Sam Claflin on The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence & Social Media in The Guardian

Sam Claflin is featured in a new fashion shoot and interview with The Guardian. In the interview Sam touched on everything from filming The Hunger Games movies to social media and Jennifer Lawrence's fame. 

On Mockingjay Part 2:

"Yeah, we had a refresher screening the other day, which was helpful. Before that I couldn’t really remember who I played or what I said,” he jokes. “But I think it’s a great climax to the series. It feels like the end of an era. I was sad to see it end, but also happy."

On filming The Hunger Games movies:

"It was a bit like being on holiday with your friends. A lot of the time I was just running around Hawaii with Jen and Josh [Hutcherson] and Lynn Cohen." 

On the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman:

“I probably shouldn’t talk about it much,” says Claflin. “But it hit us all very hard. It was very unexpected, very sad. He was not only a hero to millions, but a personal hero of mine. The way he did something with every role. It’s so upsetting that you’ll never see him in a new film.” 

On the loneliness of filming:

“I’ve definitely experienced the loneliness of the job. During the first Hunger Games we were out in Atlanta for six months. I was in a hotel, and all I had for company was a box set of Friends. In a way it was helpful that I had to be in such good shape: for months my routine went gym-chicken-bed-gym-chicken-bed-work, repeat.”

On his casting as Finnick Odair:

“You read the books and my character’s meant to look like a kind of Greek god. I wouldn’t have cast me: a pale, English, overweight, stubbled kid. I like a beer and a burger. I got nominated for a ‘Best topless scene’ against Zac Efron. I mean, how am I going to compete with Zac Efron?”

On Jennifer Lawrence and social media:

“Jen, bless her, puts up with a lot. It’s frightening to see that kind of thing, the idea that you can’t have a private life. I keep a Twitter and Instagram page because I don’t want to invite people into my world too much. It’s my way of letting the fans think they are seeing my real life, but in reality I’m pushing them away.”

On social media and his responsibility to his younger fans:  

“A lot of my followers are at an age where they aren’t able to drink or get tattoos or anything, and there’s a duty to them that lots of people don’t pay attention to. For example I’m going to a mate’s house tonight, but I’m not going to tweet pictures of myself drunk. The music industry is so messed up – look at someone like Miley Cyrus, who is just sex and drugs. The thought that one day my kid might look up to someone like that is…” he trails off and shakes his head.

On being thought of as a heartthrob:

“I hate being offered heart-throb after heart-throb,” he says, only half-joking. “It is something that stresses me out about the industry that because you’ve done one part you can’t do any others – you want to say: ‘I act, you know. I can pretend.’

Newest 'Mockingjay Part 2' Stills Feature Peeta, Katniss, Finnick, Johanna, Squad 451

The newest batch of very serious-looking Mockingjay Part 2 stills out today feature Finnick, Johanna and a very melancholy Katniss, a tiny glimpse at handcuffed Peeta, a very protective Gale and Squad 451. Check them out thanks to QuarterQuell. 

New 'Mockingjay Part 2' Clip Features Star Squad in The Capitol

There's a new Mockingjay Part 2 clip that came out today with the purchase of your Mockingjay Part 2 advance tickets from Fandango. The clip features Katniss, Finnick, Gale and the rest of Star Squad getting orders from Boggs. I don't know about you, but the Finnick bit just about killed me. 

Katniss greets Finnick

Get all the details on where to buy your MJ2 tickets here.

Sam Claflin Talks 'Mockingjay Part 2' With Josh Horowitz

Josh Horowitz recently interviewed Sam Claflin while he was promoting Love, Rosie, and they touched on a bunch of subjects including a pivotal scene in Mockingjay Part 2.  Listen to the latest episode of Happy, Sad, Confused with Josh Horowitz.

Sam talks about Jennifer Lawrence and Woody Harrelson at about the 25:00 mark:

There are moments of both [freaking out and enjoying being with very famous actors]. I suppose walking into Jennifer Lawrence's apartment for the first time during Catching Fire and seeing Woody [Harrelson] wearing a ladies crop top, that I thought was HIS top. I thought, 'This looks about right for how I imagined Woody Harrelson to be, him with a tasseled crop top.' I thought, 'Yeah, that's totally normal, I think.' 

Sam talks about Liam Hemsworth and Woody (again) around the 32:00 mark. 

I literally LOVE Woody. I am in love with that man. He's the nicest, most gentle humanitarian you'll ever meet. He's just so cool."

On how life changed after being cast as Finnick Odair in Catching Fire:

I think now, moreso that ever, I do occasionally get noticed, or people give me a dirty look. I don't know if it's that I have that face that people want to punch, or that I look reasonably familiar. [Laughs] You look a bit like that guy. But, no, can't be, too ugly. It has definitely catapulted my career, in that sense. It's allowed me to walk into some bigger rooms and meet some bigger people. But at the same time I definitely feel like I live my life like I always have. I don't take anything for granted, I'm very appreciative to be in my position, and gracious. Yeah. I still feel very lucky to be here. I definitely think it's only a matter of time before people realize I can't act. [laughs] But long may it continue in the mean time. I'm going to make the most of it while I can! 

*SPOILER ALERT* Don't read further (or listen part the 34:00 mark on the audio) if you want to be spoiler free about Mockingjay Part 2!  

