MTV asks Hunter Parrish about Finnick

He knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t seem right for the part in so many ways, I’m glad he said “I wouldn’t cast myself.” even though so many people would give anything to be a part of the franchise.

He sounds wounded more than anything. And he still hasn’t seen THG?! Are you serious?! No thank you for Finnick. Praying its Garrett.

He needs to work on his interview skills. He sounds like he’s pissed cuz he didn’t get the first role. Thank god he’s not Peeta don’t think he could of pulled it off. He cant get a sentence out without looking weird or uh uh I means. No for Peeta and NO for Finnick. He’s not good looking. Did he gain weight?

The only reason he’s been fancasted is because he was in the running for Peeta. He doesn’t really really match the physical description (and hey, he knows it), not that it’s particularly deterred the casting people before. I don’t think he looks old enough to have a 7-8 year age gap between him and Katniss and Peeta, and I think it’s important that Finnick look more “adult” than they do.

The real reason I wouldn’t want him though is much pettier- dollars to doughnuts that he’d act circles around Josh Hutcherson (I know it’s not a popular opinion in fandom circles, but I found Hutcherson to be a weak link in an awesome cast and he was only bearable because others carried his performance), and that would just be depressing.

Also, the video isn’t available for all overseas viewers. I’m based in the UK and I can’t view it.

He looks too young relative to Katniss and Peeta. I’ve never seen Weeds, but this awkward interview certainly isn’t recommending him to me for the part of Finnick.

He can’t want Finnick that badly – or be such a huge fan of the books – if he hasn’t even seen the movie yet. Very poorly played on his part. Definitely sounds like sour grapes to me.

Also, in this interview he comes off as part weirdo and part tool. Contrasting this with Hutch’s mad interviewing prowess, I can’t believe people ever thought this guy was right for Peeta.

FWIW, I found almost no fault with Hutch’s acting (I found much more with Jen’s), but I did have a huge problem with the way the script decimated Peeta’s character. Hutch really got shafted there.

@SPM I remember at some point during the casting process for Peeta, or maybe it was later recounting, SC said something about the character/actor really needing to have a facility for language.  Then, the script didn’t include many of Peeta’s cleverest book lines, there’s no argument on the roof (or, rather, in the window) the night before the Games, very little of Peeta making a stand against Katniss  going to the Feast, etc.  We actually have him asking a lot of questions, like, “What’s that?” “Why not?” “Like what?” Book Peeta is smart and I love him. I think Josh Hutcherson was a great, out of the box casting choice, but the script (and possibly editing, but I lean towards the script) diminished the character. So frustrating!

That’s why my major concerns are about the script, and I wish we would hear some official news as to whether it’s completed or who is working on it, if filming is supposed to be underway in a couple of months.  Rumor had it that Finnicks are auditioning with the sugar cube scene among others, but will this scene actually make the script? I know that this is Katniss’s story, but I really hope that more care is taken with characterizing the supporting players this time around, particularly new ones like Finnick, Beetee and Johanna. Hopefully, too, they intend on deepening characterization for returning players like Peeta and  Haymitch. I think that’s why I have more ideas on who I don’t like as Finnick over who is my ideal.  Even with the perfect actor….if the lines and actions aren’t true to the book character, it’s just not going to come off right.

@Kaleiney – yes, the sad thing is that Hutch, who is unusually articulate, really does have a facility for language. I hadn’t thought about the specific script instances you cite, but…ouch. That’s dead on.

I mean, can we imagine movie Peeta standing up to make book Peeta’s heroic D11 speech in CF? He was the strong one there, the one who inspired Katniss to overcome her fears and speak out. Same in the arena with the locket and his speech about her family. (CF was when I really started falling for Peeta, LOL.) This is, of course, not to mention how ridiculous the romantic angle will seem if movie Peeta continues as he has.

Katniss wasn’t always the hero; she wasn’t always the tough one. I fear in the attempt to make THG a Katniss- and Jen-centered movie, the writers may have infantilized Peeta to an irreparable degree.

No. Just no.

I can’t see him as finnick and I don’t think he really wants it anyway. I think Ian Somerhalder would be perfect for finnick!

I never got why people want him for this… Too short, looks too young.

@SPM — I hear ya!

