Within the stretch of a month, 20-year-old actress Jennifer Lawrence hit this year's Oscars as a best-actress nominee and landed one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood. In "The Hunger Games," an adaptation of the hit novel about a post-America gladiatorial competition, she'll be a heroine archer—and the linchpin in the filmmakers' efforts to build a franchise on the scale of "Twilight."

Jennifer Lawrence, 20, worries when she is starting a new movie: 'Are they going to like me? Am I going to have any friends?' Associated Press

All this stemmed from a raw, low-budget picture, last year's "Winter's Bone," led by Ms. Lawrence as a stoic teen seeking her father in a menacing world of Ozark drug dealers. Now, Ms. Lawrence is appearing in the superhero ensemble "X-Men: First Class," opening next week. Her character's mutant ability to mimic anybody's appearance highlights a painful self-consciousness about her scaly blue skin and yellow eyes.

As Ms. Lawrence's profile spikes, she, too, worries about public perception and superficiality. She started pursuing a show business career at age 14, when she left home in Louisville, Ky., after being photographed by a talent scout on a New York street. Last week, on the day she left for North Carolina to begin shooting "Hunger Games," she spoke about growing up, hating school, getting discovered and having doubts.

The Wall Street Journal: Your "X-Men" role is your first in a costume that transformed your appearance. Did it feel different to act that way?

Ms. Lawrence: The acting is the same but I had to be conscious of my face. I never have before, which I always regret when I'm watching a movie because when I smile you see how huge my cheeks are. But when you're in this makeup, your teeth are fluorescent and if you lift your cheeks too high, your scales go into your eyes. For a time they had me wearing these contacts that were dreadful. They were like eggshells. I could barely see and it seemed like a wall between me and the camera. I admire these actresses who look so beautiful all the time. Naomi Watts. When she cries she still looks gorgeous. When I cry I look like a platypus.

How does a movie like this fit into your career plans?

I'm saying this genuinely loving the movie and everyone involved: It fits into my career like the Esquire photo shoot did, where it's a good business decision and it gives me more international appeal. With that I have more of a chance to do more movies that I love.

Everyone loves the idea of a young Hollywood star getting "discovered." Did that actually launch your career?

My mom and I were watching street dancing and some guy asked if he could take my picture. That picture got around to all these acting and modeling agencies, and when we went home to Kentucky I begged my parents every single day to let me try it.

You were on track to be a model?

The head of a modeling agency told me I had to choose between being a starving actress or a supermodel. I actually thought it was a real question. I didn't realize she was being sarcastic and I answered "starving actress."

Looking back it might seem like an obvious decision, but it must have been a very stressful situation for your family.

My two brothers said, "Mom went to all our baseball and football games and traveled all around the country for us. She would do it for us if it were sports. This is Jen's sport."

You finished middle school but got your GED on your own. Do you ever imagine what high school would have been like?

I wouldn't have been happy there. My mom always said that school changed me. I went from this happy kid to having anxiety problems. I used to get these crazy cramps. Everybody else could understand what was on the chalkboard but I felt so stupid the entire time I was in school.

Did you perform back then?

No. I was an obsessive reader. I didn't realize until later that it was a love of storytelling that made me love making films. I used to take my mom's Judy Blume books. I loved Philippa Gregory. I loved "To Kill a Mockingbird."

When you were offered the "Hunger Games" lead, did you feel like you were facing a fork in the road?

I got a taste of fame from the Oscars and I didn't like it. That's a terrible thing to say because it's such a tremendous honor. But I went from being normal Jennifer to being at these parties where I couldn't just be the girl making dumb jokes in the corner. Everybody's treating me differently and talking to me differently and I know that they're lying and that they're sucking up to me. It was a very bizarre time to be presented [with a part] that could make me arguably the most famous person my age a year from now. I remember sitting in a coffee shop in London thinking, if I say yes to this job, next year at this time people will be here taking pictures of me with their phones. And I couldn't find a bright side in it. But I didn't want to say no to a script that I loved because I was scared.

The movie is about to start shooting. Do you get first-day jitters?

The acting I'm cool with, but starting a movie is so scary. Are they going to like me? Am I going to have friends? Is the director going to be mean? They'll all go to dinner and they're not going to invite me. And it's like that every single time. A friend told me to get one of my best friends to be my personal assistant, which was brilliant advice. It's a constant and she reminds me of home.

You were in "The Beaver," directed by Jodie Foster, who grew up in the spotlight. Did you get any advice from her?

Everything I learned from her was from watching her. She's the only person who I've seen who's just so normal. Every time I look at her I say a silent prayer, "Let me end up that way." I'm not worried about being nice. I want to be more than nice: I want to be normal.

What kind of actress do you want to be?

Being an actress is such a tiny part of what I want to be. I want to make films, like the Coen Brothers or Adam McKay, and I want to be an actress like Meryl Streep and I want to be a mom like mine and drive a minivan.

Write to John Jurgensen at john.jurgensen@wsj.com