Josh Hutcherson

Joshua Ryan "Josh"Hutcherson (born October 12, 1992) is an American actor. He began his acting career in the early 2000s, appearing in several minor film and television roles. His first acting role came in 2002, in the pilot episode of House Blend. His first film role was landed in 2003, when he appeared in Animal Planet's Miracle Dogs. Growing up as a child-actor, he gained exposure between 2004 and 2009 with major roles in the films Little Manhattan and Zathura, the comedy RV, and the family adventure film Firehouse Dog. Along the way, he also appeared in film adaptations of The Polar Express, Bridge to Terabithia, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Kids Are All Right, and Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. He received eight Young Artist Award nominations for Best Leading Young Actor in those five years, half of which he won. In 2011, Hutcherson landed the leading role of Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games film series, based on Suzanne Collins' novel series. In between The Hunger Games filming and release, he picked up his first executive producer role on The Forger. Appearances in other films followed, including Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Red Dawn, and a voiceover role in the 2013 animated action-adventure film Epic. Early life Hutcherson was born in Union, Kentucky, on October 12, 1992. He is the son of Michelle (née Fightmaster), a former Delta Air Lines employee who now assists with Josh's career, and Chris Hutcherson, an analyst for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He has one younger brother, Connor. Hutcherson's ancestry is English, Scottish, German, and remote Irish and French. He attended New Haven Elementary School in Union until he began his career at the age of 9, after which he began homeschooling with his mother as his teacher. Acting career In January 2002, Hutcherson and his mother met acting coach Bob Luke who advised them to head to Los Angeles and begin auditioning forTV pilots. He landed his first acting role in the 2002 pilot episode of House Blend, playing Nicky Harper; in the same year, he appeared in an episode of ER and was cast in the pilot of Becoming Glen. In 2003, he played the lead role, Charlie Logan, in the film Miracle Dogs which was released on Animal Planet. The film, Hutcherson's first, earned a 79% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Later that year, Hutcherson starred opposite Peter Falk and Timothy Dalyin the made-for-television film, Wilder Days, and took on the minor role of Robin in the well-reviewed independent film, American Splendor. In 2004's The Polar Express, his character, Hero Boy, was created by motion-capture of his facial expressions and body movements. The film received mixed reviews from critics. In the animated film Howl's Moving Castle, he voiced the character of Markl, working alongside Christian Bale and Billy Crystal who voiced two other lead characters. The Hunger Games On April 4, 2011, Lionsgate announced that Hutcherson had been cast as Peeta Mellark in theThe Hunger Games series opposite Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. Between landing the role and the film's release, he appeared in two films: The Forger, where he also served as an executive producer, and the Journey to the Center of the Earth sequel, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, reprising his role as Sean Anderson. After The Hunger Games was released on March 23, 2012 in the United States, Hutcherson received mostly positive reviews on his performance. CNN stated, "[Hutcherson] brings humor and a bruised heart to a boy who needs to mature fast." He was awarded the 2012 NewNowNext award for "Next Mega Star" and the National Association of Theatre Owners's 2012 CinemaCon award for "Breakthrough Performer of the Year." Personal life Hutcherson's hobbies and interests while growing up included cars, bowling, soccer, competing in triathlons, playing guitar, song writing, basketball, and rock climbing. He has been a long-time fan of Justin Timberlake and even dyed the tips of his hair to match one of Timberlake's old looks as a child. He has also cited actor Jake Gyllenhaal as an inspiration. Hutcherson previously dated his Journey 2 co-star Vanessa Hudgens, and have been seen together in public. In January 2012, the pair revealed that they are now simply "good friends." He began dating Claudia Traisac in 2013, during filming of Escobar: Paradise Lost.