BEFORE THEY WERE HUNGER GAMERS
Role: Katniss Everdeen
Jennifer rose to fame when she was nominated for a 2011 Oscar for "Winter's Bone." But that was far from the actress's breakout role. After moving to Hollywood from Louisville, Ky., Lawrence began acting in 2006 at age 16. From 2007-09, Jennifer starred as Lauren Pearson on the TBS sitcom "The Bill Engvall Show." Sure, it wasn't Emmy-worthy material, but it got her where she is today
Role: Gale Hawthorne
Before he was known as Miley Cyrus' boyfriend and Chris Hemsworth's little brother, Liam (seen left in 2008) was a star back in his native Australia. In 2007, he got his big break playing paraplegic Josh Taylor on the soap
opera "Neighbours." (Liam and Chris' other brother, Luke, had previously starred on the show as Nathan Tyson.) But it wasn't until he showed his abs in "The Last Song" that U.S. audiences got a load of Liam's leading man potential.
Role: Peeta Mellark
If you're just catching wind of Josh right now, then you obviously weren't a kid -- or didn't have children -- in the early- to mid-2000s. This chubby-faced youngling (seen left in 2003) moved from Union, Ky., to Los Angeles
when he was 9 and quickly became a go-to guy for tween-friendly fare, bringing him starring roles in movies like "Little Manhattan," "Zathura: A Space Adventure" and "Bridge to Terabithia." We think it's about time he's grown up, don't you?
Role: Haymitch Abernathy
Harrelson's road to "The Hunger Games" began in Midland, Texas. In 1985, Harrelson joined the cast of "Cheers," and he used the popularity of the show to launch a successful film career (beginning with 1992's
"White Men Can't Jump") that has brought him to play Katniss' mentor in "Hunger." Harrelson wed his longtime love, Laura Louie, in 2008; they have three daughters: Deni Montana, Zoe Giordano and Makani Ravello. A tireless advocate of liberal political causes, he has become known in particular for his support of marijuana legalization, vegetarianism and biodiesel
Role: Effie Trinket
Back in 2002, this Pittsfield, Mass., native and UPenn grad was a relative Hollywood unknown who had just scored big playing Betty Brant in the "Spider-Man" trilogy, but comedy fans already knew her as the
burger-loving French kisser from "Wet, Hot American Summer." Since, Banks has become a mom and a bankable star known for smart comedy ("30 Rock") and dressing to impress. Banks married Max Handelman in 2003, and she had a son, Felix, via surrogate in March 2011.
Role: Cinna
The son of "The Jeffersons" star Roxie Roker, Kravitz has performed music his entire life, making his mainstream splash in 1993 with "Are You Gonna Go My Way." (He's pictured at left at the 1993 MTV VMAs with Cindy
Crawford… and his signature shades.) Kravitz has continued to rock in the interim, and today, his role as Cinna, Katniss' stylist, marks his second major movie role after his turn in "Precious." Kravitz married actress Lisa Bonet in 1987, and Bonet gave birth to Kravitz's only child, singer-actress Zoe Kravitz, in 1988
Role: Seneca Crane
Pictured at left during his high school days, Bentley, now 33, is best remembered for two major movies in the late '90s: "American Beauty," in which he played the creepy videographer neighbor boy, and "Beloved," in which his
character sexually assaulted Oprah's. Following those, Bentley married actress Jennifer Quanz in 2001, but Bentley's drug problems ultimately caused the two to split. Finally sobering up in 2009, Bentley refocused his energies on his career. In 2010, he married producer Jacqui Swedberg. They have a son, Charles, who was born in 2010
Role: Marvel
"The Hunger Games" may be Jack's movie debut, but he's been around Hollywood longer than most of his castmates. That's because his parents are Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid! "I've been on sets my whole life," Jack
tells People, "but this is the first time in front of the camera and not in a chair with Sour Patch Kids from the craft services truck. ... It was a new sensation. It was weird ... I really liked it. " Check him at left with pudgier cheeks back in 2003.
Role: Clove
The last time we checked in with Fuhrman, the Washington, D.C., native was playing a psychotic seductress trapped in a child's body in the 2009 horror film "Orphan." That's not all that long ago, we admit, but
it's worth it to see what a lovely young woman Fuhrman, now 15, has grown into… and, you know, that she isn't actually trapped in a child's body
Role: Foxface
Her role as one of Katniss' competitors marks her feature film debut, but you still might have heard of this 20-year-old Washington, D.C., native before. Pictured at left back in 2005, she played keyboards in Devo 2.0, the bizzare,
kid-friendly, Disney-produced "spinoff" group of the '80s band Devo. (Yes, that was actually a thing that happened
Role: Cato
This Vancouver native had mostly TV and direct-to-DVD movies on his resume before scoring a starring role in 2007's "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising." It's not much to write home about, but at least it got him out of people's
living rooms and onto the big screen.
Role: Glimmer
Considering how well she can work it on the red carpet, it's hard to believe that "The Hunger Games" is actually one of Leven's first flicks. Before now, she's been queen of the small screen. You might remember this
21-year-old Houston, Texas, native as Ava Benton on "All My Children," for which she attended the 2005 Daytime Emmy Awards. Leven also appeared as Riley Dawson on "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and as Sloan Riley on "Grey's Anatomy.
Role: Caesar Flickerman
After this Peekskill, N.Y., native made his film debut in 1985's "Prizzi's Honor," Tucci went on to be one of Hollywood's most reliably great actors, whether for comedy ("The Devil Wears Prada") or drama ("The Lovely
Bones"). Pictured at left in 1996, Tucci looks more or less the same today -- minus a bit of hair, maybe. Tucci had three daughters with his wife Kate, who died from breast cancer in 2009. Tucci has since become engaged to Felicity Blunt, sister of Emily Blun
Role: President Coriolanus Snow
Where to start? This celebrated Canadian actor began with the amazingly titled 1965 film "Die! Die! My Darling!" and ever since has straddled the line between mainstream drama ("Ordinary People," "Klute") and
niche weirdness ("Invasion of the Body Snatchers"), so he's right at home in "The Hunger Games." Pictured at left in 1982, Donald had twins Kiefer and Rachel, with his second wife, Shirley Douglas. In 1972, Donald married his current wife, actress Francine Racette. They have three sons
Role: Ms. Everdeen
Playing Katniss' mom marks this Irish actress's biggest movie role yet, but you might remember her from her TV work on critically acclaimed series such as "Lost," "Sons of Anarchy," "Caprica" and "ER." At left,
Malcomson appears just before landing a starring role on "Deadwood" as Old West prostitute Trixie.