The Hunger Games cast then and now: See where the actors landed after leaving Panem

Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen)

Before becoming a household name, Jennifer Lawrence was a suburban sitcom daughter on The Bill Engvall Show from 2007 to 2009. But it was the noir-tinged, Ozarks-set thriller Winter’s Bone (2010) that officially put her on the map and landed Lawrence her first Academy Award nomination. 

Lawrence was also a part of another successful film franchise as the shapeshifting mutant Mystique in X-Men: First Class (2011). She later reprised the role in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and Dark Phoenix (2019).

The same year The Hunger Games made her a star, another movie made her an Oscar winner. As the impulsive widow Tiffany in David O. Russell's crowd-pleasing romance Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Lawrence won Best Actress, showed off her comedic chops, and proved herself as a true A-lister beyond YA audiences. She reunited with Russell for American Hustle (2013) and Joy (2015), for which she gained two more Oscar nominations.

The actress took on darker roles in Darren Aronofsky’s surreal horror film mother! (2017) and the spy thriller Red Sparrow (2018), then embraced her comedic side again in the political satire Don't Look Up (2021) and raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings (2023). 

In 2019, Lawrence married art gallery director Cooke Maroney. The couple welcomed their first child, Cy, in February 2022, with a second on the way.

Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark)

Before his portrayal as the boy with the bread, Josh Hutcherson starred in many films at a young age. His early voice work includes The Polar Express (2004) and Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle (2004). He also played lovestruck fifth-grader Gabe in the rom-com Little Manhattan (2005), acted opposite a pre-Twilight Kristen Stewart in Zathura (2005), and starred alongside Robin Williams in RV (2006).

Hutcherson starred in the YA tearjerker Bridge to Terabithia (2007) and began dabbling in the action genre when he starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) alongside Brendan Fraser. He later reprised his role in the sequel, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), this time with Dwayne Johnson. Between those CGI adventures, he landed a major dramatic role in the Best Picture-nominated The Kids Are All Right (2010), holding his own against Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. He also had one of the leading roles in the remake of Red Dawn (2012). 

And then, along came the role of Peeta Mellark, which changed his life and career. “I shot the first Hunger Games when I was 18," he told EW in 2024. "Eighteen to 22 were my university years. That was my college. The movies were so fun to make and then the press tours were just wild. Me and Jen and Liam experienced a quantum shift in our notoriety, and having people there by your side that have a similar lived experience made it more enjoyable and more sane than if we were doing it on our own."

After a couple of post-Peeta years spent under the radar, Hutcherson took on the lead role in the Hulu sci-fi series Future Man, portraying a time-traveling janitor. Hutcherson's re-emergence into the spotlight took hold with the release of Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023), based on the popular horror video game. It was a major box office success, bringing in more than $291 million worldwide. He then played the villain in The Beekeeper (2024) opposite Jason Statham, sporting a blonde perm and funky-colored clothing (it's quite the look).

Hutcherson is currently dating actress Claudia Traisac, whom he met in 2013 when costarring in Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014).

Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne)

Audiences first took notice of Liam Hemsworth when he starred in the Nicholas Sparks romantic drama The Last Song (2010) with Miley Cyrus. The two costars soon began an on-again-off-again relationship, married in 2018, separated in 2019, and divorced in 2020. 

Unlike Jennifer Lawrence, Hemsworth didn't have to do any singing for his role in The Hunger Games, but he did have some encouraging words for his costar. "She was so worried about it, I assumed that she must have a bad voice," Hemsworth told EW in 2015. "And she did it, and I'm like, 'Jen, it's actually good.' She's like, 'Shut up!'"

Hemsworth returned to his native Australia to play Kate Winslet’s love interest in the drama The Dressmaker (2015). After the original Hunger Games series ended, he appeared in the long-anticipated sequel Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) and starred as the male lead in the romance films Isn't It Romantic (2019) and Lonely Planet (2024). In 2022, Henry Cavill announced that Hemsworth would be taking on the role of Geralt of Rivia in the upcoming fourth and fifth seasons of The Witcher. 

