20 "The Hunger Games" Cast Members In Their First Major Role Vs. In The Movies Vs. Now

Yes, I've gone back to my Hunger Games phase, just like everyone else.

The Hunger Games are back, baby. Eight years after the release of Mockingjay – Part 2, we're returning to Panem with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

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Nobody would judge you for dusting off your old Tumblr account or looking up old #TeamPeeta videos on YouTube.

Before you dive into the President Snow-centered prequel, why not see what the cast of the original franchise is up to?

1. Jennifer Lawrence's first role in 2006:

USA Network

Jennifer's first role was in an episode of Monk as a mascot at a basketball game. From there, she went on to appear in a few movies and shows before landing her breakout roles in The Bill Engvall Show and Winter's Bone.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games movies:

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The same year The Hunger Games came out, Jennifer also starred in Silver Linings Playbook. She went on to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for her work as Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook.

Jennifer Lawerence now:

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Alongside The Hunger Games franchise, Jennifer notably also starred as Mystique in several X-Men movies. Since then, she's appeared in movies like Joy, Mother!, Don't Look Up, and Causeway. She also just starred in the comedy No Hard Feelings.

2. Josh Hutcherson's first role in 2002:

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After appearing in a few pilot episodes, Josh's first role came in an episode of ER in 2002. After this, he went on to apeaar in numerous classic movies like The Polar Express, Kicking & Screaming, Howl's Moving Castle, Little Manhattan, RV, Bridge to Terabithia, and more.

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games movies:

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Josh Hutcherson now:

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Following The Hunger Games movies, Josh appeared in movies like The Disaster Artist, and he had a starring role in the Hulu series Future Man. He has a few upcoming movies like 57 Seconds alongside Morgan Freeman.

3. Liam Hemsworth's first major role in 2007:

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Liam's first major role was in the Australian TV series Neighbours, which he starred on between 2007 and 2008. His big break came in 2010 when he starred in the adaptation of The Last Song alongside Miley Cyrus.

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games movies:

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Liam Hemsworth now:

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After The Hunger Games movies, Liam went on to star in films like Isn't It Romantic and Killerman. Next, Liam is taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's The Witcher after Henry Cavill departed the show.

4. Woody Harrelson's first major role in 1985:

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After an uncredited appearance in the movie Harper Valley PTA, Woody's first role was as the iconic Woody Boyd in Cheers. He went on to star in the hit comedy for 196 episodes between 1985 and 1993. He then appeared in numerous movies like Zombieland, No Country for Old Men, White Men Can't Jump, Natural Born Killers, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and many more.

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games movies:

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Woody Harrelson now:

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After The Hunger Games films, Woody went on to star in Now You See Me 2, The Edge of Seventeen, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Venom, and many more. Most recently, he starred in Triangle of Sadness, which was nominated for a 2023 Academy Award for Best Picture. Up next, Woody can be seen in the upcoming HBO series White House Plumbers, which is about Watergate.

5. Elizabeth Banks's first role in 1999:

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Elizabeth's first big acting role was in an episode of All My Children in 1999. From there, she went on to appear in numerous TV shows and movies like Wet Hot American Summer, Scrubs, Spider-Man, Seabiscuit, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and more.

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games movies:

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The same year The Hunger Games came out, Elizabeth also produced and starred in Pitch Perfect.

Elizabeth Banks now:

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After The Hunger Games franchise concluded, Elizabeth starred in TV shows like Mrs. America, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, and more. She also directed Pitch Perfect 2, Charlie's Angels, and the recent movie Cocaine Bear.

6. Lenny Kravitz in 1989:

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Okay, so Lenny didn't start appearing in films, first as himself, until 2001, so above is a picture of Lenny while performing hits off his debut album Let Love Rule in 1989. Aside from his Grammy Award-winning musical career, Lenny notably starred in Precious in 2009. 

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna in The Hunger Games movies:

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Lenny Kravitz now:

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Recently, Lenny performed at the 2023 Academy Awards, and he starred in the movie Shotgun Wedding alongside Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel.

7. Stanley Tucci's first major role in 1987:

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After appearing in Prizzi's Honor in 1985, Stanley's first big acting credit was in a few episodes of Miami Vice between 1987 and 1988. From there, he went on to star in countless iconic movies and shows like Big Night, The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia, The Lovely Bones, Burlesque, Easy A, Captain America: The First Avenger, Winchell, and more.

Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman in The Hunger Games movies:

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Stanley Tucci now:

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After the conclusion of The Hunger Games movies, Stanley continued to appear in several movies like Spotlight, The King's Man, and recently Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Notably, he's hosted the documentary series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.

8. Donald Sutherland's first major role in 1964:

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After appearing in several episodes of various UK TV shows, Donald's first big acting credit was in Castle of the Living Dead in 1964. He then went on to appear in countless notable movies like Citizen X, Path to War, The Dirty Dozen, M*A*S*H, Kelly's Heroes, Animal House, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, JFK, Without Limits, Pride & Prejudice, The Italian Job, Cold Mountain, and many more.

Donald Sutherland as President Snow in The Hunger Games movies:

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Donald Sutherland now:

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After The Hunger Games movies, he appeared in movies like Ad Astra, Moonfall, and more. Most notably, he starred in the HBO limited series The Undoing in 2020 alongside Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.

9. Amandla Stenberg's first role in 2011:

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Amandla's first role was playing a young version of Zoe Saldaña's character in the movie Colombiana. Their next role was in The Hunger Games in 2012.

Amandla Stenberg as Rue in The Hunger Games:

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Amandla Stenberg now:

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After The Hunger Games, Amandla went on to appear in the TV series Sleepy Hollow, and star in movies like Everything, Everything, The Hate U Give, and more. Recently, they starred in Bodies Bodies Bodies, and their next big role will be in the Star Wars series The Acolyte.

