Josh Hutcherson Biography

Joshua Ryan "Josh" Hutcherson (born October 12, 1992) is an American film and television actor. He began acting in the early 2000s, appearing in several minor film and television roles. He gained wider exposure with major roles in the 2005 films Little Manhattan and Zathura, the 2006 comedy RV, the 2007 family adventure film Firehouse Dog, and the film adaptations of Bridge to Terabithia, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. On March 30, 2008, Hutcherson won a Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor. Hutcherson was also featured on a Celebrity Teens edition of the hit show MTV Cribs, and portrayed Peeta Mellark in the 2012 film The Hunger Games.

Early life

Hutcherson was born in Union, Kentucky on October 12, 1992. His mother, Michelle, is a former Delta Air Lines employee who now assists Josh, and his father, Chris, is an analyst for the EPA. Josh's passion for entertaining people began developing at the age of three. His parents admit to ignoring his requests to act for six years before realizing that it may be something worth pursuing and not just a phase. He attended New Haven Elementary School in his hometown of Union until he began his career at the age of 9.

Career

In January 2002, Josh and his mother met acting coach Bob Luke who suggested they head to Los Angeles and begin auditioning for TV pilots, advice they followed. He landed his first acting role in the 2002 pilot episode, House Blend, playing Nicky Harper; in the same year, he appeared in an episode of ER and was cast in the pilot of Becoming Glen although the show wasn't ordered until years later with a new title and different cast that did not include Hutcherson. In 2003, he played the lead role, Charlie Logan, in the film Miracle Dogs which was released on Animal Planet.. Later that year, Hutcherson starred opposite Peter Falk and Timothy Daly in the made-for-television film, Wilder Days, and took on the role of Robin in the well-reviewed independent film, American Splendor. He also performed motion-capture imagery in 2004's The Polar Express. The character, Hero Boy, was created by computer animators based on his's facial expressions and body movements. In the animated film Howl's Moving Castle, he voiced the character of Markl alongside Christian Bale, Billy Crystal, and Jena Malone (whom he would work with again 9 years later).

From 2005-2006, Hutcherson appeared in several Hollywood films and even received his first solo award despite a previous nomination in 2003. He had a minor role in the comedy Kicking & Screaming with Will Ferrell, playing Bucky Weston. He played the lead roles in Little Manhattan and Zathura. For Zathura, Hutcherson received the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Leading Young Actor. In early 2006, Hutcherson appeared in the comedy RV, playing the son of Robin Williams' character.

Hutcherson subsequently played Jesse Aarons in the drama Bridge to Terabithia, which was filmed in New Zealand and released on February 16, 2007, performing well critically and commercially. Regarding his off-sceen friendship with co-star AnnaSophia Robb, he stated "We became great friends and I think it showed in the film." The pair both admitted to not having read the novel that the film is based on before being cast in their roles. For Bridge to Terabithia he received his second Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Leading Young Actor while Robb also received the same award for Leading Young Actress. Hutcherson's next role was in Firehouse Dog (released on April 4, 2007), in which he played Shane Fahey, a firefighter's son who befriends a dog. Having a dog of his own, he was described as very patient and confident while working on set with four different dogs. He next appeared in the independent drama Winged Creatures, playing Jimmy Jasperson in his first crime film. Released in mid-2008, he starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth, a new 3D version of the novel of the same name, working alongside co-star Brendan Fraser. From 2009-2011, Hutcherson appeared in a film adaptation of the book Cirque Du Freak, had a supporting role in the critically acclaimed movie The Kids Are All Right, playing Laser, and is credited as an executive producer as well as an actor in the comedy-horror film, Detention.

On April 4, 2011, Lionsgate announced that Hutcherson had been cast as Peeta Mellark in the 2012 film, The Hunger Games. He appeared in the 2012 Red Dawn remake.

Hutcherson hosted Saturday Night Live on November 23, 2013.

Personal life

Hutcherson has a younger brother, Connor, as well as many pets, including two dogs, Diesel and Nixon (a boxer). He has English, as well as Scottish, German, and Irish, ancestry. His hobbies and interests while growing up included cars, bowling, soccer, competing in triathlons, playing guitar, and song writing. At a young age, he was very confident that he would never turn to drugs, alcohol, or other ways young actors ruin their careers, claiming, "it"?s not even just about the fact that it"?s morally wrong ... I"?d be so embarrassed as a human being for people to know and think that I did stuff like that." He has cited actor Jake Gyllenhaal as an inspiration and has said that he would like to appear in every type of film genre.

Relationships and sexuality

Hutcherson dated his Journey 2 co-star Vanessa Hudgens but the two are now "good friends". In October 2013, Hutcherson told Out that while he is "mostly straight" he does not believe in labels and would not rule out dating other men.

