Alright, "Joshi Gang", (get it - like Gucci Gang?..Never say that again? Got it) the day has finally arrived...we've reached the point in our marathon where we're talking about the franchise that could be consider Josh's biggest credit...The Hunger Games.
Unless you've been living under a rock like Patrick Star, you've probably at least heard of this franchise. Much like big fandoms like Harry Potter and Star Wars, The Hunger Games has its own universe and fans around the world. Can you see why it was such a big deal for Josh to join this cast?!
Josh stars alongside Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence (if you're reading this, JLaw, what's up?) in this series of movies based on the best-selling books by Suzanne Collins about a dystopian world where a corrupt government forces children to fight to the death in "games" for their entertainment. (And there's a LOT more to it than that...but I won't go over the whole plot!). We'll touch on each of the films in separate blog posts, but today, we're focusing on the one that started it all. Let's get into it!
Again, even if you don't exactly "ship it", I've bet you're heard of Peeta and Katniss - they're the famous fictional couple The Hunger Games universe centers around, and Josh makes up one half of that couple!
Since I watched around 27 other Josh credits prior to The Hunger Games over the past few weeks as part of my marathon, I come in with a unique perspective...and that perspective is...Peeta is a very DIFFERENT role for Josh to play based on what we've seen this far...and I don't mean just because he's a blonde!
What makes me say that? Up until this point in his career, Josh has absolutely crushed roles where he's played a more sassy character. Many of his child-star roles were kiddos with an attitude problem (I'm looking at you, Walter from Zathura, Bucky from Kicking and Screaming, and even Carl from RV) or honestly....kind of a-holes (yes, I am talking about you AGAIN, Steve from Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant and especially you, somehow-a-millionaire-at 17-dude named Chuck from The Third Rule). While I wouldn't exactly include his characters of Clapton from Detention and Laser from The Kids Are All Right in the "a hole" category, they were definitely resident bad boys and slackers.
Bottom line - Josh has played/voiced a few sweeties (my favorites being Markl from the Howl's Moving Castle English dub, Jesse from Bridge to Terabithia, and Gabe from Little Manhattan) but Peeta has to be his SWEETEST, most sensitive-type role yet. (And I'm so here for it...and I think I can speak for most of the female population when I say many of us are.)
Our boy is absolutely phenomenal in this role. Despite Peeta being a different character to embody, Josh is truly a chameleon (as many good actors are) and we finally get to see him behave a little more shyly than some of his other characters. However, we have seen Josh in action films before, so that aspect feels less foreign. Josh brings that same believability to The Hunger Games - we really see that fear, longing, and love in Peeta's eyes throughout iconic moments in the film. I also want to give him kudos as an actor for some of the behind-the-scenes costume/makeup likely required for this film to depict Peeta's disguise talents.
Like many fans, Peeta is one of my characters that Josh has played...but it may not surprise you that he isn't my #1 favorite. Who is? You'll just have to keep checking the blog to find out! ;)
Peace and Joshperity,
G
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