So, to return to the topic. I don’t see HP as Finnick, but I am starting to warm up to the idea of Garrett Hedlund, though I think he’ll be too busy. (And I suppose I meant “outside the box” in my prior posting, if even that makes sense.)

No way! Not him! But I never thought about Ian Somerhalder for the part until I read that comment, I was really hung up on garret, but now that I think about it Ian would be perfect!

you know, when i get a mockingjay.net tweet at 1:30 in the morning, my immediate response is to FUHREAK OUT because i keep thinking “gosh, it must be REALLY important, to post it at this hour!” but this time i held back and remembered that it was probably tash, who’s on a different timezone and it was probably like 10 am for her, so no need to rush. my tired self appreciated this realization, as i was able to go to sleep instead of rolling around in anxiety all night.

anyway, once i finally got around to watching this interview this morning… well. i love hunter parrish, i think he’s one of the most stunning men out there. i never got to “fancast” him, because when i came into the fandom, josh had already been cast; but honestly, he’s always looked more finnick than peeta to me, precisely BECAUSE he’s so physically stunning. that said, there are many other actors out there that fit my mental image of finnick much better, so he wouldn’t be my choice for the role, either.

(and yeah, this was a weird interview. he came across as a very sore loser. not very good PR, hunter).

I sincerely hope it’s Garrett Hedlund in the end

He is eternally my Peeta, sorry Josh :-/

@SPM and Kaleiney: I totally agree with you about the movie Peeta and the book Peeta.

Hunter Parrish for Finnick? No.

I still would have liked him for Peeta. Josh never did it for me, in acting or in looks.

Could I see him as Finnick? I don’t know. Maybe. I think he could act the part.

People are dogging him for not being articulate and that is incredibly unfair. I see his dilemma. He wants the job, but is trying not to get his hopes up, and be politically correct while answering this question all at once.

He is not an idiot. He knew he was the fan favorite for Peeta. obviously he had high hopes for the Peeta role or he wouldn’t have read all 3 books before getting the part. He was disappointed, and after seeing how the hunger games was received by fans, critiques, and the general public, who wouldn’t be?

I think he isn’t the perfect Finnick, but I would be happy if he were cast. I do believe he has a lot of talent as an actor. I also think he is significantly older looking than Josh and Jennifer (especially considering what they could do with makeup). I also think he is considerably larger in width than Josh and Jennifer to make up for his height. Believe me, they could do much worse.

Armie Hammer? gross.

I keep refreshing the main page, thinking “Finnick could be cast any second….” Lol, I just want to be one of the first to know ;D

No, he wasn’t right for Peeta and an even worse pick for Finnick.

Haha I don’t know the guy so I can’t really make fun of him but I’m just saying… someone sounds like they have sour grapes… I mean who on earth hasn’t seen THG, at this point? Can’t bear to see it it seems. Although I can’t blame him, if I got this close to taking on the iconic and amazing role of Peeta (assuming I was male, of course) and lost it, I’d have sour grapes too.

Beyond that rant, I don’t think he’s right for Finnick. Simply too young.

I definitely see him as Finnick

Hunter Parrish would be GREAT as Finnick!!! He’s got the looks, but I’ve never seen him act. I can TOTALLY see him as Finnick.

@carla – LOL! Sorry to cause you momentary anxiety It was about 4pm my time when I posted the vid yesterday, usually most of the good stuff happens when I’m sleeping but sometimes its the other way around, so its good to have a spread of time zones for us news posters (I constantly freak the girls out because its like I’ve time traveled, as usually when we’re chatting I’m into the next day)

@Anon – terribly sorry, the video was definitely available to me here which is usually a good sign its available worldwide. I will go looking for another link to include

For viewers who are unable to watch the above I have added a link to YouTube

@peetalover10
He is a really great actor. I saw him in godspell on broadway a couple months back, and he was AMAZING. Really, amazing.

Also, people keep saying that he isn’t really devoted enough or seems like he doesn’t care, and then add someone who they think would be better. Yet, those people they suggest probably don’t care as much as Hunter does. He really wanted the Peeta gig last year, and was really bummed when he didn’t get it. He even tweeted a pic of a loaf of bread! And he also seems really level about the whole thing, even complimenting josh. I think he would be fine.

