Teen Vogue talks to Catching Fire Cast

Teen Vogue's latest issue includes an interview with Willow Shields, Jennifer Lawrence, and a small Q&A with both Jennifer and Sam Claflin.

Willow on learning to identify with Prim:
"My sister, Autumn, and I are twins [...], Shooting a dramatic scene like the reaping, I imagine it happening to Autumn in real life. Having a sister is very helpful for this role."

On Mockingjay:
"What Prim has to do in Mockingjay will be a real challenge. But I love a challenge."

The article is definitely worth checking out for the banter between Jen and Sam:

Sam: I first bumped into you at stunt training. Your archery put me to shame. I was quite intimidated.
Jen: By the sight of my face!
Sam: Yeah, it really put me off. 

Image courtesy of QuarterQuell.org 

Image courtesy of QuarterQuell.org

Image courtesy of QuarterQuell.org

Sam Claflin interview in Elle Magazine

Courtesy of Sam Claflin FansThere is an incredibly charming interview with Sam Claflin (okay, I'm biased - MC) in the latest issue of Elle UK. In it, he speaks about his newfound fame, wife Laura Haddock, and, of course, playing Finnick in Catching Fire.


An excerpt:

In the book, Katniss describes Finnick thus: 'An amazing physical specimen. One of the most stunning, sensuous people on the planet.' Sam Calflin wiggles awkwardly in his chair. 'Ha, yeah, miscast!' he grins. This was the complaint from certaint sectors of the Hunger Games' fans, who took issue with Claflin's casting; he wasn't manly enough, muscular enough, bronzed enough. 'I saw people's reactions and some were harsh. Not to the point where I'm going to kill myself but I thought "I'm sorry I'm not YOUR Finnick. Trust me, when I read the book, I didn't see me as Finnick either!"' he smiles.

But looks aren't everything and Claflin aced it. 'He's a very complex character and you have to be able to portray the vulnerabilities as well as the charm and charisma. There was something I did with the acting part of it that they liked,' he says, with a shrug. 

You can read the rest over here, courtesy of Sam Claflin Fans. 

 Courtesy of Sam Claflin Fans

Sam Claflin Spread in Nylon Guys

Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair), poised for international fame pending Catching Fire's release, has been featured in this month's issue of Nylon Guys, a men's fashion magazine.

“I’m one of those people who, the moment they say ‘cut,’ I go back to being Sam. Take Finnick Odair, for example: I’m not one to continue my American accent when I go home. I’m kind of happy being who I am, and I guess I’ve learned from the best. Like Jennifer Lawrence, who can literally be joking with you on set until the moment they say “action,” then cry on the spot. She’s just phenomenal to watch, and that’s the way I want to work.”

Sam rehearsing the monket mutt scene in Catching Fire?

Images are courtesy of Sam Claflin Fans

 

Sam Claflin in Variety - 10 Brits To Watch

Here's the cover and the article from the Variety "10 Brits To Watch" we told you about here.

In a few short years since graduating from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2009, the actor has seen his career take off, thanks to a series of modest yet effective roles in films and tv productions, both local and international. They include the BBC's United, and Channel 4/Starz miniseries Pillars of the Earth, and the features Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Snow White and the Huntsman.

Of course, all that success now pales in comparison to the global super stardom promised by his latest role - that of heroic heartthrob and fan favorite Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, due out in November.

The 27-year-old Brit reportedly beat out such higher profile names as Taylor Kitch and Armie Hammer for the part of the tall, toned, blond and tan Odair, despite showing up for his audition "with a stubbly face and very pale English skin, long brown hair, and, to be honest, out of shape," as he told Elle Magazine

Claflin, whose fast growing resume now includes The Quiet Ones, Love Rosie, and the next installment in The Hunger Games franchise, quickly hit up the gym and the hair dye to achieve, as he's wryly described his transformation, "a semblance of that perfection" fans are expecting.

Sam Claflin for British Airways

First off: how adorable is he? Come on. Seriously.

British Airways has debuted its new "Red Carpet Route" - a direct from Los Angeles to London on their new Airbus A380 - with Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair) as one of their spokesmen! 

"We currently fly three flights a day from LA to London and are proud to be strengthening our connection between these two entertainment capitals with the largest and most luxurious aircraft in our fleet," said Sean Doyle, EVP Americas for British Airways.

Celebrating the connection between two entertainment capitals of the world, British Airways has partnered with Varietymagazine to present "10 Brits to Watch". The best emerging U.K. talent in Hollywood will be recognized at a red carpet event on September 25.

At the premiere party, guests will experience signature elements of the A380 while honoring the magazine's "10 Brits to Watch."  These up-and-coming actors, writers, directors and musicians include Sam Claflin, Tuppence Middleton, Harry Treadaway,Sally El Housani, Gugu Mbatha Raw, Georgia King, Ed Whitworth, George Blagden, Alexandra McGuiness and Lauren Harris.

 Image and Text from PR News Wire.com

Video: A Thank You Message From Sam Claflin

The Hunger Games official facebook page just hit 10 million likes, and Sam Claflin has a little thank you message for the tributes PLUS the Catching Fire trailer plays immediately after the message! That NEVER gets old. 

Sam Claflin on 'Catching Fire' - "This saga occupies an important place in the hearts of millions of people."

