Maya Hawke says original 'Hunger Games' film inspired her to become an actor
Los Angeles, July 11
Actress Maya Hawke has said the original 'The Hunger Games' film inspired her to pursue acting, calling her role in the upcoming prequel 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' a full-circle moment, according to People.
Speaking to People in an interview, Hawke said Jennifer Lawrence's performance as Katniss Everdeen in the original films had a lasting impact on her.
"I credit the original Hunger Games movie a lot with inspiring me to want to be an actor, honestly," Hawke said.
Explaining why Lawrence's work stood out to her, Hawke said, "It's so hard to give a good performance in a big action movie, because so many pieces in the machine are usually working against the capacity to give a good performance."
"In those movies, she gave a performance so singularly excellent and weird, and she painted a true individual that was not at all neutralized by the genre," she added, according to People.
Based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling novels, The Hunger Games franchise follows the story of Panem, a dystopian nation where children from 12 districts are forced to compete in a televised fight to the death. The original film series starred Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Stanley Tucci, Sam Claflin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright and Lenny Kravitz.
After the success of the original trilogy and its film adaptations, Collins expanded the franchise with the prequel novels The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping. While The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was adapted into a film starring Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth and Hunter Schafer, Sunrise on the Reaping is set later in the timeline and will be released in theatres on November 20.
Hawke portrays a younger version of Wiress, a character played by Amanda Plummer in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The film also stars Joseph Zada, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Kieran Culkin and Lili Taylor.
"My part is very small, but I'm excited. I love my character," Hawke said, according to People.
"I am so excited to get to see the movie and to be a fan," she added.
The actress also spoke about working with director Francis Lawrence.
"I was also just so honored to work with Francis and to participate in any way in anti-fascist populist art," she said.
Despite being part of a star-studded ensemble, Hawke admitted she had some nerves about joining the franchise.
"There are so many incredible actors in it, and, in a totally egoless way, I hope I didn't ruin it," she said with a laugh.
"You know when you watch a movie, and there's a ton of people in it, and sometimes someone comes in, and you're like, 'Nope, they didn't understand the tone.' I hope I'm not the outcast who didn't get it," Hawke added, according to People.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to hit theatres on November 20.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who grew up reading the Hunger Games books, I feel Maya is being modest—her role might be small, but being part of such a powerful anti-fascist narrative is a big deal. However, I do wish Hollywood would also give more opportunities to actors from diverse backgrounds in such franchises, not just as side roles.
Fully agree with Maya about Jennifer Lawrence's performance—she brought such raw emotion to Katniss. But is it just me or does the franchise keep expanding with prequels? Hope Sunrise on the Reaping doesn't feel like a cash grab and actually adds depth to the story. 🤔
Maya Hawke saying she hopes she didn't 'ruin' the movie is so relatable—it's like when we join a new team project and worry we're the weak link! Her humility is refreshing. And I love that she called it 'anti-fascist populist art'—that's a perspective we need more in Indian cinema too.
Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day when someone from a famous family (David Harbour and Uma Thurman's daughter) gets starstruck by a franchise. But it shows that talent runs in the blood. I'm curious how they'll portray Wiress—she was such a quirky character in Catching Fire. 🎥
While I appreciate Maya's inspiration, I can't help but feel the Hunger Games franchise is becoming over-saturated. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was decent, but do we really need another prequel? Maybe it's time for Hollywood to explore fresh
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