10. Sam Claflin's first role in 2010:

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Sam's first role was in The Pillars of the Earth in 2010 alongside countless other actors who went on to have equally as big careers like Eddie Redmayne, Matthew Macfadyen, Hayley Atwell, and more. He also starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Snow White and the Huntsman, and Love, Rosie.

Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games movies:

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Sam Claflin now:

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Following The Hunger Games movies, Sam starred in movies like Me Before You, Enola Holmes, and more. He recently wrapped Peaky Blinders and is currently starring as Billy Dunne in Daisy Jones & the Six.

11. Wes Bentley's first major role in 1999:

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Wes's first major role was in American Beauty in 1999. From there, he went on to appear in movies like Ghost Rider, The Four Feathers, and more before The Hunger Games in 2012.

Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games:

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Wes Bentley now:

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After The Hunger Games, Wes went on to star in numerous seasons of American Horror Story. Currently, he stars in Yellowstone as Jamie Dutton alongside Kevin Costner.

12. Jena Malone's first major role in 1997:

Warner Bros

Jena's first big role was as a younger version of Jodie Foster's character in Contact in 1997. From there, she went on to star in Stepmom, Donnie Darko, Life as a House, American Girl, Saved!, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, Pride & Prejudice, Into the Wild, Sucker Punch, and more.

Jena Malone as Johanna Mason in The Hunger Games movies:

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Jena Malone now:

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After the conclusion of The Hunger Games movies, Jena went on to star in Nocturnal Animals, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and more. She's got several upcoming movies like Rebel Moon, Horizon, and Love Lies Bleeding.

13. Jack Quaid's first role as Marvel in The Hunger Games in 2012:

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Despite his very famous actor parents — Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid — Jack's first acting role wasn't until 2012 when he starred in The Hunger Games. 

Jack Quaid now:

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After The Hunger Games, he then went on to appear in movies and shows like Plus One, Logan Lucky, Vinyl, and more. Jack's two most notable roles so far have been Hughie Campbell in The Boys and Richie Kirsch in Scream. Next up, he can be seen in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

14. Willow Shields's first role in 2009:

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Willow's first acting credit is an episode of In Plain Sight in 2009. Her next big role was The Hunger Games in 2012.

Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen in The Hunger Games movies:

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Willow Shields now:

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Since the conclusion of The Hunger Games franchise, Willow appeared in movies like Into the Rainbow, When Time Got Louder, and more. Notably, she starred in the tragically short-lived Netflix series Spinning Out in 2020.

15. Jeffrey Wright's first role in 1990:

Warner Bros.

Jeffrey's first role was in the movie Presumed Innocent alongside Harrison Ford in 1990. From there, he went on to appear in countless movies and shows like Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Boardwalk Empire, and more. 

Jeffrey Wright as Beetee Latier in The Hunger Games movies:

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Jeffrey Wright now:

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Following The Hunger Games movies, Jeffrey notably starred as Bernard Lowe in Westworld from 2016 to 2022. He recently starred in The Batman and the Marvel animated series What If...?

16. Alexander Ludwig's first major role in 2007:

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His first big role was in The Sandlot: Heading Home in 2007. He then got his big break in the movie The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising that same year.

Alexander Ludwig as Cato in The Hunger Games:

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Alexander Ludwig now:

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After The Hunger Games, Alexander went on to star in the hit TV show Vikings, and he currently stars on the Starz series Heels alongside Stephen Amell.

17. Mahershala Ali's first role in 2001:

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Mahershala's first acting role was in the TV series Crossing Jordan as Dr. Trey Sanders for 19 episodes. From there, he appeared in several other TV shows before his notable role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008.

Mahershala Ali as Boggs in The Hunger Games movies:

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Mahershala Ali now:

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After appearing in the final two Hunger Games movies, Mahershala went on to win Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in both 2016 and 2018 for his work in Moonlight and Green Book. His next big role will be as Eric Brooks/Blade in Marvel's Blade in 2024.

18. Natalie Dormer's first role in 2005:

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Natalie's first acting role was in the movie Casanova alongside Heath Ledger. From there, she went on to star as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors and Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones.

Natalie Dormer as Cressida in The Hunger Games movies:

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Natalie Dormer now:

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After starring in the last two The Hunger Games movies, Natalie went on to appear in movies like In Darkness and Patient Zero, and TV shows like Elementary and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

19. Julianne Moore's first role in 1984:

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Julianne made her acting debut in the TV series The Edge of Night in 1984. From there, she appeared in As the World Turns, which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award. Julianne's breakout role came in the film Short Cuts, and then she went on to star in movies like Nine Months, Boogie Nights, The Lost Word: Jurassic Park, The End of the Affair, Hannibal, Children of Men, Savage Grace, Game Change, Still Alice, and many, many more.

Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin in The Hunger Games movies:

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Julianne Moore now:

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After starring in the final two Hunger Games movies, Julianne went on to appear in movies like Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Woman in the Window, When You Finish Saving the World, and more. In terms of TV, she's also starred in Lisey's Story, and she can be seen in the upcoming series Mary & George.

20. And finally, Philip Seymour Hoffman's first role in 1991:

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Philip made his acting debut in an episode of Law & Order in 1991. From there, he went on to star in Scent of a Woman, Twister, Boogie Nights, Liberty!, Magnolia, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Capote, Doubt, and many, many other movies.

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games movies:

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Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2014:

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Sadly, Philip died in 2014, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 was his final performance. He had almost completed every scene he was scheduled to be in before his death, so the team rewrote his final scenes and gave his character's dialogue to other actors. They also used unused footage from Mockingjay — Part 1 to finish up some of Philip's scenes in the final movie.