Leven Rambin Plays 'Glimmer' In 'Hunger Games' & Is Nervous To Face Off With Jennifer Lawrence!
“The Hunger Games” cast are getting ready to start filming in North Carolina and actress Leven Rambin talks to Interview magazine about how nervous she is to start. Plus she already has a crush on Josh Hutcherson!
Leven Rambin is living the dream right now. The actress was a huge fan of The Hunger Games trilogy even before she knew one day she’d be playing the part of Glimmer, a tribute that faces Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) to the death! Leven reveals she’s already in “the process of training” for the movie and says she can’t wait to work with the other “amazing actors” Josh and Jennifer.
Leven sat down with Interview Magazine to chat about The Hunger Games and we loved her candor and eagerness to accurately depict the role of Glimmer, District 1’s female tribute. She really wants to please fans and says she’s been training hard in LA to get in shape! “As a fan of the books themselves, I would hope someone in the cast would be as dedicated to it as possible, so that is what I’m trying to achieve. I’m doing a pretty good job; I’m having carrot, celery, and ginger juice right now.” Leven continues, “She’s supposed to be this relentless, ruthless killing machine who has been training her whole life. Physically, that’s a whole other level for me. Strength-wise, training-wise, and skill-wise, I have to learn how she fights with swords and bow and arrows. She is supposed to be this really ripped girl, basically. I’m working really hard on that, and I think it’s a cool process to go through—I’ve never really gone through that kind of preparation for a character, with physical incorporation. It’s hard work, and I’m sore, but it is such an exciting thing to do.”
Here are more highlights from Leven’s interview:
- On the all-star cast: “I’m basically working a lot with Jennifer [Lawrence] and Josh [Hutcherson] in the arena, which is the actual battle, but they also have some action outside of the arena. I don’t think every role has been cast, but a lot of the people who I will be working with have been cast. Dayo Okeniyi is playing Thresh, who is a fellow fighter tribute, so I met him. I’m supposed to meet Jennifer this week, which I’m very excited about, because there are only really two girls in the movie. Her and a younger girl, who I think is, like, ten, and Elizabeth Banks, whom I haven’t met but am also very excited to meet.”
- On Josh Hutcherson: “Josh Hutcherson I’ve known for a couple of years, and I saw him do The Kids Are All Right—I’ve seem him do so well, and he is just so talented. I’ve always had a little baby crush on him. So I’m really excited for him and to finally work with him.”
- On being a huge fan of the books: “I am such a big fan. I tried to get every one of my friends to read it. A lot of my friends had already read it, and that’s why I picked it up, because they were all talking about it. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t stop. I was constantly reading it: on airplanes, at dinner, I was reading it under the table. Just in love. I was always like, “Did you hear what happened this week in Hunger Games?” Like it was like a soap opera that only I would enjoy. I was like, ‘Whoa, I’m auditioning for Hunger Games?’ That’s like my dream come true. That’s like a Trekkie auditioning for Star Trek. I was a total fan about it. I think the director saw my passion and saw my excitement for the project, and it worked in my favor […] I’m really happy that the fans seem to accept me as Glimmer. I’m really excited that they are supportive of me.”
So what is Leven most nervous about? “I’m pretty nervous!” laughs Leven. “About, I guess, being able to act with these really great talents, and holding my own. And trying to want to kill Jennifer Lawrence—being able to intimidate her, because she is a very strong actress, and to go up against her, go head-to-head with her, is kind of nerve-racking. I admire her, and hopefully, I’m sure we’ll get along. Yeah—I’m just nervous to have this big opportunity, and I hope I don’t blow it!”
Leven is so cute worrying about making her fans happy! She sounds down-to-earth and is taking her job very seriously. Are you excited to see her as Glimmer?
Lorena O’Neil
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