Which member did you connect with the most?
Justin for sure. Because he beatboxed and danced and he was the ladies’ man. I was like, “That’s what I want to be.” I’m not, but that’s what I wanted to be. [Laughs.]
Plus:
On the most difficult part of being Peeta: “I think for me it was finding the balance between staying true to the book but then also making him work cinematically. Peeta in the books has a tendency to be a little bit softer. And in talking with Gary and Suzanne we wanted to give him a little bit more balls, for lack of a better word … [In] the cave scene with Katniss and Peeta where Peeta’s admitting his love to Katniss, in the book it can kinda came across a little sappy. And we wanted it to come across as being like, ‘I’m gonna die. I need to tell you how I feel.’ More strong, like, ‘I have to tell you this.’”
On putting on 15 pounds of muscle for the role: “Honestly the best part was in the end having the result of it actually working. The hard part was the eating, ‘cause I work out and play basketball normally. But I had to eat so much. All chicken and fish and vegetables, so it was never even exciting food. It was like five or six [meals per day]. It was like 4,000 calories a day, but it was also like all healthy calories. It was a lot of food. I mean, I can go to McDonald’s and eat 4,000 calories in one sitting. But when it’s all healthy stuff, it’s a lot of volume.”
On Chicago: “This is only my second time here. The first time I was here I was like 13. So it’s been a while. I love the city though. Every time I come here it’s been, ‘Oh, it’s a lot bigger than I thought.’ I feel like the skyline, I’m like, ‘Geez, that’s Manhattan style.’ I love Chicago. It’s a really cool feel. I love the weather honestly. I’m from Kentucky so we got the hot summers, cold winters, so it’s nice to come here and get the seasons.”
Guilty pleasure movie: “White Men Can’t Jump.” “Every time it’s on TV, I have to watch it.”
Can his “Hunger Games” co-star Woody Harrelson, in fact, jump? “He can! He can. He’s got a great jump shot. He’s a good basketball player.”
Guilty pleasure band: “I think ’N Sync’s gotta be it. I still listen to ’N Sync on occasion, and that’s definitely a guilty pleasure for sure.”
Favorite N’Sync song: “Tearin’ Up My Heart”
Current favorite song: Fun, “We Are Young”
Best mall food: Pepperoni pizza from Sbarro
