Interview: Josh Hutcherson on Doing His Own Stunts for 'The Hunger Games'
Josh Hutcherson is no stranger to big-screen adaptations of young adult novels. He's starred in "Bridge to Terabithia," "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant," and "The Polar Express." He most recently appeared in "Journey 2: The Mysterious island."
However, none of these films could prepare Hutcherson for the popularity he has gained by joining the cast of "The Hunger Games" as Peeta. I had a chance to talk with the young star when he was in Dallas, Texas, for "The Hunger Games Mall Tour."
Can you describe the difference between making a movie like "The Hunger Games" and making one like "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island"?
I'm running through a jungle trying to survive in "Journey 2." I'm running through a forest trying to survive in "The Hunger Games." They have parallels in that sense. They're extremely different other than that. I think the Rock is much more beautiful than Jennifer Lawrence, to start [Laughing].
It was a great experience shooting. Those were so different. We shot "Journey 2" in Hawaii. That was amazing. The location was beautiful. The cast was fun and we had a great time shooting that movie. It was definitely lighter-hearted, so it was easier to have a fun atmosphere onset.
[For "Hunger Games"] we had a fun atmosphere onset. At the same time we had to jump back and forth between the fun and the seriousness. Both had their elements that were similar, but they were extremely different.
Did you do your own stunts for "The Hunger Games"?
I actually got to do 100 percent of my stunts in this. It was great because I love doing stunts. A lot of times the producers freak out and won't let you due to liabilities. I understand.
Did you get hurt doing any of the stunts?
Actually, my biggest injury was not doing a stunt. It was Jennifer Lawrence. She decided she wanted to show me she could kick over the top of my head. I said there's no way. She tried to and kicked me in the side of the head. She gave me a real concussion. She felt so bad. She was crying and said, "You can kick me in the head if you want to. I'm so sorry." I was like, "I'm not going to kick you in the head. It's fine." That was my biggest injury.
Was there any scene you were looking forward to bringing to the big screen?
I love the cave scene between Peeta and Katniss. I was like "There's some great acting in that scene. I'm ready to do that." [I was thinking that] selfishly when I was reading it. You see Peeta tell Katniss to her face how he feels and why he feels that way. [It] happens in that scene. They have that big transition where she can learn to trust him, their relationship can become something, and they kiss. I was excited about that. [It was great] to read it and then see it realized in person.
Was there any scene you dreaded having to do?
Not really. I love the story so much. I really like everywhere it goes. There was nothing I was worried about or I didn't want to shoot. I was pretty much onboard the entire time.
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Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo! , DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Kenneth Branagh, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.
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