Josh Hutcherson talks about his character’s journey
Whether you were Team Peeta or Team Gale, Kentucky-born Josh Hutcherson fought for Katniss’ love in the THE HUNGER GAMES and won the hearts of a nation in the first of the blockbuster trilogy.
Despite getting a concussion-inducing kick in the head from Jennifer Lawrence while filming, Josh said he “adored” working with the Oscar winner, telling one interviewer “I think I am in love with her – she’s an amazing person and a talented actress.”
Josh may only be 21-years-old, but he already has 10 years of experience under his belt and has had the chance to work with a host of amazing actresses and actors. Along the way, he’s starred alongside Will Ferrell in KICKING AND SCREAMING, Robin Williams in RV, John C Reilly in CIRQUE DU FREAK and Brendan Fraser in JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.
But it was his role as the youngest son to a lesbian couple in 2010’s Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winner THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT that served as a virtual acting master class for the young actor: his co-stars were the extremely talented Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Annette Bening.
“Mark and Julianne and Annette were all awesome,” he said of them. “I just want to be Mark, he’s such a great guy and great actor, so fun to be around.”
Next he gets to star alongside Amanda Seyfried and Colin Farrell in the animated fantasy adventure EPIC, from Blue Sky Studios, directed by ICE AGE and ROBOTS director Chris Wedge. This is Josh’s first animated feature, and it tells the story of a teenage girl who finds herself transported into a secret world. Josh plays Nod, a Leafman who lives in the depths of a magical kingdom’s dense forest.
“Nod likes to do his own thing,” he says of his character, “He has to learn to be part of the team and realize that some things are bigger than him.”
Here, Josh explains how and why he got involved, and what it’s like to have your voice, but not your body, in a movie..
You’ve made a ton of movies now, but this is the first time your voice has been used in a big animated feature. Why’d you choose EPIC as your debut?
I chose EPIC for my first animated feature because the story really goes places you can’t with live action. That, and I was familiar with Blue Sky Studios and director Chris Wedge, which also made it an easy choice.
How did you get involved?
Fox Animation asked me to come in to look at a presentation that they and Blue Sky wanted to show me. Chris Wedge gave us a little sneak peek of the type of animation and a rundown on the story. We knew it was a yes before the meeting was over.
Are you a fan of this kind of animated movie?
Yeah, I love animated movies. They were my favorites growing up.
What do you think makes a good one?
I think the best animated movies are the ones that have solid stories, because they appeal to all ages.
How long ago did you start working on EPIC?
I started work on it about a year ago.
Was the experience anything like you’d imagined?
I didn’t think I would have as much creative freedom. I really got to be involved with developing my character, which was unexpected.
How did you settle on the voice?
I just did my own voice.
Did you do all of the voice work alone, or did you get the chance to work with Amanda or Colin?
All the voice work was done separately. It’s a good thing that Chris Wedge, the director, can also act since he would read the other characters’ lines in our sessions.
The cast also includes the amazing Beyoncé Knowles and Steven Tyler – did you get to meet or work with them?
The only person I got to meet was Amanda, which was great. Unfortunately, you don’t always get to meet your other cast mates on animated films.
How did the experience compare to the kind of films you’re used to doing?
It’s very different. You have the opportunity to evolve the character over the course of a year. That gives you a lot of freedom.
Any frustrations or advantages to not having to dress up and physically be in the movie?
Definitely. You have to use your imagination much more.
Were you videoed while doing the voice work to capture your expressions?
They took video of a few of our sessions to help the animators design our expressions better.
Do you think Nod looks or moves like you at all?
He does a little. It’s weird to see your voice coming out of another person’s face. I can see my expressions sometimes.
What happens to Nod over the course of the movie?
Over the course of the movie Nod has to learn to rise up to the occasion and be a part of the team to help save Mother Nature. He also has a little love story line happening with the girl who is helping them.
How was it working with director Chris Wedge?
Chris was great. He knew the story inside and out and made the whole thing really fun. He was the person you read all your lines with and he made that really easy.
Were you familiar with ICE AGE? What did you think of it?
Who doesn’t know ICE AGE?! Ha Ha. I liked it a lot.
What would you say is the main theme of the film?
Many leaves, one tree.
EPIC IS OUT NOW ON 3D BLU-RAY, BLU-RAY AND DVD