Hemsworth has been dating model Gabriella Brooks since 2019.

Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy)

Woody Harrelson had an extensive career long before The Hunger Games. He joined the iconic sitcom Cheers during its fourth season in 1985, playing bartender Woody Boyd. During the final years of Cheers, Harrelson became a bankable movie star, headlining films like White Men Can't Jump (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), and Natural Born Killers (1994). Harrelson earned his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of infamous pornographer Larry Flynt in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996).

Before landing the role of Katniss and Peeta’s mentor (and former Hunger Games winner) Haymitch, Harrelson showed off his range with films such as A Scanner Darkly (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), Semi-Pro (2008), Zombieland (2009), and The Messenger (2009), for which he earned his second Oscar nomination. During his time in the Hunger Games franchise, he continued to deliver on both the big and small screens with roles in Now You See Me (2013) and the first season of True Detective.

Following Mockingjay — Part 2, Harrelson delivered one of the most acclaimed 1-2 punches of his career: as the villainous Colonel in War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) and as the chief of police in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), the latter which landed him his third Academy Award nomination.

Harrelson joined the Star Wars universe by playing conniving thief Tobias Beckett in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), then reprised his role of Twinkie-loving apocalypse survivor Tallahassee in Zombieland: Double Tap (2019). He also took on the role of the villain Carnage in the Venom (2018) sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021).

In 2008, Harrelson married Laura Louie, whom he met when she became his personal assistant in 1987. The couple has three daughters: Zoe, Deni, and Makani.

Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket)

Elizabeth Banks was a big fan of Suzanne Collins' book series and reached out to director Gary Ross about playing the role of Effie Trinket in the film adaptation.

“I always saw her as a very three-dimensional, very unique character. Even in the book she can be written off as sort of comic relief,” Banks told EW in 2012. “But what I love about Effie is she's this great representative of the Capitol and all the Capitol stands for. She drank the Kool-Aid. So essentially she's a villain — a really fun villain, but a villain nonetheless."

Banks had made a name for herself long before The Hunger Games raised her profile. In 2001, Banks flexed her comedy muscles in the cult classic Wet Hot American Summer. She then portrayed Daily Bugle staff member Betty Brant in Spider-Man (2002), reprising the role in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007).

The year she debuted as Effie, Banks also starred in the rom-com What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) and the a cappella comedy Pitch Perfect (2012). Banks co-produced the latter, then made her feature directorial debut via the 2015 sequel. She went on to co-produce and star in the film's third and final installment in 2017.

Between appearances in the Hunger Games sequels, Banks lent her voice to the hit animated film The LEGO Movie (2014), then went a more serious route for the biographical film Love & Mercy (2014), playing the wife of the Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson. She later went behind the camera to direct the reboot of Charlie's Angels (2019) and the horror comedy (inexplicably based on a true story, albeit loosely) Cocaine Bear (2023).

Banks married sports writer and film producer Max Handelman in 2003. The couple has two sons, Felix and Magnus.

Willow Shields (Primrose Everdeen)

In The Hunger Games, Willow Shields' Primrose is a frightened 12-year-old girl. But as the series progresses, we see her grow into an intelligent and fierce young woman. (And you can always count on her moody cat Buttercup to be by her side.) 

"Prim really comes into her own in Mockingjay," Shields told EW in 2014. "Katniss is in such a bad place — falling apart — and Prim is really the one to step up and give her advice. Her strength is subtle, but I think it's noticeable, and it's beautiful. The relationship between Prim and Katniss has changed a bit — the roles have been reversed, and Prim is almost taking care of Katniss."

After the film series ended, Shields appeared on Dancing With the Stars in 2015, making history as the youngest contestant at age 14. 

