Summary
Austin Butler reveals what role inThe Hunger Gameshe auditioned for over a decade ago. Butler is having a big year in 2024, having already played roles in the majorly successful seriesMasters of the Airas well as villain Feyd Rautha inDune: Part Two. This weekend, he makes his debut inThe Bikeriders, a crime drama film starring him, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, and Tom Hardy.The Bikeridersreviewshave been mostly positive so far, including praise for Butler’s leading performance.
Speaking onBuzzFeed Celeb, Butler reveals whatHunger Gamescharacter he auditioned for.
According to the actor, heauditioned for the role of PeetainThe Hunger Games. While he did not get into specifics about the audition process, Butler said that he “didn’t get it at all” noting that he does not believe that he even “got a callback.” Despite his failure to claim the role, Butler does not hold any grudges over eventual star Josh Hutcherson, who delivered a performance that Butler described as “great.” Check out the quote from Butler below:
I auditioned for The Hunger Games, and I didn’t get it at all. I don’t even think I got a callback. What’s the character, Peeta?
Austin Butler’s Career Breakout Came Years Later
Butler Is One Of The Quickest Rising Stars In Hollywood
At the time of these auditions, Hutcherson was far and away the bigger name between him and Butler. Huctherson had been a child actor prior to appearing inThe Hunger Games, beginning his career in 2002 when he was only 10 years old. In his youth, Hutcherson had iconic roles including playing Gabe in the preteen romanceLittle Manhattanand Jess Aarons inBridge to Terebithia. By contrast, Butler’s fame was mostly relegated to Disney and Nickelodeon TV circles back then, having been in episodes ofiCarly,Hannah Montana, andZoey 101.
WhileThe Hunger Gamescemented Hutcherson as a bonafide blockbuster star in 2012, Butler’s big break would not come for another decade. Said breakout role was playing the titular music icon inBaz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopicElvis. Becoming notorious for his accurate (but omnipresent) Elvis voice, Butler received copious praise for his role,earning an Oscar nomination. A couple of years before that, the actor also made somewhat of a career advancement when he played a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon a Time…in Hollywood.
Elviscompletely transformedButler’s career, catapulting him into the roles that he has now. In some ways, it was probably good for Butler that he did not get his start inThe Hunger Games. WithElvisbeing his claim to fame, Butler’s initial impression in the industry was to show himself as a serious actor, which would result in being given more serious roles. If he had instead played Peeta, he could have been pigeonholed into more roles in YA-focused films, which could have diluted the vibrant career that he has now developed.
The Hunger Games
Cast
The Hunger Games is a dystopian thriller set in Panem, where annually selected tributes from twelve districts compete in a televised battle to the death. The story follows Katniss Everdeen, who must navigate the brutal competition and rely on her instincts and mentor’s guidance to survive and possibly return home.
