The day we've all been waiting for, also known as Nov. 21, when The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 hits theaters, is quickly approaching. And although we can't wait to see Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, and the rest of the cast reprise their iconic roles for the third movie in the series, we're celebrating it by taking a look back at where these stars got their starts.
Did you know that Jena Malone, who plays Johanna Mason, made her big screen debut opposite Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts in Stepmom? Or that Hemsworth's first big American role was alongside former fiancée Miley Cyrus in The Last Song? Click through our gallery to see all of the stars' breakout roles (some of them may surprise you!) and catch Mockingjay – Part 1 when it hits theaters Nov. 21.
Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne)
Thanks to homegrown soap operas like Neighbours, Australians were already familiar with Hemsworth, but the actor was introduced to American audiences when he played the lead role in the 2010 tearjerker The Last Song—and began dating co-star Miley Cyrus.
Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen)
The Kentucky native got her start on the small screen with guest spots on Monk and Cold Case, as well as a recurring role on The Bill Engvall Show. But it was her performance in Winter's Bone' that would lead to her first Oscar nomination and roles in big budget movies likeX Men: First Class.
Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark)
Before landing the coveted Hunger Games role, Hutcherson proved he had leading man potential in the 2005 family movie Little Manhattan. (Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon played his mom!) By 2010, he was sharing the screen with A-list actresses Julianne Moore and Annette Bening in the indie flick The Kids Are Alright.
Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket)
Banks built her reputation as a very funny lady with scene-stealing appearances in movies like Wet Hot American Summer and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. She also cracked up small screen audiences as a guest star on Scrubs and 30 Rock. In 2008, the actress won critical praise when she channeled a former First Lady in Oliver Stone’s W.
Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy)
Playing a loveable lunkhead on the long-running TV series Cheers earned Harrelson an Emmy and helped kick-start his film career. The actor became a box office draw with movies like White Men Can't Jump, Indecent Proposal and Natural Born Killers and scored an Oscar nomination for his role in The People vs. Larry Flynt. Most recently he’s received critical praise for his work in indie offerings like The Messenger and Zombieland.
Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman)
Tucci got his start on Broadway, eventually making the jump from stage to screen. During his career, the character actor has created an impressive resume of credits, from his early work on TV shows like Miami Vice and Wiseguy to memorable movie roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia and The Lovely Bones.
Lenny Kravitz (Cinna)
See almost 20 years of Kravitz's boundary-pushing style (dreads, pearls, chandelier earrings and more!) in his Transformation.See almost 20 years of Kravitz's boundary-pushing style (dreads, pearls, chandelier earrings and more!) in his Transformation.
Jena Malone (Johanna Mason)
Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair)
Lynn Cohen (Mags)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee)
Leven Rambin (Glimmer)
The Hunger Games may be Rambin’s first major studio film, but she’s got plenty of experience on the small screen. After breaking into acting playing the dual role of look-alike sisters on the popular soap All My Children, Rambin went on to appear in shows like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Grey’s Anatomy, Wizards of Waverly Place and One Tree Hill.
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