Jennifer Lawrence: Decision to take on "The Hunger Games" role was "terrifying"

(CBS) Jennifer Lawrence plays a young woman who must battle to the death in the upcoming big-screen adaptation of "The Hunger Games," but the actress says signing on the role was a scary prospect in itself.

The Oscar nominee told The Hollywood Reporter that the decision to play heroine Katniss Everdeen was "terrifying."

Pictures: Jennifer Lawrence
Pictures: "The Hunger Games" cast
Pictures: "The Hunger Games" character posters

Director Gary Ross considered many people for the role including Hailee Steinfeld, Shailene Woodley and Abigail Breslin, but he told THR he never felt like he had the right person.

Lawrence, who rose to fame after her Academy Award nomination for the indie "Winter's Bone," hesitated in making her decision to sign on for the big-budget franchise.

"It was the middle of the night in England, and I was in bed when I got the call," she told THR about being offered the role. "And I was so in love with the books and the script, and suddenly it was right in my face - and the size of the decision was terrifying."

Ultimately, it was the 21-year-old actress' mother who helped her make her final decision after three days of thinking it over.

"I called my mom and she called me a hypocrite, because when I was doing indie movies and everyone was asking why I didn't do studio movies, I said, 'The size of the movies doesn't matter.' And she said, 'Here's a movie you love and you were thinking of turning it down because of its size.' I thought, 'I don't want to miss out because I'm scared,'" Lawrence recalled.

"The Hunger Games" opens March 23 on more than 4,000 screens across the country.