Jennifer Lawrence’s co-star in the new film, “No Hard Feelings,” took a leave of absence from Harvard to take on the role.
When 21-year-old Andrew Barth Feldman first auditioned for the raunchy comedy, he was a perfect fit for the part, Lawrence said Tuesday at the film’s premiere in New York City.
“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?’” the Oscar-winning actress told Entertainment Tonight.
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A Harvard spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that Feldman completed the Fall 2021 semester at Harvard before taking a leave of absence. He had yet to declare a concentration.
“No Hard Feelings,” which is in theaters Friday, follows a desperate woman working as an Uber driver who responds to a Craigslist ad from two parents who want someone to date their awkward, college-bound son, played by Feldman.
When Feldman was cast, it was Lawrence who broke the news to him, according to ET.
“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,’” Lawrence said. “He’s gonna have to defer, or whatever college school words are.”
Feldman has also appeared in “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway and in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
The opportunity to star in the film beside Lawrence was too good to pass up, Feldman told ET. But he still plans on returning to the university.
“Harvard is still there. I can go back, but this movie was once in a lifetime,” Feldman said. “This is an industry I care so much about. This is a movie I care so much about, and from [Lawrence], I learned how to be kind and do all of this.”
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Kate Armanini can be reached at kate.armanini@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @KateArmanini.