By the time the first film in the franchise was released back in 2012, The Hunger Games trilogy of novels by author Suzanne Collins had already amassed more than 25 million book sales. With those kinds of numbers, it was always clear that the film franchise was destined to be a huge hit too.
The fourth novel, a prequel story titled The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, was released in May 2020. By 2021, Lionsgate had already begun working on pre-production of a film based on the new book. If you missed the first waves of hysteria that followed this massive franchise's every move, now might be the perfect time to catch up on the first four films and learn why this fascinating story and its ensemble cast of characters have been so popular. Here's a cast and character guide of the first four films to catch you up with whom the main characters are, and who the talented actors who played them were.
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
The main protagonist of the franchise, Katniss Everdeen is a resident of District 12 which lives in poverty. She lives with her mother and twelve-year-old sister. Katniss is a keen hunter, using a bow and arrows as her weapon of choice. Even hunting is controlled, so she often has to conduct her activities in secret to avoid arrest.
Katniss is horrified when, not her, but her younger sister Primrose is chosen at a ceremony called the reaping as the female tribute from their district to take part in a brutal tournament to the death known as the Hunger Games. This deadly competition is run by the autocratic Capitol of the dystopian society they live in. Katniss volunteers in her sister's place and thus becomes the female tribute from District 12. After being taken to the Capitol, she grows closer to the male tribute chosen from her district and the two look out for each other.
While she possesses some skills and is lethal with a bow, the odds are stacked against her in The Hunger Games since tributes from other districts are often bigger, stronger, or better trained to survive. From the beginning, Katniss reluctantly uses her training and the people assigned to her by The Capitol to craft her image for the televised portions of the games.
Despite being an underdog, by defying the odds, Katniss inadvertently becomes a symbol that sparks the idea of rebellion and a revolution to the overthrow the Capitol. However, the Capitol doesn't fight fair, and they have all the power and resources so Katniss' status as a symbol of hope may not be enough to achieve this.
The iconic role is played by Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence was already a young actress on the rise, having appeared in X-Men: First Class the year before. However, Lawrence's role as the main character in The Hunger Games catapulted her to global stardom, and she's been an A-lister ever since. 2012 proved to be a big year for Lawrence. Aside from being cast as Katniss, she also won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in The Silver Linings Playbook later that year.
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
Peeta Mellark was the son of a baker and previously proved to be a quiet character who just kept his head down. He knows Katniss from their days at school together and has always harbored a secret crush on her. He also once showed her a moment of kindness that kept her and her family from starving.
Peeta is chosen as the male tribute from District 12 and has to join Katniss in the Hunger Games. While she's impulsive and rebellious, Peeta proves more measured and cunning. He catches on quicker to the fact the best chance of survival is to learn as much as they can from training and present a likable character to earn the admiration of viewers who can help them with gifts in the games.
Katniss and Peeta's handlers and assistants from the Capitol devise a strategy to build an image around the two of them being a pair of star-crossed lovers to endear them to viewers. Peeta happily takes up this role and confesses during a televised interview to being in love with her. Katniss resists this plan but later goes along with it — all the while never knowing for sure if Peeta is simply playing The Hunger Games or really looking out for her. Peeta is strong and uses his training to master skills like camouflage to survive, but ultimately, he or Katniss may have to kill each other since only person can win the Hunger Games.
Peeta is played by Josh Hutcherson who was already something of a child star from his time in Journey to the Center of the Earth and its sequel. The Hunger Games films raised his profile even more, and Hutcherson has starred in many major projects shows ever since.
Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
A rebel like Katniss, Gale was previously her best friend and the pair often hunted together in District 12 before Katniss volunteered to take her sister's place in the games. The pair initially share a lot of romantic tension and it's uncertain whether Katniss and Gale may actually have feelings for each other.
Gale is forced to helplessly watch on as Katniss and Peeta bond once they are sent away together to compete in the Hunger Games. Since the games are televised, he has to watch their most intimate moments together in the arena, uncertain whether they really have fallen in love or are simply playing to the camera to endear themselves to viewers.
