Elden Henson Talks The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, His Favorite Horror Movie, and More!
Ari Drew
|
We recently had a chance to sit with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 co-star Elden Henson, who is currently promoting the film in between shoots for Season 2 of the Netflix hit series “Daredevil,” in which he plays charming sidekick Foggy Nelson. Even if you’re not a follower of the famed young adult novels-turned-films or Marvel’s TV universe, you likely recognize Henson from a host of genre films over the years, including Idle Hands, The Butterfly Effect, and Deja Vu — not to mention paragons of ’90s nostalgia like She’s All That and The Mighty Ducks franchise.
The finale to the successful Hunger Games franchise stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth and sees Henson returning to the role of Pollux, a mute cameraman documenting the final battle between District 13 and the Capitol on the front lines. Though his character has no spoken dialogue in either Part 1 or Part 2 of the film’s finale, Henson delivers an emotional and memorable performance, captured with a poignancy by famed director Francis Lawrence.
Here are some highlights from our chat with Henson, who had much to say about his experience working on the film, his favorite genre effort, and the prospect of returning to horror!
On being a part of a worldwide phenomenon…
Henson admitted that has never been a part of such a massive project as this and was very pleasantly surprised by the fanfare that follows the series. “The day they announced that I was joining the cast, a girl just stopped me on the street and she was like, ‘Oh my God, they announced you’re gonna be in Hunger Games today!’” Henson recalled with a laugh. “She had nothing to do with the industry, you know? She was just a fan! […] That was the first time that I thought, ‘Wow… this is something [so] different than [the films] I’ve ever been a part of.’” Of the franchise’s fans, Henson only had the kindest words. “I have to say, The Hunger Games fans are just incredibly excited and also respectful… I’ve never met a Hunger Games fan that I didn’t want to stop and talk to.”
On winning the role of Pollux…
When asked how he got involved with the final two films of the series, Henson very openly credits “total luck,” as his name was brought up to the studio by the film’s casting director, Debra Zane, for whom he had auditioned before. “I believe [Zane] brought my name up and I’m so grateful to her for that and so grateful to Francis [Lawrence, director] and Nina [Jacobson, producer] and Lionsgate for taking a chance with me because there really wasn’t an audition process. I just got a call and then like… I don’t know, maybe 3 or 4 days later I was in Atlanta doing wardrobe fittings and getting ready to go, so it was all so quick. It didn’t feel real!”
Henson further gushed over Francis Lawrence, who has helmed all but the first entry in the franchise, stating that the director was a great guiding force during filming: “I was a little nervous going in, but very quickly my fears went away when I met Francis. And I was a huge fan of Francis before I met him, so being able to work with him was incredible! [… ] He’s just such a kind, generous, and just really talented guy. […] He was always a good source of advice and a calming person in my life. […] It was really great, man. It was honestly one of the best times I’ve ever had making a movie.”
On playing a supporting character that has no dialogue…
In the massive universe of The Hunger Games, Henson’s character is an Avox — a group of individuals who have had their tongues removed. Though this character is a notably smaller role that appears only in Mockingjay, Henson was particularly refreshed by the emotional weight of Pollux. “When I got the role at first, I didn’t know what to expect. And then when I went back and read the books, I was so surprised and so happy that there was a real depth to the character. […] Suzanne Collins [author of the books] really wrote some amazing characters, and even though it’s a smaller character, I thought, ‘Wow, how lucky am I to get to try and tackle this?’”
When reflecting on the fact that his character is never able to speak, Henson found a common ground with his “Daredevil” co-star Charlie Cox, whose character is blind. “[As an actor] it’s a lot easier not being able to speak than maybe not being able to use your eyes or something… It’s funny, I think about it a lot doing ‘Daredevil’ and Charlie always having the glasses on and how I’m so impressed that he’s still able to convey so much without using his eyes. I feel like I definitely had the easier one, not being able to speak!” Henson’s resulting performance is impressive, as he delivers some notably emotional moments in Part 2. Once again, though, he is quick to credit Lawrence’s direction. “I was in really good hands with Francis. […] He said, ‘Just remember that with all the terrible stuff that Pollux has been through, he still chooses to see the beauty in the world,’ and that really resonated with me, and that’s where I started and really tried to come from.”
On his past work in horror and returning to the genre…
While many may remember Henson from ’90s mainstays like She’s All That or The Mighty Ducks franchise, he has indeed dabbled in horror in the past, notably co-starring in films like The Butterfly Effect and Rodman Flender’s 1999 horror-comedy Idle Hands, on which he very fondly reflects. “I actually saw [Idle Hands] not too long ago! They did a screening at the New Bev and Seth [Green] and I went and did a little Q&A before the movie and there were all these people that were big fans of the movie. […] And the movie didn’t do too well when it first came out, so it’s cool to see there are fans out there and people that still love it!” When asked if he would consider returning to horror, Henson very quickly responded without hesitation: “Absolutely! […] I love the genre, and I’d love to do something in the horror field [again].”
On his favorite horror film…
“I’ve had debates with people who say that this isn’t a horror movie,” Henson expressed, reflecting on one of his genre favorites as our conversation veered to what made the top of our own lists. “I actually think that it’s very much a horror movie… [but mine] is The Shining. It’s probably my favorite horror movie of all time. It’s incredible.”
On “Daredevil” Season 2…
Of course, we couldn’t walk away without getting something for “Daredevil” fans. While he couldn’t share much, he did confirm that shooting for Season 2 has been going swimmingly. “I think people are gonna be pretty excited with what John [Bernthal]’s doing with The Punisher, man. He’s incredible!”
We want to thank the very rad Elden Henson for taking the time to hang out and chat with us! You can catch him in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 when it premieres this Friday, November 20th. Additionally, Season 1 of Marvel’s”Daredevil” is available in full on Netflix, and Henson will return as Foggy Nelson when Season 2 premieres on the streaming service in 2016.
Categorized:News
