{"id":494393,"date":"2026-06-11T14:21:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T14:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/494393\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T14:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T14:21:09","slug":"elizabeth-banks-and-josh-hutcherson-reunite-after-the-hunger-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/494393\/","title":{"rendered":"Elizabeth Banks and Josh Hutcherson Reunite After ‘The Hunger Games’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThis interview is part of Variety and CNN\u2019s Actors on Actors<\/a> series. Watch the full video interview\u00a0now\u00a0at CNN.com\/Watch (or on the CNN app)\u00a0and\u00a0on Variety\u2019s YouTube channel starting at 11:59 pm ET.<\/p>\n

\n\tJosh Hutcherson<\/a> and Elizabeth Banks<\/a> first met making the first four \u201cHunger Games\u201d films, from 2012 to 2015. While Banks wasn\u2019t present for the action sequences Hutcherson shot in the Hunger Games arena, they struck up a friendship. When the franchise began, Hutcherson, then 19, was a former child actor (\u201cZathura,\u201d \u201cThe Kids Are All Right\u201d), and Banks, then 37, was a well-known character actress (\u201cSeabiscuit,\u201d \u201cW.\u201d). Both also stood out this year for taking on roles as partners in complicated relationships. On \u201cI Love L.A.,\u201d Hutcherson is Dylan, the relatively sane, grounded boyfriend of Rachel Sennott\u2019s zany aspiring talent manager, Maia. And on \u201cThe Miniature Wife,\u201d Banks plays a writer who is quite literally shrunken down by her scientist husband, played by Matthew Macfadyen.<\/p>\n