Gale is played by Liam Hemsworth, arguably the less famous brother of Chris Hemsworth, but still a major star in his own right. Liam's career has seen him appear in huge films such as Independence Day: Resurgence and many others.
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
As one of the few previous winners of the Hunger Games from District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is something of a folk hero in his district. However, the years since he miraculously managed to survive and win the games haven't been kind to him or his district. District 12 has never had a winner since Haymitch, and he suffers from a kind of PTSD from his time in the games and the life he's been forced to live after.
As a previous winner, he must serve the Capitol by acting as a mentor to new tributes from his District, training them and providing tips, insights, and a strategy to help them stay alive. Unfortunately, the many years of watching his tributes being killed have made him pessimistic. These days, he spends most of his time drunk and incoherent.
However, when he's assigned Katniss and Peeta as tributes, he sees a spark in them and this rouses his old spirit. He does his best to help them despite his bumbling, drunken stupors and Katniss's rebellious nature that makes her a hard person to teach. Nevertheless, Haymitch's determination to fight the Capitol is reignited by Katniss's endeavors, and he starts to become an increasingly important ally to her, and a member of the struggle against the Capitol that Katniss and Peeta help bring about.
The veteran star Woody Harrelson shines in the role of Haymitch. Harrelson is probably best known for his role in the legendary sitcom Cheers but has since become one of the most celebrated and talented actors in Hollywood. Harrelson's film and TV career spans some 45 years and too many major movies to even mention. He's been nominated for an Academy Award three times, including for Best Actor for his role in The People v. Larry Flynt.
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
Effie Trinket is an administrator from the Capitol and one of the more complex characters in the franchise. Her role as an escort of the tributes leads her to being one of the central advisors and public relations persons for Katniss and Peeta. Effie, in some ways, represents everything that is hated about the Capitol. She's prim and proper, dresses in lavish and outlandish outfits, has pink hair, and a face made up to clownish proportions.
She also insists that Katniss and Peeta act respectfully and tries to mold them to Capitol standards. Despite this, she's ultimately a good person at heart and is firmly on their side, despite having high standards when it comes to fashion and etiquette.
Effie is played by Elizabeth Banks who shines in the role and is almost unrecognizable behind Effie's ridiculous looks. Banks is of course known for her many roles in major films, many of which were outlandish comedies like Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Walk of Shame. She's also an accomplished director and producer. Having been the person behind the lens in the Pitch Perfect films, she recently notably also directed the hit film Cocaine Bear.
Lenny Kravitz as Cinna
Cinna is the personal stylist assigned to Katniss when she has to get ready for the public relations campaigns for her part in the Hunger Games. While his job was to create a fashionable look for her, he takes this role more seriously as he also uses it as a means of creating a persona around her that people can rally around.
Cinna is easily one of the most likable characters from the franchise. Aside from his soft-spoken, friendly, and encouraging personality, he's also revealed to have been a previous supporter of old rebellion and therefore plays a huge part in helping Katniss become a symbol to spark the new movement.
In the process, he comes up with some amazing designs for her look and an iconic look that sees her literally wearing outfits that have live flames built into it. This leads to Katniss being known as "the girl on fire" and becomes the first way in which she and Peeta stand out from other tributes and rally support for themselves. Of course, the Capitol doesn't take kindly to rebellious acts, so Cinna's courageous acts also places him in danger with the ruling class.
Cinna is played by rock legend Lenny Kravitz, who owns the role with his well known eye for flamboyant style seamlessly blending into Cinna's character. Aside from Kravitz's status as the musical legend behind the cover of the song "American Woman" that became more famous than the original, he's also made numerous appearances in TV shows and films such as Zoolander and Precious in addition to being a four-time Grammy Award-winning singer. If you didn't know it already, Kravitz is also the father of the now famous model and actress Zoë Kravitz, who has been in major films such as X-men: First Class and The Batman.
Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow
As the President of Panem, Coriolanus Snow is the ruler of the Capitol and the main antagonist of the franchise. He is known as an autocratic leader and scenes with him generally show him to be a conniving and ruthless leader who will use whatever means he can to crush resistance and the idea of revolution against the Capitol.
Given that Katniss sparks a new revolution among the districts, this places her in direct conflict with Snow and in a style reminiscent of many real-life dictatorships, she becomes an enemy of the State for standing up to it. We also learn that he's done things like poison masses of people and has previously forced winning tributes into prostituting themselves to high-ranking officials of the Capitol.
Snow hates being defied and will do anything to cling onto power. In the up-coming film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes based on the novel of the same name, Snow is one of the chief characters as the story acts a prequel that fleshes out the terrible events in his life that led to him gaining power and becoming as cruel and ruthless as he is.
In The Hunger Games films, President Snow is played by Donald Sutherland, who is a living legend that has been around the acting world since the '60s. He's appeared in over 90 films and many TV shows. While he's one of the greatest actors who's never won an Oscar, in 2017, he was honored with an Academy Honorary Award for his contributions to cinema.
Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman
Caesar Flickerman is the host for all the televised portions of the Hunger Games. He's a member of the Capitol but usually cuts a somewhat likable figure since he's a consummate talk show host who always plays to the camera. He treats Katniss, Peeta, and all the tributes respectfully, and even goads people like Katniss out of their shells in order to hype up viewers into rallying behind them.
Like most of the residents of the Capitol, his style is in direct contrast to the lives of the residents of the districts. Caesar wears bright and bold colors, is known to change the color of his hair and lips, and generally dresses in very exaggerated styles that flaunt the excesses of the Capitol while the districts live in poverty.
He's played by Stanley Tucci, who is a very talented and celebrated stage and screen actor. Tucci has appeared in a huge array of films, shows, and theater productions. He's also won five Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and has been nominated for an Academy Award. He's also a quietly brilliant director, responsible for underrated gems like Big Night and The Impostors.
Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane
One of the more ruthless members of the Capitol, Seneca Crane is the head game maker for the 74th annual Hunger Games, which is when Katniss and Peeta first compete. As the lead designer and director of the games, Seneca is in charge of how the arena will look, what obstacles it will have, and can order changes as the contestants are competing.
For example, when tributes are seen heading too far away from each and the games begins to bore viewers from a lack of action, Seneca will manipulate the arena by unleashing fires, or projectiles that herd contestants closer together, so fighting may be induced between them. While he starts of confident and smug, Katniss's antics in the arena cause President Snow to place enormous pressure on him to ensure the games do not become a platform for rebellion to brew.
Seneca is played by Wes Bentley whose impressive acting career has seen him play recurring roles in hit shows like American Horror Story and Yellowstone. He's also appeared in many major films such as Ghost Rider and in blockbusters like Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.
Amandla Stenberg as Rue
Rue is something of a tragic figure from the franchise. Playing a major part in the first book and film, she is one of the tributes from District 11. She is 12-years-old and therefore at an immediate disadvantage due to her age and size compared to other contestants. Despite this, she proves very smart and manages to outwit many of the older contestants.
From the beginning, she forms a bond with Katniss who can't help but see her as a little sister figure. Katniss feels for Rue since she reminds her of her own sister but unlike, Primrose, did not have someone who took her place in the games. They help each other survive and Katniss protects her as much as she can. Rue is played by Amandla Stenberg. Stenberg has since appeared in other films like The Hate you Give and is an outspoken activist voice for LGBTQ+ youth.
Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith
Claudius Templesmith is something of a fringe character. A resident of the Capitol, his main role is the announcer in the Hunger Games. He usually speaks with a large booming voice dripping with authority, but Katniss and Peeta later pull a stunt in the arena that causes him to become afraid and drop the facade.
