'The Hunger Games' was first female action lead in Hollywood, claims Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence claimed that before The Hunger Games, there was no female lead in an action movie.

During a conversation with Viola Davis for Variety, the Oscar winner said, "When I was doing Hunger Games, nobody had ever put a woman in the lead of an action movie because it wouldn't work, we were told," adding, the idea that boys can't identify with female leads was "a lie to keep certain people out of the movies."

However, critics pointed out many instances where female stars led action films, including Linda Hamilton in The Terminator, Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, and Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, among others.

Jennifer Lawrence starred in The Hunger Games, based on Suzanne Collins, and has garnered rave reviews for the actor's portrayal in the film.