INTERVIEW: Josh Hutcherson talks about goofing off and getting in trouble with Jennifer on set

The Baltimore Sun chatted with The Hunger Games star, Josh Hutcherson, regarding The Hunger Games, auditioning for the role of Peeta, whether he'd rather be a vampire or a werewolf, his impending stardom, and goofing off with Jennifer Lawrence on set, which involves slingshots, blueberries, & grapes!

These books are huge. What’s the most extreme story you’ve heard about fans taking something about “The Hunger Games” to heart?
Oh, man. At the fan event we had out in L.A. just before I came here, the mall thing, it was crazy. They had head-to-toe: The pants, the shirt, the necklaces, the bracelets. Everything was Mockingjay, Peeta, Tribute, this, that. I didn’t go, but Jen and Liam [who plays Katniss’ friend Gale] went down to Mexico City and they held this event where fans—they actually separated them into different districts and they have challenges. So people really get into it. It’s crazy.
How many people were killed?
A lot of people were killed. A lot of people died. But it was for promotion for the movie, so it was worth it. [Laughs.] 

A lot of people ask you the same questions. Tell me a story you haven’t gotten to tell yet about Jennifer.
Before we started filming—here’s a good one actually I haven’t told anybody—when we were staying at our apartments in North Carolina, one night we had everybody over to Jennifer’s apartment and we decided we were going to get a slingshot and we were going to slingshot berries at people in cars as they drove by. So we’re sling-shotting like grapes and blueberries and eventually the people in the hotel like called up and they’re like, “Uh, are you guys shooting things off the balcony?” And we’re like, “Nope, don’t know what you’re talking about.” [Laughs.] So we stopped. So we got in a lot of trouble, but it was pretty fun.
What did the people in the cars do?
One lady, [laughs] it was kind of hilarious, she pulled up to the hotel lobby and was sitting there, and we were like I think 10 floors up, six or 10 floors up and so we started [throwing] cherries and grapes at her car. And she literally would not get out of her car. She was looking out, and eventually the hotel manager came out. I guess she called the hotel and been (impersonates old lady), “Somebody’s throwing things at my car!” It was harmless, it was berries, but at the same time it was pretty funny.
Many people have made “Twilight” comparisons. Hopefully this is a new question at least: If Peeta had to choose between being a werewolf or a vampire, what would he choose?

Considering Peeta’s like me, and I would probably choose vampire, I would say vampire. I think that the transformation you have to go through from a person to a wolf, I feel like that’s very physically taxing. It would be very tiring. And vampires are just cool.

I thought you would say werewolf. Peeta’s kind and reserved but once you flip the switch he can turn on that other side of himself.
That’s true. That’s true. There is that element.
Care to reconsider?
I’m sticking with vampire. I’m standing behind my choice. [Laughs.]

Here are some bonus parts from the interview:

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

 See more from this fun interview here.
It's refreshing to hear new questions and answers! Love this interview!

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