Josh Hutcherson Hated This Part Of Filming The Hunger Games
Based on the Suzanne Collins young adult novel series, "The Hunger Games" film franchise proved to be a set of massively successful cinematic adaptations. Featuring four films, with a prequel titled "The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes" slated for 2023, the series broke numerous box office records, including ranking amongst the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time after banking nearly $3 billion worldwide (via The Numbers). Its success is due in no small part to the stellar cast who brought the lively characters of Collins' pages to life. From Jennifer Lawerence's heroic Katniss Everdeen to Elizabeth Banks' delightfully eccentric Effie Trinket to Donald Sutherland's menacing President Snow, "The Hunger Games" movies went all out in giving the fans what they wanted.
Another key player in the cast is Josh Hutcherson who plays Peeta Mellark. The male tribute representing District 12 alongside Katniss, Peeta is a talented baker and painter who is skilled in the arts of camouflage, while also excelling in hand-to-hand combat and inspiring others through powerful speeches. Intertwined in a complex love triangle between Katniss and fellow District 12 native Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), Peeta remains charming and easy to root for. Although participating in such a massive franchise was no doubt an incredible experience, there is one aspect of filming "The Hunger Games" that Josh Hutcherson was grateful to be rid of by the series' end in 2015.
The burden of being blond
In an interview with Dujour News published before the release of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2," Josh Hutcherson shared his experiences of working on the franchise. When discussing his absolute least favorite part of filming the series, Hutcherson complained about having to dye his hair blond. Described in the first "Hunger Games" book by Suzanne Collins as having "ashy blond hair that falls in waves over his forehead," it was a crucial part of his look that the team making the film adaptations couldn't leave out. For his part, Hutcherson said of the experience, "My hair was an orange-brown color for a while. It was almost like frosted tips back in the 90s." Needless to say, once he'd finished shooting "Mockingjay — Part 2," Hutcherson reportedly opted to have the blond hair cut off.
Hutcherson's time on set, however, still sounds like a mostly positive experience. He described sleepovers with co-stars Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth, as well as a general sense of camaraderie among the cast. "Every town we went to, our little group would go out to dinner," Hutcherson explained. "We'd go to bars together. It was a moving unit. I'm definitely gonna miss that a lot." Despite not loving his dye job, it's good to know that Hutcherson and company made the best of their time together.