Place the odds ever in your favor with our guide to The Hunger Games cast!
On November 20, the four year journey of The Hunger Games will conclude with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. Suzanne Collins’ original Hunger Games novels debuted in 2008, and the bestselling books quickly became a highly-successful box office franchise in 2012.
While Jennifer Lawrence’s star had been on the rise before the first Hunger Games movie, it was The Hunger Games that firmly established Lawrence as a major player in Hollywood. But Lawrence isn’t the only reason that The Hunger Games movies have struck a chord with moviegoers. The Hunger Games and its three sequels have had impeccable casting. Lawrence has been surrounded by large ensembles that includes veteran performers, two Oscar winners, and a number of young performers who hold the screen very well. Lawrence may be the superstar of this cast, but don’t be too shocked to see a few of her Hunger Games co-stars also climb the Hollywood ladder within the next few years.
Before The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 brings the current iteration of the franchise to an end, ComingSoon.net is throwing our spotlight on the remaining cast members!
The Hunger Games Cast: Jennifer Lawrence
At age 20, Jennifer Lawrence became one of the youngest women ever to be Oscar-nominated for Best Actress for her role in Winter’s Bone. She won the award two years later for Silver Linings Playbook.
Outside of The Hunger Games, Lawrence co-starred as Mystique in X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. But she is still best known for playing Katniss Everdeen in the four Hunger Games movies.
The Hunger Games Cast: Josh Hutcherson
When he was 10, Josh Hutcherson had a very small role in the film adaptation of Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor. Hutcherson went on to star in Zathura and Bridge to Terabithia before landing his own mini franchise: Journey to the Center of the Earth and its sequel Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.
In The Hunger Games, Hutcherson plays Peeta Mellark, a fan-favorite character.
The Hunger Games Cast: Liam Hemsworth
There is a good chance that you may know Liam Hemsworth primarily through his very public romance and breakup with Miley Cyrus. Or perhaps you may have recognized Hemsworth’s older brother, Chris, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor.
Hemsworth hasn’t quite broken out like his older brother yet, but his role as Gale Hawthorn in The Hunger Games has greatly increased his popularity. Hemsworth’s next film will be the long-awaited sequel, Independence Day Resurgence.
The Hunger Games Cast: Donald Sutherland
For The Hunger Games’ primary antagonist, President Snow, Donald Sutherland was chosen to give the role gravitas and a true sense of menace. Sutherland is a screen legend whose career goes back 53 years! Some of Sutherland’s career highlights include The Dirty Dozen, M*A*S*H, Klute, The Eagle Has Landed, Animal House, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Ordinary People, and JFK.
Oh… and his son is Kiefer Sutherland. He’s done alright for himself.
The Hunger Games Cast: Woody Harrelson
Everybody used to know Woody Harrelson’s name from his seven seasons on “Cheers” as Woody Boyd. Then Harrelson graduated into film stardom, including Natural Born Killers, The People vs. Larry Flynt, White Men Can’t Jump, Kingpin, and No Country for Old Men. Harrelson also starred in the first season of HBO’s “True Detective.”
In The Hunger Games series, Harrelson portrays Haymitch Abernathy, a former Victor from District 12 who mentors Katniss and Peeta in the first two films before recruiting Katniss into the rebellion for the final two movies.
The Hunger Games Cast: Elizabeth Banks
As Effie, Elizabeth Banks played the woman who managed the image of Katniss and Peeta in the 74th and 75th annual Hunger Games. And in a break from the book, Effie was recruited for the same job when Katniss became the face of the resistance.
2015 has been a very good year for Banks. Her directorial debut, Pitch Perfect 2 was a smash hit, she co-starred in Magic Mike XXL, and she reprised her role from Wet Hot American Summer on the Netflix-produced prequel series.”Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.” Genre fans may also recall that Banks was Betty Brant the first three Spider-Man movies and the voice of Wyldsyle in The LEGO Movie.
The Hunger Games Cast: Sam Claflin
Sam Claflin‘s Finnick O’Dair is another former Hunger Games Victor, and a surprisingly reliable ally for Katniss and the rebellion.
The Hunger Games isn’t Claflin’s first brush with a franchise. Claflin was the romantic lead of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as Phillip, a missonary who fell in love with a mermaid. Claflin also had a leading role in Snow White and the Huntsman, and he will return for The Huntsman prequel movie next year.
The Hunger Games Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman
The late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s last role was Plutarch Weathersbee in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. Because Hoffman died before filming all of his scenes, Plutarch may have a much smaller role in the final film than was originally intended. Within the world of The Hunger Games, Plutarch was a master of propaganda for President Snow before revealing his true loyalty to the rebellion.
Hoffman won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2006 for the title character in Capote, and portrayed the villain in Mission: Impossible III. Hoffman also had memorable roles in Happiness, The Big Lebowski, Magnolia, and The Talented Mr. Ripley.
The Hunger Games Cast: Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore is certainly not afraid about joining a franchise late in the game. After all, she replaced Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling in Hannibal! Like Hoffman, Moore is also an Oscar winner, as she took home the Best Actress Award for Still Alice earlier this year. Moore’s list of flim credits is ridiculously long, but it includes Boogie Nights, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and The End of the Affair.
In both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Moore plays President Coin, the leader of District 13 and the rebellion itself.
The Hunger Games Cast: Jeffrey Wright
As Dr. Valentin Narcisse on “Boardwalk Empire,” Jeffrey Wright was one of TV’s most fascinating villains. And yet his character in The Hunger Games series, Beetee Latier, couldn’t be a nicer or a more gentle man. Beetee’s technical knowledge has helped District 13 survive in the face of President Snow’s aggression.
Wright is also well known for his roles in Shaft, Casino Royale, Lady in Water, and The Ides of March.
The Hunger Games Cast: Jena Malone
Is Jenna Malone the new Batgirl? One of the rumors coming out of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is that Malone will play Barbara Gordon. That is far from confirmed, but she would be a good choice for the role. Malone has already proven she can handle action as Johanna in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and she’ll be back in action for Mockingjay – Part 2.
Malone has also starred in Saved, Inherent Vice, Sucker Punch, and the upcoming horror film, The Neon Demon.
The Hunger Games Cast: Willow Shields
When she was 12 years old, Willow Shields was cast as Primrose Everdeen, Katniss’ sister in the first Hunger Games. Shields returned for every movie in the series, including Mockingjay – Part 2.
Outside of The Hunger Games, Shields has guest starred in “In Plain Sight” and “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour” in addition to co-starring in The Wonder and A Fall from Grace.
The Hunger Games Cast: Stanley Tucci
As Caesar Flickerman, Stanley Tucci is the smiling face of President Snow’s propaganda machine in The Hunger Games. It remains to be seen if he will face justice in the final movie.
Tucci is also an accomplished actor, writer, and director. His most recent films include Captain America: The First Avenger, Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Fifth Estate, Jack The Giant Slayer, Easy A, and The Lovely Bones.
The Hunger Games Cast: Natalie Dormer
All hail the queen of the seven kingdoms… if she ever escapes from her imprisonment! Natalie Dormer has turned a lot of heads as Margaery Tyrell on HBO’s Game of Thrones, Anne Boleyn on “The Tudors,” and Irene Adler on “Elementary.”
In both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Dormer plays Cressida, the director of the camera crew sent to follow Katniss into action and create pro-resistance propaganda from the field of battle.
