Jennifer Lawrence's Big Break Was As A Mascot On "Monk" | CONAN on TBS

Early in your career, you did some television. I did. You did a Monk, an episode of Monk. That must have been exciting for you. That's a cool show. It was really exciting, but it also is tied to like the most humiliating thing in my entire life. When I was younger, we went to church every Sunday when we first moved to LA, because my parents were like, meet some friends. They just had no idea what I would do with that opportunity of friendship. When I, when there was some announce, like some girl was like, so for the Monk episode, there was Emily J and Emily C. I thought I was going to be playing Emily C. So this one girl that's in the church goes, I'm going to be playing Emily J in Monk. And I was like, oh my God, I'm going to be playing Emily C. This is great. And so everybody's like, oh, we can't wait to watch it. Find out I'm not playing that part. I am the mascot. And so everybody watched it after I just told them that I was like going to have this great, huge part. And I was just the mascot. We actually- I've never been back to church since. Yeah, you took the right lesson away. We found the clip of you on Monk. You're now nominated for an Academy Award. Let's see some of this fine work that you did. You're giving it your all. You are really- Yeah, I really went for it. Yeah. I just imagine all your friends tuning in. You're like, that was me. That was me. I really thought I was even lying about being the mascot. No, no, you can tell, you can tell that's you. It's so you. Silver Linings Playbook. I loved this film as everyone has, but you are so terrific in the movie and fearless, just absolutely fearless. And I told you backstage this, I talked about you after seeing the movie, I talked about you for, I think about four days until my wife said, I think that's enough. Yeah. But really such a brilliant performance. You took your parents to see the movie in Toronto. Is that right? I did, yeah. And I saw, I'm sorry, dad, God. What did you do? You embarrassed your dad? Yeah, and I'm about to do it again because that's my favorite thing to do. But I, so we finished the movie and then we were outside and then my dad walked out and he was crying. It was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. And instead of taking that moment in, I screamed at the top of my lungs, dad, you're crying. And everybody turned to look at him, but I swear it was because it was, it wasn't, it had nothing to do with my performance. It's because at this monologue with Robert De Niro, afterwards I pop a Budweiser and I think that that's what did it. I know, I know my father and I know I was watching that moment. I was like, he's crying. Why would that make him cry? It's the king of beers. That's just like our, it's our beer. And I think, I remember that being on the set, I was like, God, I can't wait for my dad to see me drink a Budweiser, he's gonna cry. And he did. That's true, you give this long great speech and then Budweiser and down and your dad just loses it. And my dad lost his, he got so emotional. They have to be so crazy proud though. Thank you, yeah. They're mostly proud of my taste in beer. You're gonna get some free Budweiser now. Yeah, you will. You hear that dad? Yeah. Somewhere up there. Andy and I would like our cut. We have a clip here from Silver Linings Playbook and I think this is a kind of a, this is a very emotional, confrontational scene that you have, is that right? Yes. The scene that we're about to look at? That's most of my scenes in this movie. Yeah, do you know which scene this is or you have no idea? I, is it outside the movie theater? This is when you steal a helicopter. I made that up. This is the thing with the bananas, right? No, this is outside the movie theater. Okay, yes. That is highly emotional. Yeah, highly emotional. Are you ready? Yes, I'm ready. Are you ready? Let's take a look at this clip from Silver Linings Playbook. You may not have experienced the shit that I did, but you loved hearing about it, didn't you? You are afraid to be alive. You are afraid to live. You're a hypocrite. You're a conformist. You're a liar. I opened up to you and you judged me. You're an asshole. You are an asshole. Calm down. Get off me. Get off. You're harassing me. He's harassing me. Calm down. You got yourself or you can do it? It's like, I annoy myself. You annoy yourself? It's not like a weird, like acting thing. I just like, I'm just like, ugh, God. Well, no one else feels that way. Let me assure you. And I, I never, I'm always real polite and neutral about when it comes to the Oscars and we have guests on, but man, am I rooting for you. I just think you're just, I think you're the best. I think you're phenomenal. Yes. And I have a lot of pride in this town. I really do.