Activism and philanthropic activities

In September 2008, he traveled to Italy for the first time. He visited Rome and Milan, and participated in a local event for children interested in moviemaking. Hutcherson recorded a video for the "Straight But Not Narrow" campaign, designed to encourage young, straight men to come out in support of their gay peers. On April 21, 2012, Josh received the Vanguard Award from GLAAD, awarded to those in the entertainment industry who make a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In April 2012, Hutcherson adopted a pit bull named Driver from the Hands, Paws & Hearts rescue organization in Lancaster, California.

Sports

Being from Northern Kentucky, Hutcherson has been a lifelong fan of both the University of Kentucky's Wildcats and nearby Cincinnati, Ohio's Major League Baseball team, the Reds. As a guest on Conan, Hutcherson talked about painting his face to show his support during Kentucky Wildcats basketball games and being a season ticket holder. On April 7, 2012, Hutcherson threw the ceremonial opening pitch before the Reds' game against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003	American Splendor	Robin
2004	Motocross Kids	TJ
	Howl's Moving Castle	Markl	Voice role
	'	Hero Boy	Motion-capture only
2005	One Last Ride	Joey
	Kicking & Screaming	Bucky Weston
	Little Manhattan	Gabriel "Gabe" Burton
	Zathura: A Space Adventure	Walter
2006	RV	Carl Munro
2007	Bridge to Terabithia	Jesse Aarons
	Firehouse Dog	Shane Fahey
2008	Winged Creatures	Jimmy Jaspersen
	Journey to the Center of the Earth	Sean Anderson
2009	Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant	Steve "Leopard" Leonard
2010	'	Laser Allgood
2011	Detention	Clapton Davis	Also producer
2012	Journey 2: The Mysterious Island	Sean Anderson
	'	Peeta Mellark
	7 Days in Havana	Teddy Atkins
	'	Joshua Mason
	Red Dawn	Robert Kitner
2013	Epic	Nod	Voice Role
	'	Peeta Mellark
	Aaron & Sarah	Aaron	In-development
	Paradise Lost	Nick	In-development
2014	Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon	Sean Anderson	In-development

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002	Becoming Glen	Young Glen	Television film
	House Blend	Nicky Harper	Television film
	ER	Matt	Episode: "First Snowfall"
2003	'	Matthew Inwood	Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part"
	Miracle Dogs	Charlie Logan	Television film
	Wilder Days	Chris Morse	Television film
	Line of Fire	Donny Rawlings	Episode: "Take the Money and Run"
2004	Eddie's Father	Eddie Corbett	Television film
	Party Wagon	Toad E. Bartley	Voice role; Television film
	Justice League	Van-El / Young Bruce Wayne	Voice role; Episode: "For the Man Who Has Everything"
2010	'	Chuck	Short film
2012	Punk'd	Himself	Episode: "Lucy Hale"
2013	Saturday Night Live	Host	Episode: "Josh Hutcherson/Haim"

Awards and nominations

Year	Organization	Award	Work	Result
2004	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Leading Young Actor	Wilder Days
2005	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast	Motocross Kids
	Young Artist Awards	Outstanding Young Ensemble in a New Medium	The Polar Express
	Saturn Awards	Best Performance by a Younger Actor	Zathura: A Space Adventure
2006	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a Feature Film (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actor	Zathura: A Space Adventure
2007	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor	RV
2008	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor	Bridge to Terabithia
	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast	Bridge to Terabithia
2009	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor	Journey to the Center of the Earth
2010	Breakthrough of the Year Awards	Breakthrough Actor in Film	The Kids Are All Right
	Gotham Awards	Best Cast Ensemble	The Kids Are All Right
	Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association	Best Ensemble	The Kids Are All Right
	Boston Society of Film Critics	Best Cast	The Kids Are All Right
	Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards	Youth in Film	The Kids Are All Right
	Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards	Best Cast	The Kids Are All Right
2011	Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards	Best Cast Ensemble	The Kids Are All Right
	Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	Best Cast	The Kids Are All Right
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture	The Kids Are All Right
	Chlotrudis Awards	Best Cast	The Kids Are All Right
2012	GLAAD	GLAAD Vanguard Award	Straight but not Narrow
	NewNowNext Awards	Next Mega Star	The Hunger Games
	CinemaCon Award	Breakthrough Performer of the Year Award	The Hunger Games
	MTV Movie Awards	Best Cast	The Hunger Games
	MTV Movie Awards	Best Kiss	The Hunger Games
	MTV Movie Awards	Best Fight	The Hunger Games
	MTV Movie Awards	Best Male Performance	The Hunger Games
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie: Liplock	The Hunger Games
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy	The Hunger Games & Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
	Do Something Awards	Movie Star: Male	The Hunger Games
2013	People's Choice Awards	Favorite On-Screen Chemistry	The Hunger Games