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Josh Hutcherson Says Post–Hunger Games Years Brought His First Rejection, Then a Rebound

He tells a podcast that blockbuster fame set expectations that evaporated when casting calls stopped.

Overview

  • He said on Tuesday’s Dinner’s On Me podcast that after years of steady work, he first felt “disappointment, failure, rejection” in his mid‑20s.
  • He described the industry as telling him he had “arrived” after working with Jennifer Lawrence and Philip Seymour Hoffman, only for opportunities to dry up.
  • He recalled stretches of “no one calling,” with auditions that didn’t lead to being cast despite early career momentum.
  • His output slowed markedly after the franchise, with five films in 2012 compared with five total between 2018 and 2023, according to Entertainment Weekly.
  • He is now re-emerging with HBO’s I Love LA and a starring turn in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which led the box office over the weekend.