JOSH IS THE PERFECT PEETA.

JOSH IS MY PEETA.

JOSH IS A WONDERFUL PEETA.

HUNTER PARRISH IS NOT, AND ISN’T FINNICK EITHER.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. (lol)

Ok, I just noticed that for some reason, this site does NOT have the “Searching for Finnick Odair: Hunter Parrish” article that was featured on other fansites like DWTC (and I know the DWTC admins really like Hunter). Weird. Anyway, from the interview itself, I can see why fans wanted this guy for Peeta, who in book canon actually does act “wounded” and bitter at times, as nice and humble as he is most of the time — and Hunter seems to show both sides in this interview. Would have been interesting to see his take on the character.

As for the question of, does the THG movie “infantilize” Peeta, I think maybe it did a little, but I don’t feel as strongly about it as some others here; I wouldn’t say they ruined his character or anything. And I know GR purposefully toned down the romance; ironic, because most of the fan concerns *before* the movie came out was that it would focus too much on the romance, but after, most of the complaints were about the *lack* of romance.

Uh, to get back on topic; I think, however, that the same qualities that might have made Hunter a decent Peeta, don’t really recommend him for Finnick. Though he’s 25, and close to Finnick’s age of 24 in the books, he’s a young-looking 25, and appears to be around the same age as Jen Lawrence. Which would have worked fine for Peeta, but not for Finnick, I think. I don’t think he’d be a total disaster, but my gut feeling is that there are better choices out there.

You mean he’s still bitter over this?

Seriously bad PR. I read a interview with him a week after THG was in the theaters and he was extremely bitter. Based on what I have learned about the entertainment industry, being bitter doesn’t get you anywhere – even if you have loads of talent. Perhaps it’s a good thing he wasn’t cast as Peeta — given his bitterness now who knows if he’ll end up as a primadonna when things don’t go his way in the actual movie production. (Alex Pettyfer anyone?)

I feel sorry for him. He set himself up for the fall. Sure he was a fan favorite, but apparent he didn’t have what it takes to convince Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins. I saw the image that he tweeted — the bread image and it seems like he was caught up in the fan fervor or he was riling up the fans to pressure the production to pick him. That said, I’m so glad he wasn’t chosen as Peeta. And I’ll definitely say no to him being cast as Finnick if that’s his attitude.

Gas anyone considered Drew Seeley????? I think he would be an amazing and not to mention hot Finnick!

And too bad Josh is already playing Peeta (not really. He is a sweetheart. And a curie. And hottie.) He could play finnick if he weren’t. Intact, if he weren’t peeta, then he would be able to play every role in the movie! Including Haymitch, Effie, Prez, Prim, and Katniss! THAT’S how good of an actor he is!!!

I didn’t see anything wrong with what Hunter said in this interview. Of course he’s disappointed, but he’s still smiling and trying not to let himself get his hopes up again. What’s wrong with trying not to get too excited about something that might not happen? All the time, actors who initially audition for one role end up getting another one in the same movie. Isabella wanted the Katniss role but ended up getting Clove instead and was still happy. Alexander wanted the Peeta role but he got Cato instead, and again, was still thrilled to be in the movie. The same could happen for Hunter (though I know it most likely won’t). He was dying to play Peeta, but like he said, he would love to play Finnick. Just because it wasn’t his first choice doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it. Anyway, I know people still think he wouldn’t fit the Finnick they have in their minds and that’s fine. I just really don’t think what he said was that bad. To me, it can get a little odd when actors throw themselves out there and say they think they’re perfect to play a character who is written as being extremely attractive. lol

gahhhh. this is wounding me. i wanted hunter to be peeta so bad. josh was great but hunter will always be peeta to me. just for that reason, i can never see hunter as finnick.

I agree with what the others said. It’s a bad PR move to appear so bitter. Hunter isn’t the only good looking guy out there. There are a dime a dozen in Hollywood. Actors will face numerous rejections before getting anything. Hunter acting bitter shows his maturity as an actor. Unfortunately, it doesn’t cast him in a good light. Personally, I think he would have made a horrible Peeta. I just don’t see it in him. Well he would make a worst Finnick. I’d rather take Zac Efron over him

…What are people talking about? He doesn’t seem wounded at all. He sounds disappointed, but he’s clearly being classy about it. Way to make a storm out of nothing.

