrace the scene. She shared with Variety:
Everyone in my life and my team is doing the right thing and going, ‘Are you sure? Are you sure? Are you sure?’ I didn’t even have a second thought. It was hilarious to me.
It probably helped that the nudity in No Hard Feelings is played for comedy and not meant to be seriously sexy. In fact, Lawrence's younger co-star Andrew Barth Feldman noted the movie always felt completely "safe" while filming, given the nature of any scenes involving the human body. He said in the same interview, "Every situation that these characters end up in, you’re laughing your butt off," making it easier to see why the actress and the rest of the cast were so comfortable putting themselves out there in that way.
In fact, though, Jennifer Lawrence's choice to embrace her natural self on screen is not all that surprising. The move comes years after she opened up about understanding "the two sides of this job" as an actor: the business and the artistic, and noting that she makes choices to serve both.
Jennifer Lawrence Was Nude Onscreen Prior To No Hard Feelings
No Hard Feelings was not the first time the actress agreed to appear sans clothing onscreen. She had previously bared it all in Red Sparrow, marking her first full-frontal nude scene. In an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she openly shared her experience with nudity, emphasizing the sense of liberation she felt. When asked in 2018 why she decided to do nudity despite prior statements, the actress responded in the most JLaw way during her conversation with the former daytime talk show host.
Finally, just got hot, you know? [laughing] No, it was really an amazing script and story to me. I loved the character, and I just didn't want to miss out on it because of, like, my weird insecurities. So I did it. And on that day, it was really lovely.
Jennifer's humorous candor regarding her choice to do nude scenes in both Red Sparrow and No Hard Feelings showcases her confidence and fearlessness as an actress. It reminds us that actors, as artists, often need to venture beyond their comfort zones to portray characters authentically. Sometimes, the work calls for actors to engage in a beach brawl while in their birthday suits and then eat grilled cheese in between takes.
No Hard Feelings is available to stream on Netflix now. If you're a fan of the talented actress, be sure to explore our feature on the best Jennifer Lawrence movies and have a laugh at her hilarious appearance on First We Feasts’ Hot Ones, which apparently made her vomit violently. She's clearly one actress who is comfortable just being herself.
