Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Star Reveals Woody Harrelson’s Advice for Playing Haymitch

Most of the cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping faces a tough job. They play younger versions of characters first portrayed by some of our greatest actors. That is especially true for Joseph Zada, who takes over the role of Haymitch from Woody Harrelson. The two actors compared notes on set, and Harrelson gave Zada some helpful but unexpected advice.

Zada described the exchange in a wide-ranging story on Sunrise on the Reaping at ScreenRant. Harrelson told him how to get into character. “He told me to watch Cool Hand Luke, the Paul Newman film,” Zada said. The pick may not have been what Zada expected, but Harrelson “said that everything that he’s ever done, he’s trying to do that.”

Harrelson will also reprise his role as the older Haymitch in Sunrise on the Reaping, so the two actors spent time together on set. Zada said they mostly swapped stories. “He was just really interested in hearing about my experience,” Zada said.

Harrelson apparently gave no specific advice about playing Haymitch. He focused instead on how to approach the profession in general. That likely leaves Zada room to bring his own perspective to the character, which fits, since this Haymitch is almost entirely different from the version we know from the original films.

The Sunrise on the Reaping cast is making it their own

Much of the cast is in a similar position to Zada. The intimidation could be real, but the team seems to have worked to avoid looking back at past performances. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays a young Beetee, the Catching Fire character portrayed by Jeffrey Wright. He said director Francis Lawrence told him, “‘We’re not doing impressions and stuff like that. So I really want you to do your own thing.'”

The actors did not always ignore their predecessors completely. Harrison Jr. said he wanted fans to feel his take on Beetee was familiar.

Elle Fanning shared similar thoughts about playing Effie Trinket and following Elizabeth Banks. Fanning said Banks “wanted me to make Effie my own,” but she still wanted to live up to the high expectations. She included nods to Banks in the character’s costume design. Fanning also tried to improvise and write her own lines at times, as Banks did before her.

Sunrise on the Reaping offers a new perspective on the story of Haymitch’s Hunger Games. Having each actor bring fresh insight to familiar characters seems fitting.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released in theaters on Nov. 20.

Related: New Hunger Games trailer reveals this will be the most brutal movie in the series

Source: Polygon