Josh Hutcherson On Post-Hunger Games Struggles: “I Didn’t Learn Rejection Ever”

by

I’ve always been a big fan of Josh Hutcherson, and I recently learned about some of the difficulties he went through after becoming famous for playing Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games. He was amazing as the tribute from District 12, competing against Katniss and the others. It’s incredible to think he continued with the role through Catching Fire and both parts of Mockingjay too!

Josh Hutcherson had been in several films before, including Zathura: A Space Adventure, Bridge to Terabithia, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and The Kids Are All Right. However, it was his role in The Hunger Games that truly launched his career and made him famous.

The actor shared with Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the Dinner’s on Me podcast that his success wasn’t without its downsides.

Hutcherson confessed he never really learned how to handle rejection after finding fame. He achieved huge success very quickly, especially with The Hunger Games, and initially thought it would secure his future, or so he was led to believe.

It’s a strange situation in the entertainment world: after being in a blockbuster movie series that earns billions, someone can suddenly be told they’ve ‘made it,’ even though a lot can still change.

I never experienced failure; from age nine to twenty-four, everything I did was successful. Then came the period after the Hunger Games films. The movie really changed things. The entertainment industry is difficult because it quickly creates a sense of arrival – you suddenly find yourself working with major stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and you’re a key part of a blockbuster film that earns billions.

He’d become a successful actor – so much so that he often got cast in the roles he auditioned for. However, as Julian Hutcherson discovered, that wasn’t actually the case in real life.

Becoming famous so quickly with The Hunger Games was followed by a difficult period in his mid-20s. He began to feel discouraged by constant rejection and a lack of job offers in film and television, as he wasn’t getting any roles despite numerous auditions.

It felt like a long stretch of rejections – no calls, no job offers, and constantly auditioning without getting the part. For years, I’d always booked roles, ever since I was a kid, so I assumed that would continue. While I knew I wouldn’t get every role, I naturally expected to land most of the auditions I went to. It was a shock to realize that’s just not how things work.

Following the release of the last Hunger Games movie in 2015, Alex Hutcherson kept acting, taking roles in films such as The Disaster Artist, Tragedy Girls, Burn, and 57 Seconds. However, none of these films generated significant attention or excitement.

Two years ago, the actor’s career began to turn around thanks to his role in Five Nights at Freddy’s. The movie was a big success, earning $297.1 million despite only costing $20 million to make.

I was so excited to go back for more with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2! It just hit theaters and is already breaking records for post-Thanksgiving releases. It actually opened at number one, bringing in a huge $113.6 million over the weekend!

Both movies were poorly reviewed by critics – the first received a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the second only 15%. However, despite the negative reviews, both films performed well at the box office, showing that audiences had a different opinion.

Josh Hutcherson is currently appearing in the HBO comedy series I Love LA, created by Rachel Sennott. The show has been well-received, earning an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and its final episode will air on December 21st.

Hutcherson’s career is definitely gaining momentum again, as we’ve seen recently. While success in Hollywood is never a sure thing – and he knows that firsthand – he persevered after his role in The Hunger Games and is now starting to see his hard work and talent pay off.

Read More

2025-12-10 20:29