'Hunger Games' Stars Reveal On-Set Pranks
The countdown to The Hunger Games is on (the battle begins March 23 in theaters), and the film's young stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth are spilling the beans on how they kept things light on location with some twisted on-set pranks.
The details are part of the first of three exclusive, lengthy interviews with MTV, where Jennifer, Josh and Liam answer questions from fans via Twitter.
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Josh relates the best prank: "They had a full life-sized dummy of one of our tributes that had gotten killed by a Tracker Jacker, and basically it's all swollen and gnarly-looking and mangled, and Jennifer was out of her trailer so I took the dummy and put it inside her bathroom in her trailer. I wasn't there for the big moment when she saw it, which I can't believe I missed, but I've been told that she actually peed her pants in reaction to it. So, I was pretty proud of myself and amazed that someone actually peed their pants in fear, because I didn't know that happened."
Jennifer's side of the story: "Oh yeah, Josh, he took the dummy from one of the tributes that dies from the Tracker Jackers' sting that is completely deformed and put it on my toilet, shut the door and [had it] holding a toilet paper roll, just for added effect. I'm in my trailer and open the bathroom door and scream and my friend grabs me and had to say, 'It's fake, it's fake, it's fake!' I hate him. I still haven't gotten him back for that, actually. I don't know what to do to get him back for something like that. I'd have to find a real dead body."
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Liam adds that Jennifer wasn't so innocent: "Jennifer would often try and make you laugh just before 'Action.' She'd say something funny. She'd get you and really surprise you, though, because you'd be rolling up, ready for them to say 'Action,' and she'd ask you some silly question about something. You'd hear it and be like, 'Wait, what?' And then 'Action' and you'd be like, 'OK. Thanks for that.' It's funny to her, I guess."
Based on the book series by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is set in a futuristic, dictatorial society in which 12 impoverished districts must sacrifice two children in a yearly battle to the death called the Hunger Games. The children are chosen by lottery, but one young woman, Katniss (played by Jennifer), chooses to step in for her little sister to go to battle -- and must rely upon her wits, survival skills and strength to make it home alive.
Shooting the film required a lot of physical work, and Jennifer recalls that select scenes landed her on the chiropractor's table: "There was tree climbing, getting scratched up by trees. My back started getting weird, I think from all the running downhill, so I had to go to the chiropractor once a week, which is terrifying. I've never been to a chiropractor before and it just feels like they're going to snap your neck at any moment. There were some ankle and knee [injuries] but you don't have time to be injured. The look on the producer's face if I say 'ow' is awful, so I tried to just kind of stay quiet about it."
Stay tuned to ET for more Hunger Games news!