Josh Hutcherson Hated Part of His ‘Hunger Games’ Look

The Hunger Games film franchise made waves at the box office, making a star out of the lead performer, Jennifer Lawrence, and winning accolades from critics. The series, which began with The Hunger Games in 2012, featured an ensemble cast of talented actors, including Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark.

Although the last of the movies was released in 2015, the series remains extremely popular with fans, especially those who have read the books that the films were based on. The Hunger Games films have a very identifiable look, with outrageous hair and costumes—and several of the stars, including Hutcherson, “hated” the hairstyles that they were given. 

Josh Hutcherson starred in the ‘Hunger Games’ franchise

The Hunger Games tells the story of a young woman named Katniss Everdeen, who rebels against the dystopian society in which she lives. After competing in a brutal challenge known as “the hunger games,” Katniss becomes a figurehead for society’s downtrodden, and eventually ends up leading a full-blown revolution, losing some of the people she loves the most in the process.

Casting for The Hunger Games was an ordeal, and many fans were invested in the performers who would be bringing the beloved characters to life. When Hutcherson was cast as Peeta Mellark, Katniss’s male counterpart in the hunger games, fans were ecstatic. Hutcherson, a former child star, seemed like the perfect choice to play Peeta, and when the first film was released, the young actor was praised for his hard work and believable performance. 

What did Josh Hutcherson say about hating his hair for ‘The Hunger Games’?

The Hunger Games films are a visual spectacle, with incredible special effects and elaborate hair and makeup. Although Hutcherson’s look as Peeta was relatively low-key compared to some of the colorful hairstyles featured in the movies, the actor still looked significantly different onscreen. This was primarily due to the fact that the dark-haired actor had to dye his hair blonde in order to bring the character of Peeta to life.

According to Cosmopolitan, Hutcherson’s hair had to be bleached for the duration of filming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It took three hairstylists to work with Hutcherson’s hair in order to get the proper shade of blonde. Eventually, head hairstylist Linda Flowers had to step in and give it a try, finally getting Hutcherson’s hair as light as showrunners wanted it to be.

Still, the process was exhausting for Hutcherson, who reportedly “hated” his blonde hair. In a 2015 interview with ABC News, the actor opened up about the experience. As reported by CinemaBlend, Hutcherson said “I’m excited to shed the blonde hair! That’s the thing that I was like, ‘Get out of here!’ Having to do touch ups all the time and get my hair redyed and bleached, was not my thing at all.”

What is Josh Hutcherson doing now?

In the years since the Hunger Games franchise shot Hutcherson to stardom, the actor has been intentionally choosing roles in smaller productions. He’s lent his talents to movies like In Dubious Battle, The Disaster Artist, Tragedy Girls, and Burn. He’s also acted in some television projects, including, most notably, the science fiction series Future Man, which ran from 2017 until 2020. 

Hutcherson might not be as big of a name in Hollywood as he was a few years ago, but he’s still working steadily on projects that inspire him. He’s also a tireless advocate for charitable causes, regularly lending his support to worthwhile organizations such as The Trevor Project.