He's played by Toby Jones, a veteran actor of small stature but a large screen presence with an impressive list of acting credits. Jones has made appearances in major films such as the MCU Captain America films and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, among a myriad of other films and TV shows.
Alexander Ludwig as Cato
As the main threat in the Hunger Games, Cato is a male tribute from District 2. His and other districts are known for training their children from a young age to prepare for being tributes if they are ever reaped. As a result, tributes like him are highly skilled and trained killers who are known to form alliances in the games to hunt down and kill weaker competitors.
Districts like Cato's therefore have a far higher winning rate and even have tributes that volunteer for the games. Cato is ruthless and aggressive and one of the most lethal players in the games. He's played by Alexander Ludwig who is now a well known actor for his major roles in shows like Vikings and films like Bad Boys for Life.
Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove
Clove is the female version of Cato. She's strong and aggressive and part of the line of tributes known as "career tributes" since they train their whole lives for the games. She proves a formidable foe in the games and is particularly hateful of Katniss for outshining her in training.
Clove is sadistic and probably even a little psychotic. She is ably played by Isabelle Fuhrman, an actress who has a cult following for her role as the titillating character Esther in the horror film Orphan and its 2022 prequel Orphan: First Kill.
Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh
Thresh starts of as a menacing contestant in the games and one that Katniss believes is one of the biggest threats due to his physical size and strength. Despite this, he comes from the same district as Rue and Katniss comes to respect their district from what Rue has told her about their people.
Thresh shows a softer side and even spares Katniss in the arena after learning that she saved Rue. He's played by Dayo Okeniyi, a Nigerian-American actor who is known for his minor parts in films such as Terminator Genisys.
Paula Malcomson as Mrs. Everdeen
Paula Malcomson plays Katniss Everdeen's mother. The role begins as a minor one since she's forced to stay back home and care for her younger daughter while Katniss has to compete in the Hunger Games. Although a skilled healer who knows how to use herbs and plants to mend injuries and treat illnesses, she switched off emotionally after her husband was killed.
This forced Katniss to fend for the family. When Katniss leaves, she makes her mother promise her that she will care for Primrose. Paula Malcomson is a successful actress best known for roles in major films like The Green Mile and her recurring role in the hit show Ray Donovan.
Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen
Primrose Everdeen starts off as a young and helpless girl. When she's chosen at the reaping, her older sister Katniss takes her place, and the entire history of District 12 is forever altered by this choice. She is the opposite of Katniss in ways. While Katniss is a strong person and a hunter, Primrose is more sensitive and has a talent for healing like their mother.
Primrose was played by Willow Shields, a young up-and-coming actress who has continued making films since her time in The Hunger Games franchise, recently starring alongside Bruce Willis in Detective Knight: Independence.
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee
Plutarch Heavensbee becomes the lead Game Maker in the second film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and replaces Seneca Crane. Although a member of the Capitol, it's later revealed that Plutarch is a leader of the resistance and is a friend of the districts.
He's played by the brilliant actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman of course was known as one of the most talented actors of his generation. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Capote, one of Hoffman's 55 films. Tragically, in 2014, Hoffman was found dead from a drug overdose in his Manhattan apartment. His death was a huge loss for the acting world due to his amazing talent and humble reputation in spite of this. He was 46 at the time.
Here's a clip of a tribute video that was in memory of the wonderful actor that Hoffman was.
Jeffrey Wright as Beetee Latier
One of the male tributes in the 75th Hunger Games, Beetee Latier was an electronics master and contributed to the technological advancement of the Capitol. He's a former champion who won his game by electrocuting many tributes at once. He joins the resistance in the second film, and has a history with the Capitol.
Beetee is played by Jeffrey Wright who is a multi-award winning actor who's been around since the early '90s. He has an impressive list of acting credits and was most recently handed one of his standout roles when he was cast as Jim Gordon in The Batman.
Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair
Finnick Odair was a former member of the old resistance. A tribute from District 4, he's also a former champion, with a reputation as a sex symbol among women in the Capitol but later falls in love with another character named Annie. Katniss is reluctant to accept his help since he doesn't trust him.
He's played by Sam Claflin, a British actor, himself known to be a sex symbol, and recognizable for his roles in films such as the romantic novel-inspired film Me Before You, where he starred alongside Emilia Clarke (Khaleesi from Game of Thrones).
Jena Malone as Johanna Mason
Johanna Mason proves to be a highly competent and dangerous former champion herself. She also has a fiery personality that causes her to butt heads with Katniss despite them being on the same side. She has a major score to settle with the Capitol since its implied that her family was killed when she refused to be prostituted by it - a courageous choice that would one day echo the experiences of the actress who played her wile on set.
She's played by Jena Malone, who is well-known for her numerous film, TV, and theater roles such as in 2001's Donnie Darko and 2005's Pride & Prejudice.
Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin
President Alma Coin was the leader of District 13 and the leader of the second rebellion. When she meets Katniss who is billed as the symbol that the new resistance is built around, she immediately seems nasty toward her. Katniss dislikes her at first but soon learns to value her true personality and principles. However, all may still not be as it seems with her.
Coin is played by Julianne Moore, an actress who has been prolific in films since the early '90s, wracking up huge amounts of accolades, fans, and respect from her peers in the process. One of Moore's most memorable roles was in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and she's since been in too many other major films and shows to even count. Moore has been nominated for five Academy Awards, finally winning one for Best Actress in the 2015 film, Still Alice, amid a colossal list of other major honors and nominations.
Natalie Dormer as Cressida
Cressida is a member of the Capitol who worked as a film director. She later joins up with the rebellion and brings along her camera crew consisting of characters known as Castor and Pollux.
Cressida, although something of a fringe character in The Hunger Games franchise, is played by Natalie Dormer who is much better known for her larger role in the Game of Thrones franchise, where she played the sultry character, Margaery Tyrell.
Mahershala Ali as Boggs
Joseph Boggs is a close associate of President Coin and her military advisor. He joins her and the rest of the members who form part of the second rebellion. Boggs is played by Mahershala Ali. Ali is a critically acclaimed actor who's appeared in films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and shows like House of Cards. Ali is a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in Moonlight and Green Book.
Michelle Forbes as Lieutenant Jackson
By the time the Hunger Games film franchise reached its fourth installment, Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, much of the plot had shifted to the rebellion story arcs and the games themselves remained a distant memory as the catalyst that caused them.
Joining the rebellion efforts, Lieutenant Jackson was a soldier from District 13 and the second-in-charge after Boggs. Jackson is played by Michelle Forbes, an actress with a long list of TV credits that include roles in major shows like Prison Break and New Amsterdam.
Patina Miller as Commander Paylor
Commander Paylor is the leader of the rebel forces from District 8 when the second rebellion breaks out. She plays a big part in the struggle and an even larger part when it's over. Paylor is played by Patina Miller, a veteran of shows like All My Children and Madam Secretary.
So there it is — this covers the bulk of the main characters that make up the cast of the first four Hunger Games films. While the story and plot develops in each one, the overall enjoyment factor and entertainment value of the franchise has never dulled. Now that the latest book in the novel series is months away from having its own film released, there's naturally been a great deal of interest in the cast and characters who will feature in it.
Without giving too much away, what's known for sure is that the main character will be President Snow as a younger man. Snow will be played by Tom Blyth, an English actor known for his role in films like Benediction. The main female lead in the film will be Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird. Baird is the female tribute from District 12 who forms a close connection to Snow while Zegler is known for her role in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Other notable cast and character members will include Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Hoff, the head Game Maker, and the brilliant Peter Dinklage as one of the creators of the Hunger Games in the film. With a cast like that, and the success of the first four films at its backs, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes looks set to be every bit as entertaining and successful as its predecessors have been.