Shields starred in the film Woodstock or Bust (2018) and played a figure skater in the series Spinning Out (2020), which Netflix canceled after one season. She went on to play the lead role in the coming-of-age film When Time Got Louder (2022) and starred in the action film Detective Knight: Independence (2023).

Shields came out as bisexual in 2022.

Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman)

Stanley Tucci has been a recognizable face for decades, but it was his film Big Night (1996) — which he co-directed, co-wrote, and starred in — that pushed him to a new level, seeing him act alongside Tony Shalhoub as Italian immigrant brothers who run a restaurant in New Jersey. 

As his star continued to rise Tucci played real-life gangster Frank Nitti in Road to Perdition (2002) and an antagonist in Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal (2004). In 2006, he played charming art director Nigel Kipling in The Devil Wears Prada alongside Meryl Streep and later reunited with her for Julie & Julia (2009).

His first — and, to date, only — Oscar nomination came when he portrayed a serial killer in Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lovely Bones (2009). The following year, he played Emma Stone’s goofy father in the comedy Easy A and starred alongside vocal powerhouses Cher and Christina Aguilera in Burlesque. 

Tucci has appeared in films like the Best Picture-winning Spotlight (2015) and Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast (2017). He portrayed record producer Clive Davis in the 2022 biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody and costarred in the 2024 papal drama Conclave. 

Food has been an important aspect of Tucci’s life. In 2012, he released his first cookbook, The Tucci Cookbook, followed by The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends in 2014 and his 2021 memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food. He hosted his own food and travel show, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, from 2021 to 2022, for which he won three Emmys.

In 1995, Tucci married Kate Spath, with whom he had three children: Isabel, Camilla, and Nicolo. Spath died of breast cancer in 2009. Tucci married Felicity Blunt in 2012 after being introduced by her sister, his Devil Wears Prada costar Emily Blunt. The couple have two children together, Matteo and Emilia.

Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane)

Early in his career, Wes Bentley famously filmed a floating plastic bag in the Best Picture winner American Beauty (1999). A few years later, he starred alongside Heath Ledger in a big-budget adaptation of The Four Feathers (2002). He played a parking garage stalker in the thriller P2 (2007) and the demon Blackheart in the superhero film Ghost Rider (2007).

Bentley's struggle with addiction influenced his portrayal of Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games. "Seneca's young and he became very successful young and wildly successful for a minute," Bentley told EW in 2012. "And I've had that experience in my life and it all went to my head as it does for so many of us. I lost touch with reality and I thought everything I did would turn to gold. It is nothing like where I'm at in my life now. I've gone through the [wringer] on a few things. I've learned how to be humble and thankful for things that come to me. But it's fun to jump back into that world in a safe way. I had a blast playing Seneca."

If you're a big horror fan, you might recognize Bentley from FX's American Horror Story. He also landed key supporting roles in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014) and Disney's remake of Pete’s Dragon (2016), while making a brief appearance in Mission Impossible — Fallout (2018) as Julia Meade's (Michelle Monaghan) new husband. But perhaps his biggest role to date has been Jamie Dutton, adopted son of Kevin Costner's John Dutton, on the Western TV series Yellowstone. 

Bentley married Jennifer Quanz in 2001, and the couple divorced in 2009. In 2010, he married producer Jacqui Swedberg. They have two children, Charles and Brooklyn.

Lenny Kravitz (Cinna)

Before Lenny Kravitz became known as the Hunger Games franchise's enchanting designer Cinna, he was a world-famous rock star. In 1989, Kravitz signed with Virgin Records and released his debut album, Let Love Rule. He went on to release 11 subsequent albums and win four Grammys. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with such musical giants as Madonna for "Justify My Love" in 1990 and Mick Jagger for "God Gave Me Everything" in 2001. 

In 2009, Kravitz took on his first dramatic acting role in Precious (2009), playing a nurse who comforts the title character after her baby is born. In addition to his reprisal of Cinna in Catching Fire, he also had a supporting role in the historical drama The Butler (2013).

