Blazing at cinemas nationwide this November 20 in the Philippines, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” Liam Hemsworth reprises his role as Gale Hawthorne who finds himself at the tipping point in the latest instalment following the events that transpired in “Catching Fire.”
In “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” from the moment Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) wakes up in District 13, Gale is there – one of her only touchstones to the world she left behind. But he, too, is no longer the same. A hero who saved hundreds during the destruction of their home in District 12, he is now becoming a dedicated soldier in the rebellion and yet his heart is as unsettled by Katniss as ever.
Returning in the role is Liam Hemsworth, who says that in the wake of Catching Fire events, “He’s had enough as far as The Capitol’s abuse goes, so he’s not scared to stand up to it. He feels ready to go to war, in spite of the costs, to try to take down The Capitol. He sees the biggest part of his job as being the one to give Katniss the support and courage to become the Mockingjay. He’s now kind of her right-hand man.”
Gale becomes a driving force behind Katniss consenting to appear in the propos films for District 13. “He knows that they have to spread the word that the Mockingjay is alive and that only she can bring people together to stand up to The Capitol,” Hemsworth explains. At the same time, he notes that there is a distance between them. “Gale and Katniss have known each other their whole lives and have a lot of love for each other . . . but the difference between them is that Gale now sees anyone who has anything to do with the Capitol as guilty. Katniss doesn’t have those blinders.”
Hemsworth couldn’t wait to work with Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson again. “You couldn’t ask for better people to work with. Jen & Josh are both amazingly talented and working with them is a blessing and so much fun. We’ve now all known each other for a few years and together we’ve experienced a lot of pivotal points in our lives.”
He also found great enjoyment in working with Francis Lawrence on the nuances of Gale’s development over time and his increasingly complicated feelings for Katniss. “Francis is the consummate director. He is great at all the big action stuff as well as working intimately with actors. He is one of the most well-prepared directors I’ve had the good fortune of working with. He knows the ins and outs of the story and everyone’s character. When you ask him a question, he knows the answer. He’s always willing to listen and collaborate with you on your input and ideas.”
Liam Hemsworth has a quiet intensity that transcends the big screen. Demonstrating versatility and skill in a range of performances, Hemsworth has proven to be one of the most sought after actors of his generation. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Hemsworth grew up surfing on Phillip Island. Hemsworth quickly landed his first big acting job on Australia’s popular TV series Home and Away and from there went on to book a role on Australia’s most successful TV show “Neighbors.”
Landing his first film role in the feature film “Triangle,” Hemsworth discovered that his true passion was in making movies. “It’s something new and fresh and it’s just a different energy to what I’d worked on before, says Hemsworth. Hemsworth soon began to gain attention throughout Hollywood and, while living with his brother Chris in their manager Will Ward’s guest cottage, Liam beat out hundreds of actors for the part of ‘Will Blakelee’ in the film adaptation of Nicholas Spark’s “The Last Song,” co-starring Greg Kinnear and Miley Cyrus. Hemsworth then went onto star in two of 2012’s biggest box office hits—“The Hunger Games,” directed by Gary Ross, and “Expendables 2,” directed by Simon West. Last year, he starred opposite Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman in the high stakes thriller “Paranoia,” directed by Robert Luketic and Empire State, directed by Dito Montiel and co-starring Dwayne Johnson and Emma Roberts. He also reprised his role as Gale Hawthorne in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” directed by Francis Lawrence.
Hemsworth eagerly looks forward to more film work with quality actors and directors. He says, “I love acting and I love movies. At the moment, I’m just trying to find people who are doing something different and meet people who are as passionate as I am. I have learned the majority of what I know on set, working. You learn from watching people with experience.”
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 “ opens in theatres on November 20, Thursday from Pioneer Films.