\n\tElizabeth Banks: It\u2019s so good to see you. <\/p>\n

\n\tJosh Hutcherson: Good to see you. We met 43 years ago. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Do you remember how we met? I don\u2019t totally remember either. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I remember the project. It was called \u201cThe Hunger Games.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: You were Peeta Mellark; I was Effie Trinket. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I live near a street named Effie. Every time I drive past it, I\u2019m like, \u201cElizabeth.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I\u2019m excited to be on your mind. My first memories of \u201cThe Hunger Games\u201d \u2014 I remember seeing you guys the first few days, but then I left and came back, because you guys went into the woods.<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: Yeah, they were painting me into rocks and shit.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I remember coming back, and you guys were this feral gang of young people. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I was 19. I didn\u2019t do college, so college for me was shooting those movies and growing up with them. It\u2019s so long ago. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I felt like your auntie. I was everyone\u2019s auntie. And then I really got to relax on the second one, because there were a lot more adults my age. Obviously, \u201cThe Hunger Games\u201d was life-changing for you and Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth. What was that like? We had so much fun on the press tours. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: It was crazy. It was such a massive machine, and it was such a formative time of my life. We all went through so many changes together. We leaned on each other, hard-core. It was really intimidating. I\u2019m from a small town in Kentucky. I started acting when I was a kid because I liked the idea of making movies. Fame was never on my radar \u2014 and then I was thrust into that world in such a big way. It was a lot. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: It was like watching a supernova take off. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: For a long time, I was resentful toward it, because I didn\u2019t want that kind of attention. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: There\u2019s a huge intrusion into your life. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: So I was chip-on-my-shoulder angry about it. With years of perspective, I have grown to appreciate it so much. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Are you excited for the new movies? <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: The new book\u2019s amazing. It\u2019s cool to see it continue with a different generation and different stories. Unfortunately, it\u2019s still a very timely issue with authoritarian governments, so young people need to be educated. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Hell, yeah. So you\u2019re here to talk about this new role in \u201cI Love L.A.\u201d Rachel Sennott, who we both know \u2014 it came from her brain. You play the straight man of the bunch, a very grounded and grounding presence among an ensemble that\u2019s kookadoo, right? <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMary Ellen Matthews for Variety<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: It\u2019s a dynamic that I\u2019ve experienced many times. I\u2019m drawn to crazy. I always have been. But I myself tend to be more feet-on-the-ground vibes. In a show that\u2019s giving such a specific snapshot of a world that many people have no contact with, having a character that\u2019s a bit of an audience sounding board is important. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: The world of influencers is very specific. You play a teacher, just a nice guy. One of my favorite episodes is the game night, where you see the two worlds colliding. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I was so excited when I read that episode because I don\u2019t know how much of Dylan is me. It all blended together, because I was talking with the writers about how I have an obsession with complex board games. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Let\u2019s get into it. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: They made up this whole game for the show. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: We could go deep on Settlers of Catan right now, which is what I felt you guys were referencing. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: It was a blend of a few things. Twilight Imperium. I take games very seriously. I\u2019m very competitive. Dylan is that way, too, but he tries to make it fun. He\u2019s excited for his girlfriend to come into this world and to bring her into it. What\u2019s so cool about the show was the collaboration inside it, because when I first came onboard, Dylan wasn\u2019t funny. He was meant to only be the stick-in-the-mud boring guy. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Yeah. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: Which I totally get, but what me and Rachel wanted to build out was finding his own ways to be funny, and to understand why they\u2019re together. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I believed there was a whole history. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I\u2019m excited, because we\u2019re shooting Season 2 this summer. I haven\u2019t read a single thing, so I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMary Ellen Matthews for Variety<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Because at the end [of Season 1], you\u2019re not together. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: But I love Maia and Dylan together, and I think they can really help each other. I think some of the best couples are couples that need to be more like one another. If someone\u2019s too controlling and someone\u2019s too out of control, they can slowly work toward something that\u2019s more balanced. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Grow together, rather than apart. Will this couple do that? <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: Stay tuned! In \u201cThe Miniature Wife,\u201d the relationship dynamic that you guys have I find very interesting. I\u2019ve always seen you playing very powerful characters. To be shrunken by this man \u2014 I\u2019m curious how that felt for you. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I loved the dynamic. It felt like we were going to use this metaphor to talk about some bigger issues. I felt it was very relatable, this notion of being made to feel small. I thought it was going to be really comedic and fun. My husband likes to say this was the least mentally prepared I\u2019ve ever been to do a job because I didn\u2019t really understand how isolated I actually was going to be when I was six inches tall. I had my own stage. I had a whole green box. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: That\u2019s wild. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I had the dollhouse set, and I was alone. I was literally never with Matthew. It was so vulnerable. <\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: You\u2019ve shown another amazing talent with directing. Do you want to do more? I really want to direct and I\u2019ve done music videos and a short film. <\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: That\u2019s a great start. I do think it makes you a more patient actor, because you sort of understand everything. I really enjoy days when I don\u2019t have to answer a lot of questions and I just get to take care of the character I\u2019m there to play that day. I don\u2019t have to worry about the choreography and the camera angles. But I love being surprised by something. I love collaborating. I love problem-solving. I hope I get to do more of it. I think I will. I\u2019m constantly developing things, but I\u2019m at [an important] moment as a mom. What\u2019s interesting is that \u201cThe Hunger Games\u201d is what allowed me to direct in the first place. Having the comfort of, \u201cOK, I know I\u2019m going to be in a few movies over a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: You got some sequels lined up.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: The sequels are lined up; this character is working. I had my babies during it and I directed \u201cPitch Perfect 2\u201d during it. I could just breathe a little bit. I wasn\u2019t worried about what\u2019s the next job and when am I going to work again and how am I going to pay the bills? That\u2019s handled. They say babies also give you a lot of clarity in life.<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I\u2019ve heard this. You can confirm that was your experience?<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Absolutely my experience. You\u2019re like, \u201cWhat is worth time away from my kids?\u201d It becomes more and more rare that you want to spend time away from your friends.<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I feel that with my dogs currently. So I can extrapolate that to a human and imagine it\u2019s even more intense. But it is interesting, because this industry is wild. It\u2019s so many ups and downs, and there is a feeling of uncertainty between jobs that feels infinite sometimes. I am always thinking, \u201cWell, it was a good run. I\u2019ve been doing it for 24 years and I guess that\u2019s it.\u201d I don\u2019t have a job lined up; I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen. And so it can be very stressful, but then you get on set again and you\u2019re like, \u201cOh, OK, I\u2019m home.\u201d It feels right.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: You\u2019ve been doing this since you were a kid.<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I was 9.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: Weirdly, I started when I was 25 and we\u2019ve basically been doing it the same amount of time.<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I didn\u2019t graduate high school, so I can\u2019t do that kind of math.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I have a master\u2019s degree, and still can\u2019t do my kids\u2019 algebra homework. I\u2019m not sure you missed out.<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: You\u2019ve done so many different kinds of projects \u2014 is there something that you want to do?<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: My game plan now is \u201cSee what happens.\u201d The industry is changing so much \u2014 I find it a really interesting time to be an artist. I\u2019m really interested to see where it\u2019s all headed and happy to be on the ride. I had impostor syndrome for a long time, and now I\u2019m like \u2014 you\u2019ll get there too \u2014 this is actually my career. This is what I do for a living and I\u2019m making a living at it and this is my life. I\u2019ve calmed down into a sense that I know how to do it now. And I can see things in the future. I can see being 70 and being Elaine Stritch at the Carlyle and singing the Great American Songbook and telling jokes and entertaining people. I\u2019ve hopefully built up enough of a reputation of: If you watch me, I promise to entertain you. If you show up, I\u2019ll show up. When you make that agreement with the audience, I now feel like my signature on that agreement means something.<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I know if I see you in something, you\u2019re going to be great. That\u2019s just a fact. I think it\u2019s interesting because as I\u2019ve been doing this for a long time, your objectives change and levels of ambition change and what\u2019s important changes. There\u2019s just a bit of perspective that comes: We\u2019re doing things to entertain people. Some people can get a little lost in the sauce.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I don\u2019t take it too seriously, but I do think that I am part of a long tradition of storytellers that have handed down humanity \u2014 there\u2019s a reason we still read the Greeks and Shakespeare. When we go to museums and look at the art, it\u2019s the art that we pass down through the generations.<\/p>\n

\n\tHutcherson: I rescind my comment. We are changing the world. Elizabeth just convinced me.<\/p>\n

\n\tBanks: I don\u2019t think \u201cchanging the world,\u201d but people want to laugh, and they want to feel connected and they want to feel seen. I went to drama school and I remember being told the cavemen sat around the fire in the cave at night \u2014 there was a reason to tell the stories. It was for our survival. Being on the set of \u201cThe Miniature Wife,\u201d I\u2019ve never had to imagine harder. I had to imagine my co-star\u2019s there, a cat\u2019s chasing me, the floor I\u2019m standing on is not green. Everything around me was about that sense of imagination. So I feel a deeper connection to storytelling than I ever have in my life.<\/p>\n

\t\tProp styling and art direction: Shawn Patrick Anderson\/Acme Studios; Assistant prop styling: Joseph Bell\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This interview is part of Variety and CNN\u2019s Actors on Actors series. Watch the full video interview\u00a0now\u00a0at CNN.com\/Watch…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":494394,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[98542,321,177016,93,61,60,45863],"class_list":["post-494393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-actors-on-actors","tag-celebrities","tag-elizabeth-banks","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-josh-hutcherson"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=494393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/494394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=494393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=494393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=494393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}