Decades before Lawrence starred in ‘Hunger Games,’ the Blaxploitation star broke ground by fronting a series of action movies about fighting female protagonists.
In the media firestorm that Jennifer Lawrence ignited this week, referring to herself as Hollywood’s first female action star for starring in the “Hunger Games” franchise, she and some of the people jumping on Twitter to correct her forgot about the woman who arguably deserves that distinction: pioneering Black actor Pam Grier.
Known as the “Queen of Blaxploitation,” Grier broke ground in Hollywood by fronting a series of low-budget action movies in the early 1970s, such as “Foxy Brown,” “Coffy” and “Friday Foster.” Now 73, she’s credited with redefining how women, especially historically marginalized Black women, were seen in popular culture.
But elsewhere in the mainstream discourse, Grier’s action legacy appears to have been forgotten, as evidenced by Lawrence talking up the importance of her participation in “The Hunger Games” franchise in a conversation with Viola Davis forJennifer Lawrence stars as ‘Katniss Everdeen’ in THE HUNGER GAMES.By Murray Close, Lionsgate Murray Close/Lionsgate
Maybe it’s “recency bias” or something more insidious, but people commenting on Lawrence’s remarks also overlooked Grier when they offered up examples of female stars who preceded Lawrence in the action realm. Most people named White women who starred in mainstream studio fare, notably Sigourney Weaver, for playing Ellen Ripley in the “Alien” franchise, starting in 1979; Linda Hamilton for “The Terminator” movies; and Angelina Jolie in the “Tomb Raider” movies in the 2000s.
Jennifer Lawrence: "I remember when I was doing Hunger Games, nobody had ever put a woman as the lead in an action movie, because it wouldn't work."
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