Entertainment

Will Jennifer Lawrence Be at the Oscars?

by Kadeen Griffiths

I don't know if you guys have noticed, but Jennifer Lawrence has been keeping it super low-key lately. Between switching from a high-profile relationship with Nicholas Hoult to a more private, possibly imaginary relationship with Chris Martin, skipping out on the 2015 Golden Globes and corresponding After-Parties, and slowing down on the interview front, Lawrence has been squeezing further and further out of the public eye — in stark contrast to the girl who was the Photobomb Queen of the 2014 Awards Season. In light of all of that, the question now becomes clear: is Lawrence going to be at the 2015 Oscars? And what are we supposed to do for meme-worthy gold if she isn't?

It's already looking unlikely that Lawrence is going to be in attendance at the Oscars. After all, we weren't expecting her to sit out the Golden Globes and her film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, received a nod then, too, for Best Original Song. Lawrence might have a stake in the Oscars, if X-Men: Days of Future Past receiving a nomination for Best Visual Effects counts for her, and she might have repeated co-star Bradley Cooper going up for Best Picture (American Sniper) and Best Actor, but, hey. She could have better things to do on February 22nd. And the Oscars are, like, notoriously boring.

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Of course, it's really difficult for me to imagine exactly how boring the Oscars are going to be this year if Lawrence doesn't decide to make an appearance. Sure, it's helped by the fact that the ever-amazing Neil Patrick Harris will be doing the hosting, but there are only so many magic tricks he can do that will distract me from the fact that Lawrence isn't there sneaking a whole pizza into the ceremony in her purse. Or tripping on her way up the stairs. Or photobombing Taylor Swift. Or getting Dorito dust on her expensive dress. Or talking about being so excited that she can't stop peeing. I mean, these are all classic J. Law staples that we missed out on from the Golden Globes. Am I really expected to suffer the same fate at the Oscars?

At the very least, there are some actors and actresses that we know for a fact have to be going to the ceremony — whether because they're nominated or because they're regulars at award shows and unlikely to skip one so prestigious. Who has the comedic chops to fill the shoes of the great J. Law in case she decides she doesn't feel like putting pants on that day? Well, the list is pretty short, to be honest.

1. Emma Stone

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Emma Stone is the obvious choice to take over the mantel from Lawrence at the Oscars. First of all, she'll be there thanks to her nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Birdman, but, second of all, I'm partially convinced that Stone and Lawrence are the same person. Or, at the very least, that they should be best friends and do a movie together á la Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. And, let's be real, Stone is hilarious on screen and in life.

2. Anna Kendrick

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The other obvious choice to take over for J. Law at the Oscars is Anna Kendrick. She's likely to be there with the rest of the Into the Woods cast and, if you have any doubt that Kendrick is a hilarious dork of a person, take a trip over to her Twitter and eat your words. Considering the actress just made headlines for how she'll have to avoid Ryan Gosling after an infamously sexual tweet she made about him, she's already winning at the red carpet game. Sorry, Benedict Cumberbatch.

3. Damon Wayans Jr.

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Damon Wayans Jr. is part of the voice acting cast of Big Hero 6, and, as anyone who has ever seen New Girl, Happy Endings, or Let's Be Cops can tell you, the man is comedic gold. All of the Wayans brothers are, really, but what would help Damon stand out more in his family of directors, actors, screenwriters, and comedians than becoming the new J. Law?

4. Jonah Hill

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Jonah Hill lent his vocal acting talent to Snoutlout Jorgenson in How to Train Your Dragon 2, and he can lend his comedic talents to the red carpet at the Oscars pretty easily. After all, he doesn't need Channing Tatum to be as funny as he was in 21 Jump Street. (Although it might take both him and Tatum to fill J. Law's shoes if she skips the Oscars this year.)

5. The Lonely Island

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The Lonely Island is nominated for Best Original Song thanks to "Everything Is Awesome" from The Lego Movie (which was otherwise robbed, by the way). And, quite honestly, I don't think I need to explain why The Lonely Island could steal the show so well that we might all forget Lawrence isn't present.

6. Anne Hathaway

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Anne Hathaway might have lost public favor thanks to her antics at the Oscars, but that's all the more reason for her to use this year to redeem herself. She isn't nominated for anything, but, considering she's giving Neil Patrick Harris advice on what not to do at the Oscars, surely that means she's going to go? Hathaway is both mature and genuinely funny; I'd love to see her endear herself to the last of her Hathahaters this year.

7. Neil Patrick Harris

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I mean, he'll already be on the stage stealing the show by virtue of being NPH. If there's anyone who can be both NPH and J. Law, it's, well, NPH.

Image: Getty Images