Did you know? How the actors got ready for ‘The Hunger Games’ March 12, 2012

Katniss photo by Murray Close/Lions Gate

Here is some interesting movie trivia about our fave characters in the upcoming THE HUNGER GAMES movie that I pulled from interviews published in the special collector’s edition from PEOPLE and US WEEKLY. (US mag included 125 photos and 3 giant posters. Cost me $10! But was good read and loved all of the photos. PEOPLE was $7. Not as many pics but tons of good info!)

Straight as an arrow
Katniss: Jennifer Lawrence, 21, trained with Khatuna Lorig, an Olympic medalist in archery, to perfect her bow skills. Lawrence practiced with Lorig for one hour a day for three weeks. “She’d shoot 100 arrows a day from different distances,” Lorig told PEOPLE. How did Lawrence do? “She was a natural,” Lorig said.

Fattening up:
Peeta; Josh Hutcherson, 19,  had to gain 15 pounds to play the baker’s son. But he didn’t eat pastry to bulk up. Hutcherson ate two chicken breasts and two handfuls of broccoli five times a day. He also had to bleach his dark hair blond. Early attempts to lighten his hair without bleaching  bleaching left his hair orange and later a greenish hue. So stylists finally just did things the old-fashioned way and bleached it.

A better role?
Gale: Aussie actor Liam Hemsworth, 22, auditioned for the lead role in “Thor” but that job went to his big brother Chris, 28. But maybe Gale is the better role? Liam didn’t have to train as much as his other colleagues, but he did have to lose weight — no one said how much — so he looked like he lived in District 12, where everyone is always scrapping for food. He also had to have his lighter locks dyed dark. (And yes, he’s the guy who is linked romantically to Miley Cyrus, 19.)

Photo from The Hunger Games: Official Illustrated Movie Companion

About the Tributes

Cato: The most evil tribute is played by Alexander Ludwig, 19. I’ve never seen him in anything but that’s because his biggest movie credit to date is 2009′s RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN. But he used to be an Abercrombie model. He told US that he worked with a Navy SEAL for his training.

Clove: Played by Isabelle Fuhrman, 15. She was sadistic main character in the thriller ORPHAN.

Foxface: I also don’t know this actor — Jacqueline Emerson, 17. PEOPLE says she was a “keyboardist in the Disney kiddie band Devo 2.0.” But she is friends with director Gary Ross’s daughter. Ross interviewed her to get a kid’s take on the books. Then he asked her to audition for the role.

Glimmer: Leven Rambin, 21, snagged this role. You’ve seen her on Grey’s Anatomy and Wizards of Waverly Place. But she’s probably best-known for playing look-alike half-sisters Lily Montgomery and Ava Benton on the daytime soap opera All My Children.

Marvel: Is played by (gulp — I feel old now) Jack Quaid, 19. Yup — he’s the son on actors Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. This is his feature film debut.

Rue: So cute. Amandla Stenberg, 13, handles the role. PEOPLE did a whole story on her. (PEOPLE noted that her mother — Karen Brailsford — is a former PEOPLE correspondent.) Never seen her before but she played younger version of Zoe Saldana’s character in COLOMBIANA. Her mom rolled her clothes in dirt and had her put twigs in her hair for her audition.

Thresh: Another debut. Dayo Okeniyi, 23, who grew up in Nigeria. Came to the U.S. for school and is a 2009 grad of Anderson University, where he studied graphic design.

That’s if for now. In the next post I’ll talk about some of the other characters, including Lenny Kravitz, who plays Cinna!

Until then, check out the music to the movie. Here’s a clip from Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars called “Safe & Sound”