The quick bit about Mockingjay Part 2 is at about the 34:38 mark. Sam says of filming a certain VERY important scene in the film:

It was the worst day of filming I have ever done in my life. I think I actually got hooked up to oxygen tanks because I was so, uh, it was so… It’s awesome. I don’t wanna talk too much about it but it was a really hard day of work for me. Brutal. It was just me, y’know, all day. I don't want to talk too much about it because, obviously, it's not out yet. But I'd like to think this whole last segment, the ending, the conclusion to this franchise won't disappoint people. It's bigger, yeah, I'm VERY excited.”

'Mockingjay Part 1,' Sam Claflin, and Julianne Moore in Empire's Winter Preview Issue

Sam Claflin and Julianne Moore talk Mockingjay Part 1 in the October issue of Empire Magazine. In Empire's Winter Preview Sam talks about living up to the first two Hunger Games films, while Julianne Moore remembers Philip Seymour Hoffman and says that Jennifer Lawrence is "very, very easy to love." There's also a small feature on Sam's upcoming film, The Riot Club.

 

Julianne Moore recently came full circle after filming a prominent role in the last installments of The Hunger Games - the fourthcoming two-parter Mockingjay - where she worked for a final time with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

 

Moore features as President Alma Coin, another high-profile co-star for Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss. "I did the bulk of my work on the film with Phil," she says, quietly. Hoffman was her friend and co-star from Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski and Magnolia. "He had pretty much completed shooting, so I had done all my work with him..."Her voice trails off, a cue for Empire to move on.

 

She must've also enjoyed re-teaming with Hunger Games mainstay Woody Harrelson, we inquire (the two having worked together on The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio and the TV picture Game Change, where Moore played Sarah Palin)? "Oh yes," she coos. "It was great fun to be with Woody and sometimes you forgot you were in this dystopian fantasy. Then someone would walk by with half their head shaved and there would be weird things coming out of the back of them and you were like, 'Oh yeah, this is a fantasy movie!'"

 

Moore's route into The Hunger Games came, somewhat predictably, through her two children. She picked up her daughter's copy of the first book in the series while on holiday, when her kids were playing table tennis. "I thought it was great and my children love these books, so for them it is very exciting for me to be in the franchise. Generally, I make movies that they can't see! And they both love Jennifer Lawrence. She is very, very easy to love."

 

New 'Mockingjay Part 1' District 13 Citizen Posters

We're getting an earlier than expected look at six new Mockingjay Part 1 District 13 character posters. President Coin, Haymitch Abernathy, Beetee Latier, Effie Trinket, Plutarch Heavensbee and Finnick Odair are featured in their District 13 finest. And by finest we mean their drab grey uniforms. Looks like Effie is making the most of what she's been dealt in 13. You go, Effie. 

The posters debuted on various websites tonight after they were leaked a bit early online right after the District 13 mobile site launch. 

We assume this is the first wave of District 13 citizen posters and we're very excited to see Katniss in one of them, hopefully in the near future. Because District 13 is alive and well and so is the Mockingjay.

VIDEO: Sam Claflin Has a Bizarre Party Trick and "A Real Issue With Trousers"

Sam Claflin was one of 20 different cover stars of Hunger Magazine's Mighty Blighty issue that came out back in February (we posted the photos and entire article HERE if you want to re-read).

Today they posted a never-before-released video from his photo shoot, and they asked Sam all about his most embarasing moments which include this little gem: "I have a real issue with trousers. Pretty much every part and every character I've ever played my trouser will split up the crotch."

Oh, and don't miss his freaky party trick.

Sam Claflin Talks Finnick Odair and Fan Negativity

Photos by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Sam Claflin talked a bit about playing Finnick Odair in Catching Fire and dealing with fan negativity about his casting with Reuters while promoting his new movie, The Quiet Ones. Sam keeps coming back to this subject and we sort of want to shake him and say, "Hey, Sam, we LOVE you as Finnick. Please move on!" Though we totally get it - that must have been absolutely brutal.

Q: You've often played the love interest. Are you worried about being typecast as the romantic hero?

A: It's definitely something that still scares me. Even now I'm in the process of making a decision of where I'm going to be going after "Hunger Games," and I want to make the right decision. I want a long-lasting career as opposed to someone that does the same thing over and over again, people get bored of you, and you then get washed up because the next young, better-looking version of you will arrive. I want to try my hand at new things, I want to be a character actor, I'd like to think of myself as a chameleon.

Q: What drew you to Finnick Odair in "Catching Fire"?

A: Knowing the journey that he goes on, where he begins; he's got this exterior, he's a confident, charming man, very good-looking and often judged on the way he looks, and I think he's the epitome of Hollywood ... but actually what's going on inside, there's a lot more going on. He's very similar to me in that sense, I think I put on a brave face a lot of the time, but actually what I'm thinking is I'm so nervous and intimated by what's going on. He's so vulnerable and naive to the world, he's just had to put on a front.

Q: What's been the most intimidating moment in your career?

A: I think portraying Finnick Odair would be the poignant moment in my career in the sense of I put most pressure on myself. I felt hugely intimidated entering into a franchise I was already a fan of, and had the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman coming on board, I didn't know what to do with myself. A lot of the fans showed a lot of negative thoughts with the role.

Q: How do you deal with that negativity?

A: I use it to my advantage. To me, that made me work harder ... it pushed me further, whereas I think if everyone was like, "He's perfect the way he is," I wouldn't have done anything; I would have just turned up. But I felt like, "I'm going to prove you wrong," and I can only do as much as I can do, and if they still hate me, they hate me, I can't change my face, I'm sorry. Well, I can with surgery! (laughs)