In 2015, Kravitz performed at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show alongside Katy Perry for a duet of Perry's "I Kissed a Girl." The following year, Kravitz guest-starred on the FX series Better Things as director Mel Trueblood, and later appeared in two episodes of the Fox TV show Star as rock star Roland Crane.

Kravitz married actress Lisa Bonet in 1987. The pair had their daughter, actress Zoë Kravitz, in 1988 before divorcing in 1993.

Amandla Stenberg (Rue Barnette)

Following their breakout role in The Hunger Games, Amandla Stenberg, who uses she/her and they/them pronouns, recurred in four episodes of Sleepy Hollow, voiced a young macaw in Rio 2 (2014), and appeared in the 2016 visual album for Beyoncé’s Lemonade.

From there, Stenberg became a go-to star for young adult literary adaptations. They starred in Everything, Everything (2017) as a teenager unable to leave her house due to an illness. Next up was the superhero-themed, dystopian thriller The Darkest Minds (2018) and the critically acclaimed The Hate U Give (2018). 

Stenberg had a major supporting role in the adaptation of the Tony-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen (2021) and headlined a killer cast in A24's twisted satirical slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022). They voiced Margo Kess (a.k.a. Spider-Byte) in the animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). They also appeared as a guest judge on season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race (2023) and starred as twin sisters on The Acolyte.

In addition to acting, Stenberg sings and plays several instruments. They formed the folk duo Honeywater with musician Zander Hawley, releasing EPs in 2015 and 2016. Stenberg works on solo music as well; their song "Let My Baby Stay" was featured on Everything, Everything's soundtrack. They also co-wrote an original song, "The Anonymous Ones," for the film version of Dear Evan Hansen.

Donald Sutherland (President Snow)

Donald Sutherland had a legendary career spanning six-plus decades. The Canadian actor broke out in Robert Altman's Korean War comedy M*A*S*H (1970) as Hawkeye Pierce. The film later spawned a spinoff TV series. From there, Sutherland had a run of classics for the next decade: the dark thriller Klute (1971) opposite Jane Fonda, as well as Don't Look Now (1973), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), and Animal House (1978). In The Day of the Locust (1975), he played a character named — no joke — Homer Simpson.

Sutherland starred in the Best Picture-winning film Ordinary People (1980) as a father who tries to reconnect with his youngest son after the teen attempts suicide. Sutherland took on bloodsucking monsters as Merrick in the original film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) and starred with Clint Eastwood in the "old guys in space" drama Space Cowboys (2000). He continued cranking out reliable supporting roles in such varied films as Cold Mountain (2003), The Italian Job (2003), and Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice (2005). 

After the initial Hunger Games film series wrapped in 2015, Sutherland received an Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement in 2017. He then portrayed oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in the FX series Trust (2018), starred in the HBO psychological thriller miniseries The Undoing (2020), and had a supporting role in the Paramount+ miniseries Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023).

Sutherland died in 2024 at the age of 88. He was married to Lois Hardwick from 1959 to 1966. He then wed Canadian actress Shirley Douglas in 1966 and got divorced in 1970. He and Douglas shared two children, actor Kiefer and Rachel. Sutherland married his third wife, Francine Racette, in 1972. The couple had three sons, Rossif, Angus, and Roeg.

Alexander Ludwig (Cato)

Some of Alexander Ludwig's early films include Air Bud: World Pup (2000), The Sandlot: Heading Home (2007), and Race to Witch Mountain (2009). In 2013, he appeared in Grown Ups 2 as the son of David Spade's character.  

Ludwig and the other actors who portrayed the Career tributes in The Hunger Games found it important to develop a camaraderie. "We thought that added to the sick and twisted-ness of it all, that they're actually enjoying this. 'This is fun!'" Ludwig told EW in 2012. "And the reason that it is sick and twisted but at the same time you can understand, is that, that's all they know. The Careers were brought up to do this. Whereas everyone else is just kind of thrown into this so they know what they're coming up against."

