Star reveals her new film for director David O Russell could signal a departure, because ‘people give him crap about me being too young for his parts’

Jennifer Lawrence is set to play Robert De Niro’s mother in a new film directed by David O Russell, she has revealed.

Speaking during an appearance on the Live! With Kelly and Michael US talk show, Lawrence said: “David is making something right now and the plan, so far, is for me to play Bob De Niro’s mother ... I think that the more people give him crap about me being too young for his parts, he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, watch this’ – so we’ll see.”

The actor gave no further details on the film, but it’s possible she is referring to Russell’s proposed biopic of Buddy Cianci, the politician and former mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, who served five years in jail after being convicted of racketeering in 2002. De Niro is one of the producers of the Cianci film, along with his business partner Jane Rosenthal.

If the film happens, it would mark Lawrence’s fourth collaboration with De Niro, after Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle and the forthcoming Joy – all of which have Russell as director. In the last of these, De Niro plays Lawrence’s father.