In a new interview, Sam Claflin spoke with Italian magazine, Grazia, about 'Catching Fire,' Finnick Odair and his friendship with Jennifer Lawrence. And he finally REALLY confirmed the wedding! Congrats Sam and Laura!

He was chosen for one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood and still can't believe it. Sam Claflin will portray Finnick Odair, a key figure in three highly anticipated sequels of the The Hunger Games saga. Not bad for an actor who, in just three years of his career, has starred opposite Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides, and with Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman. Sam, 27, is perhaps the only movie star who blushes and lowers his eyes when he speaks about himself, however, he does not contain his excitement when we mention his marriage to actress Laura Haddock, one of the protagonists of the series tv Da Vinci's Demons.

We meet him in Los Angeles to talk about the new Hunger Games, and it's only been a week since the wedding. The British actor proudly shows his wedding ring: "I flew in from London for this interview, at the climax of the honeymoon!" He says. "But in the end, it is not so bad to stay a couple of days here in California, on the shores of the ocean."

GRAZIA: When you were chosen for the role of Finnick, the Hunger Games fans unleashed on the internet. Did you expect that?

Sam: "No, I had not the slightest idea of ​​what people were interested in for the casting of  the Hunger Games. Then I started to get messages on Twitter: many congratulations, some negative reactions, some even a little extreme. I was amazed: I discovered that this saga occupies an important place in the hearts of millions of people."

GRAZIA: The main reaction was: surprise ...

SAM: "I was the first to be surprised! Finnick is described in the books as a kind of divinity: he's beautiful, he's a great warrior ...

At the casting, before me, in came a guy, one of the most handsome men I've ever seen. At that point I thought I had no chance. Instead, I had myself underestimated the fact that we actors, by definition, we are able to transform according to the role."

GRAZIA: In fact, you put on a lot of muscle in no time. How did you do it?

SAM: "Chicken and asparagus for three months in a row and hours of daily training. I've always been an athlete, but not a fan of the gym, on the contrary, I always look for an excuse to avoid it ... Now we will shoot the two sequels of the film and for one whole year, I will not have the opportunity to avoid the daily training. My wife will be glad to see me in such good shape."

GRAZIA: What is Jennifer Lawrence like, the star of the "Hunger Games"? Did it go to her head since she won the Oscar?

SAM: "On the contrary, she's a very open girl and likes to make jokes all the time. Jennifer is amazing as an actress and as a person. In recent months she has become a great friend of mine. "

GRAZIA: So it's because you're friends that she said in an interview that you're a very attractive guy?

SAM: "Who, me? (Blushes) It is not true, it was a joke: it's a stereotype that Americans have of us Brits, they say that we talk in such a gracious way that it makes us sexy. I'm actually very shy. I get embarrassed even when someone I do not know starts a casual conversation with me in a store. My wife and I have recently bought a puppy, and when I walk her, it's a disaster: anyone who sees her, approaches, caresses her and starts to chat with me. In fact, look at how cute"(pulls out his phone and shows me the picture of the puppy)

Of course, when The Hunger Games: Catching Fire comes out this fall,  the fans are going to chase his autograph ... Perhaps, only then, Sam Claflin will understand that he has become a star.

For your information: His puppy's name is Rosie.

Thanks to our friends Sam Claflin Fans for the tip and the translation by Sam Claflin Italia!

Sam Claflin Talks Finnick & 'Catching Fire' With Elle

Sam Claflin recently chatted with ELLE Magazine to discuss his role as Finnick Odair in Catching Fire:

 

Amid all the YA dystopian literature that’s captivated scores of teens and teens-at-heart, there’s hardly been a character so beloved by fans than Finnick Odair of Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series. A previous Hunger Games victor who’s brought back into the arena to compete with other past champions, including Katniss and Peeta, Finnick is tall, tan, and beautiful. Thusly, the role presented certain challenges to producers when it came to casting for Catching Fire, the second installment in the HG movie trilogy, out in November. But, in a race that included hunks such as Armie Hammer, Taylor Kitsch and Garrett Hedlund, who should prevail? That would be Sam Claflin, perhaps marginally known for enduring but less-weighty roles in films like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Snow White and The Huntsman. Fans certainly voiced their concerns about the relative newcomer, but once production photos of Claflin—dyed, tanned, buff—surfaced on the Internet, their fears were quickly quashed. Now, the 27-year-old Brit is poised for international superstardom in one of the most popular franchises of all time.

ELLE: Hello, Sam! Let’s get to it. You’ve said in previous interviews that when you went in for your first Catching Fire audition, you didn’t know what the role was for. How could that be?

Sam Claflin: I was sent over a script and there was no title to what I was reading. It was just two scenes with a character called “Finnick” and a mini-character breakdown. I started reading the scene and saw the name Katniss, and I’d just recently seen The Hunger Games, so I thought, “OK, is this a connection?” But I didn’t know it was a trilogy. I just thought it was a one-time film. So I typed Finnick Odair” into Google an all these book and fan pages came up and I was kind of like, “whoa.” So I just went through all of it and did as much research as I could the night before.

ELLE: And how did that first casting interview go?

SC: I thought I had a pretty good idea of who the character was, but I was pretty off. I thought he was just kind of a bad guy. And obviously he’s kind of painted in that light in the beginning, so I honed in on the fact that he was mysterious and untrustworthy as much as I could. But thank God Frances [Lawrence] was there for my recall because he directed me in a very different way than I was expecting the second time.

ELLE: How so?

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