Once he was done playing Cato, Ludwig appeared in the biographical war film Lone Survivor (2013), then portrayed Bjorn Ironside in five seasons of the History Channel series Vikings. Strangely enough, he starred in movies called Final Girl (2015) and The Final Girls (2015) in the same year, reuniting with Wes Bentley in the former. 

The actor has found his way into ensemble casts of many major theatrical features, including Midway (2019), Bad Boys for Life (2020), The Covenant (2023), and Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024). Back on the small screen, the actor played Ace Spade in the wrestling drama series Heels from 2021 to 2023.

Ludwig is also a country musician. He released his self-titled EP in May 2021, and his debut album Highway 99 in August 2022. That same year, Ludwig appeared in Nicki Minaj's music video for "Super Freaky Girl."

Ludwig married his wife, Lauren Dear, in 2020. They welcomed a daughter in April 2023 and a son in July 2024.

Dayo Okeniyi (Thresh)

After his breakthrough role as the District 11 tribute Thresh, Dayo Okeniyi appeared in the coming-of-age film The Spectacular Now (2013). The following year, the Nigerian American actor had a role in Endless Love (2014), a remake of the 1981 film. Shortly afterward, Okeniyi played Cyberdyne Systems President Danny Dyson in Terminator Genisys (2015). 

He portrayed Det. Michael Loman on the NBC crime drama series Shades of Blue from 2016 to 2018. After his run on the show, the actor popped up in the Western action film Emperor (2020) and the comedy Queenpins (2021). 

Okeniyi played the father of NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Disney film Rise (2022), appeared in the horror film Fresh (2022), and in the twisty thriller Hypnotic (2023). On the TV side, the actor had a voice role in the Disney+ miniseries Iwájú (2024) and landed a supporting part in the sci-fi Apple TV+ series Dark Matter.

Leven Rambin (Glimmer)

Leven Rambin's Glimmer, a Career tribute, went head-to-head with Katniss. Prior to that role, Rambin had spent most of her acting career on the small screen. When she was only 13 years old, Rambin got cast in the soap opera All My Children, landing a pair of Daytime Emmy nominations in the process. She also portrayed Riley Dawson in the Fox series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. 

She kept steady TV roles there, appearing on Grey's Anatomy, Wizards of Waverly Place, One Tree Hill, and CSI: Miami. 

After The Hunger Games, Rambin took on another YA adaptation as the daughter of Ares in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013). Rambin appeared in season 2 of the hit HBO series True Detective as the sister of Rachel McAdams' lead detective character. In 2017, Rambin starred in season 2 of the Hulu series The Path, which explores a fictional cult movement. She has also appeared in David Fincher's Mank (2020), The Forever Purge (2021), and the third season of CBS' Fire Country.

Rambin married actor Jim Parrack in 2015. The couple later split in 2017.

Jack Quaid (Marvel)

With Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid as his parents, Jack Quaid has acting in his blood. After making his film debut in The Hunger Games, Quaid starred in the short-lived HBO series Vinyl. It may have only lasted one season, but that paved the way for Quaid's major role in the hit Amazon Prime show The Boys. Meanwhile, he began lending his voice to the popular animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Quaid has also steadily risen to prominence on the big screen. He had supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh's NASCAR heist flick Logan Lucky (2017), the slasher comedy Tragedy Girls (2017), and the videogame adaptation Rampage (2018) before achieving leading man status in the rom-com Plus One (2019) opposite Maya Erskine. He then popped up in a key role in Scream (2022), the fifth film in the franchise.

In one memorable summer, Quaid worked in two blockbuster hits: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Oppenheimer (2023). That year, he also began voicing Clark Kent/Superman in the Adult Swim series, My Adventures with Superman.

Quaid is currently dating The Boys costar Claudia Doumit.