Holy crap. He is smokin’ hot. I could picture him playing Finnick. I think he was very sweet here, and I couldn’t help giggling at his self-deprecating humor. Picturing him saying “Want a sugar cube?” might be bad for my marriage, though. Teehee.

NO

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NO. Hunter Parrish is not Finnick. End of story.

I don’t think that Parrish sounds bitter at all, to be honest…I mean, he seems to have quite a self-deprecating sense of humor. He probably just came off as a little uncomfortable about getting so emotionally invested in a certain role and then getting shot down like last time, especially since the casting for a role in a major franchise is bound to be über competitive, not just in the actual casting but also with a largely opinionated fan base.

That said, his height doesn’t make him an ideal actor for Finnick (as he even admitted, haha), and from his responses I think we can gather that he probably didn’t audition for the role at the end of May.

To me, he sounded sweet and a little socially awkward…I actually kind of wanted to give him a hug, ahaha

Sorry, he’s not hot enough to be Finnick.

I agree, the interview didn’t make him look bitter at all, he just act’s silly like that sometimes. I can see him as Finnick, to me he kinda of is Finnick. His personality is impeccable, and always reminded me of Finnick before the movies were even an idea. I do agree his height isn’t in his favor. But it’s just that. He’s up to scale on everything else. If you’ve ever seen Weeds then you’d understand.

YES! I’ve been saying it forever, this boy is Finnick!!

Oh my god people. For all we know this was filmed WEEKS ago if not months ago. And it was probably filmed months ago if he still hadn’t seen the movie. He has a life and just because he hasn’t seen the movie doesn’t mean he’s not a “real” fan, whatever that means.

I don’t think he sounds pissed in this interview, he sounds really mature and real about things. I’ve always loved Hunter and although I think Josh is a good Peeta, this kind of hurts my heart because I was 100% for Hunter getting the part of Peeta haha.

It’s very interesting how some people think Hunter sounds bitter and resentful, while others thought he was being mature and real about not getting Peeta’s role. Good point Courtney that this may have been recorded weeks ago. Also, I really would shy away from judging a person so harshly based on a few minutes from one interview.

Also, I don’t think that whether an actor, or director, or anyone else involved in the film production is a “fan” or not should be a major factor in whether they’re cast. Also, not to be cynical, but it’s pretty easy for *anyone” to claim they’re a fan of the books. It seems most of the actors cast for the first film only read the books after they were approached about auditioning; even Josh Hutcherson hadn’t read the books until shortly before he auditioned, and he said recently that he should probably re-read Catching Fire soon, because he hadn’t read it in a while. Now, I don’t quite see Hunter as being right for Finnick, but as a general rule, I really don’t mind if whoever does play Finnick was a “fan” prior to when he threw his hat in the ring to be considered to play the part. Same for those who wind up playing other parts like Johanna.

oh puh-lease. he does NOT come across bitter in this interview. clearly hunter is still upset about not getting peeta and rightfully so. give him a damn break, he will see the movie when the time is right.

and no, this interview was filmed a couple of days ago and from what i can gather, hunter has auditioned for finnick – according to his sister-in-law, so lets see what happens.

never thought of this, but i was thinking ian somerhalder could play finnick. i watch him in the show vampire diaries, and i think that he is a brilliant actor. he also looks soooo hot with light hair

I really don’t want him to play Finnick. To me he will ALWAYS be Peeta and seeing him as someone else would just be too strange.
Also, seeing the movie or not doesn’t define whether you’re a true fan. It took me ages to finally go see this movie because I was so scared of what they’d done to it. My favourite book in the world is The Book Thief by Markus Zuskak. I’ve read it more times than I could keep track of. But I don’t think I will go see the movie for it at all.

Whoever they cast won’t work if they cut away all the important and characteristic dialogue like they did with Peeta “Yes and I’m so sure there are going to be sacks of flour for me to chuck at people in the arena” becomes, “I have *no* chance of winning!”, “Here to finish me off, sweetheart?” becomes “Hi”, and “One more time, for the cameras?” becomes “I don’t want to forget *cue clinginess*”. I shudder to think what they’re going to do with Finnick and Annie. And yes, I do hate the movie.