For Maya Hawke, landing a role in The Hunger Gamesis not just another blockbuster gig–it’s kind of full-circle moment actors dream about.
The Stranger Thingsstar is set to play a younger Wiress in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and she says the opportunity feels deeply personal because Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen first inspired her to chase acting.
“I credit the original Hunger Games movie a lot with inspiring me to want to be an actor, honestly,” Hawke told People magazine.
She didn’t just praise Lawrence’s performance—she explained why it stood out in a genre where memorable acting can easily get lost.
“It’s so hard to give a good performance in a big action movie, because so many pieces in the machine are usually working against the capacity to give a good performance,” she said.
“In those movies, she gave a performance so singularly excellent and weird, and she painted a true individual that was not at all neutralised by the genre.”
Now Hawke gets to become part of the very franchise that sparked her ambition.
Although she admitted her role is relatively small, that hasn’t dimmed her excitement.
“My part is very small, but I’m excited. I love my character. I am so excited to get to see the movie and to be a fan,” she said.
With a laugh, she added, “I hope I’m not the outcast who didn’t get it.”
For Hawke, stepping into Panem isn’t just another acting credit—it’s a chance to walk into the world that first convinced her she belonged on screen.
2026-07-12 17:56:00
