She’s been nominated for an Oscar, played Mystique in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and tomorrow Jennifer Lawrence is stepping into the part of Katniss when THE HUNGER GAMES hits theaters! The actress recently chatted with us about her new role:
How excited are you for people to see the movie?
Very excited. After all the hard work and stress, I can’t wait to see the reaction.
There was a lot of buzz surrounding the casting, especially for the role of Katniss…
I didn’t hear any. I don’t do the Internet or anything like that. So, I didn’t actually know that people were mad that I was blonde or any of that stuff until interviews, and by then, I had already dyed my hair brown.
How did you prepare for the movie?
It was a lot of physical training. Free running, track running, combat, stunt training.
How important was it to put your mark on the role vs. being faithful to the portrayal in the book?
I just did my interpretation of Katniss in the book, which could be different from other people’s, but it wasn’t my own idea and it wasn’t completely based off the book. It was just kind of my idea.
What were some of the challenges involved in this shoot?
We were shooting outside and we were shooting in the forests of North Carolina. Weather was a huge factor. There were a lot of rain days, and the heat, and I didn’t even know that there could even be 100% humidity without rain.
How was working with Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson?
Wonderful. They were fantastic. They’re hilarious and very talented and nice and great guys. Any scene with Josh or Liam was fun because you got to hang out with your bud all day.
What is it about the story that appeals to readers and hopefully moviegoers?
I think it just does in a lot of ways. It’s this story of this girl, Katniss, who’s kind of forced into being this heroine and she’s kind of a symbol for freedom and revolt, but at the same time it’s pointing a finger at society and humanity. As a society, we’re just kind of numbing ourselves.… We’re watching death on reality television and we’re watching people’s lives being destroyed and we’re watching it as entertainment.
Will the movie be as dark as the book?
Yeah, absolutely. The violence is what makes the movie so heartbreaking. We needed it. I was afraid that they would try to tone down the violence, but that would just tone down the entire plot of the story. And it’s a very sad idea that these children are being forced into such violence. Whatever you got from the book is going to be expressed the same way in the movie.
Thank you, Jennifer Lawrence! For more on THE HUNGER GAMES click here or pick up our latest issue of The Magazine!
Images courtesy of LIONSGATE