Josh Hutcherson

Josh Hutcherson
Birth name	Joshua Ryan Hutcherson
Character	Peeta Mellark
Birthday	October 12, 1992 (age 24)
Birthplace	Union, Kentucky, USA
Appearance	The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Years active	2002-present

Josh Hutcherson (born October 12, 1992) is an American actor who portrayed Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, and the final installment, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.

Biography

Josh Hutcherson was born in Union, Kentucky on October 12, 1992. His mother, Michelle, is a former Delta Air Lines employee who now assists Josh. His father, Chris, is an analyst for the EPA. Josh's passion for entertaining people began developing at the age of three. His parents admit to ignoring his requests to act for six years before realizing that it may be something worth pursuing and not just a phase. He attended New Haven Elementary School in his hometown of Union until he began his career at the age of 9, after which he began homeschooling with his mother as his teacher.

Personal life

Hutcherson has a younger brother, Connor, as well as many pets, including three dogs, Diesel, Nixon (a boxer), and Driver (a pit bull) who he adopted in 2012. He has English, as well as Scottish, German, and Irish, ancestry. His hobbies and interests while growing up included cars, bowling, soccer, competing in triathlons, playing guitar, song writing, basketball, and rock climbing. At a young age, he was very confident that he would never turn to drugs, alcohol, or other ways young actors ruin their careers, claiming, "it’s not even just about the fact that it’s morally wrong ... I’d be so embarrassed as a human being for people to know and think that I did stuff like that." He has cited actor Jake Gyllenhaal as an inspiration and has said that he would like to appear in every type of film genre. Throughout his life, he has been a huge fan of Justin Timberlake, and even dyed the tips of his hair to match one of Timberlake's old looks as a child. Hutcherson supported Barack Obama during the 2012 Presidential Elections and encouraged his Twitter followers to get out and vote, as this was the first election he had voted in, himself. In September 2008, he traveled to Italy for the first time. He visited Rome and Milan, and participated in a local event for children interested in moviemaking. Hutcherson bought a house in 2012, in Los Angeles, California, one that was previously owned by Ellen DeGeneres until 2005, and Heath Ledger until 2007. The house was built in 1951 and includes 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,861 square feet of living space indoors, and over 2,000 square feet of living space outdoors. Being from Northern Kentucky, Hutcherson has been a lifelong fan of both the University of Kentucky's Wildcats and nearby Cincinnati, Ohio's Major League Baseball team, the Reds. As a guest on Conan, Hutcherson talked about painting his face to show his support during Kentucky Wildcats basketball games and being a season ticket holder. On April 7, 2012, Hutcherson threw the ceremonial opening pitch before the Reds' game against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park.Hutcherson previously dated his Journey 2 co-star Vanessa Hudgens but the two are now "good friends." He began dating Claudia Traisac in 2013, during filming of the upcoming Paradise Lost.

Career

Hutcherson began acting in 2002. His first feature film role based on a book adaptation was as the voice of Markl in Howl's Moving Castle. His first live action role in an adaptation was the following year with Zathura. Hutcherson has also starred in the film adaptations of Little Manhattan, Firehouse Dog, Bridge to Teribithia, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, RV, and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. He was awarded 'Best Male Actor' at the MTV Movie Awards 2012 for his acting as Peeta along with 'Best Fight' with Jennifer Lawrence and Alexander Ludwig (Katniss and Peeta vs. Cato).

Behind the scenes

• He is very close friends with his co-star, Jennifer Lawrence.
• Hutcherson and co-star Jennifer Lawrence are both from the state of Kentucky.
• Hutcherson and Lawrence lived in neighboring towns. He was the reason her parents were convinced to let Jennifer pursue acting, as she told them that if Josh could make it, so could she.
• Hutcherson suffered a concussion on The Hunger Games set when Lawrence accidentally kicked him in the head while the two were goofing around. He downplayed its effects to continue filming.
• He is known to be a prankster. He put the dummy of Glimmer's distorted body in Lawrence's bathroom, scaring her so badly, that she accidentally wet her pants.
• Before the premiere of the movie, Josh said, "I watch a lot of Man vs. Wild, so I feel prepared [for the part.]"
• His mother, Michelle, is a former Delta Airlines employee and his father, Chris, is an analyst for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
• In The Hunger Games film, Josh admitted to have a close "bro-mance" with Liam Hemsworth, but in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Josh admitted to have a close "bro-mance" with Sam Claflin.

External links

• Official website
• Josh Hutcherson on Wikipedia
• Josh Hutcherson at the Internet Movie Database
• Josh Hutcherson on Twitter