Imagine being in a situation where you had to choose between attending an Ivy League school or starring in a movie with Jennifer Lawrence. You really are between a rock and a hard place, like the expression goes. Andrew Barth Feldman, who co-starred with the Oscar winner in the R-rated raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings, had to choose between taking part in this movie or continuing his studies at Harvard. And Lawrence had her own way of helping him make a decision.
Jennifer Lawrence can sell people on just about any project she does. So it shouldn’t come as too much of a shock that she was able to do the same when it came to Andrew Barth Feldman. ET spoke to the 32-year-old actress at the New York Premiere of their new movie about how she helped Feldman decide. Apparently, the witty star used placed an A+ phone call to sink Feldman, who she thought was perfect for the role of Percy:
I mean, when Andrew left his audition, the door closed and we all looked at each other and we were like, 'That's our -- that's Percy,' and then they were like there's one complication, he's supposed to go to Harvard, and we were like, 'Is that a joke?' He was fully the character, so I called him and said, 'Andrew, I have really bad news you're not gonna be able to finish your semester at Harvard,' He's gonna have to defer, or whatever college school words are.
That's a big swing, but she was successful in getting the up-and-coming actor to join the cast of No Hard Feelings. This movie was, after all, the chance of a lifetime for him. Plus, how can you say no to sharing screen time with Jennifer Lawrence? Kudos to the actress for humorously being willing to go the extra mile to land her co-star.
Andrew Barth Feldman has steadily been making a name for himself in the entertainment industry. He appeared in the Rachael Leigh Cook rom-com A Tourist’s Guide to Love (which can be accessed with a Netflix subscription). He also played the titular role in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen and appeared on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. So while school is important, it's hard to deny the notion that Feldman also has a blossoming career to attend to.
It’s amazing how art can imitate life in that Andrew Barth Feldman attended Harvard, while his character in the movie got accepted into Princeton. The comedy's (polarizing) premise involves two parents, who want to get their teenage son (Feldman) out of his shell and into the dating pool. With that, decide to post a Craig’s List ad for a woman to “date” their son and find a struggling young woman (Jennifer Lawrence), who's willing to take on the gig. If you can believe it, the film’s plot was inspired by a similar Craig’s List ad that the movie's director, Gene Stupnitsky, found.
Per ET, there were a few things that the 21-year-old actor gleaned from Jennifer Lawrence while on set. Not only did he learn from how to keep a good head on his shoulders while in the public eye but also how to be a person and friend first before a performer. So it sounds like the young man still managed to get an "education" of sorts amid production. I'm sure he appreciated that and the fact that Lawrence was willing to go to humorous lengths to get him to sign on.
No Hard Feelings is now playing in theaters and, to learn about other major films releasing this year, check out CinemaBlend's schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
