Interview: Rachel Zegler Talks Lucy Gray, Katniss, & Her New Movie, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’

Tomorrow, November 17, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will be released to theaters. To celebrate, we heard from one of the stars of the movie, Rachel Zegler.

Zegler opened up regarding how big of a fan she was of the series prior to getting the part, playing Lucy Gray, how she differs from Katniss (played by Jennifer Lawrence), singing live on set, and so much more. Check out what she had to say below.

On a scale of one to ten, how big of a fan she was of the original books and movies: “I wasn’t quite writing love letters to Suzanne Collins, but I was definitely up there. I would give myself a nine. I did read all of the books, and I saw all the movies as they came out, and it was a really love kind of bonding experience for my mom, my older sister and I because we all read them together and watched them together. And it was so wonderful.

On getting the opportunity to play Lucy Gray: “When it came to this book, I read it the second it came out in 2020. Just because it was very anticipated for me. I just love that Suzanne [Collins] was adding onto this story that I loved so much. And then when I found out that there’s this brown-haired girl who loved to sing from District 12, I just got so excited at the prospect of getting to do something like that, and was reading it, imagining the opportunity to perform as her. And when it came time to the casting and Francis [Lawrence] called my agent and said that I was his top pick to play the part, I was so humbled and honored. And I’m so glad that I got that opportunity that I had dreamed of when I was reading it.”

On whether she was inspired by Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss from the first trilogy: “As actors, watching Jennifer’s performance in the original trilogy is watching a masterclass in performance, in general.

On how she approached playing Lucy so that she differed from Katniss: “When it came to the approach of Lucy Gray, I kind of felt like I didn’t have to akin to what Tom was saying. It kind of puts an unnecessary pressure because it’s a different character and a different time of Panem. And I feel like Lucy Gray is a war torn teenager who’s had everything she knows ripped from her, yet she’s still making the best of it. It was very similar to Katniss in that perspective. But she’s a very different dynamic in response to being places in an arena in front of a bunch of people and having to make the world root for her. She’s very good at that. She’s very persuasive in her performance and very good at getting an audience on her side. So, it was very fun to play that, but I do think that there’s elements of Katniss within her. And that makes it all the more fun to go back and watch the original trilogy and kind of see how Coriolanus remains haunted by Lucy Gray, even in his late life, because there are echoes of her within Katniss Everdeen.”

On singing live onset: “It was kind of my choice to sing live on set. I had done it before on my first film and I feel really confident in that sphere of performance, in general. That was what I kind of came out of the womb doing on stage. So, getting to do that for my peers and on set for my crew and the creative team was something really special that I felt like I could bring to the table. When you’re working on sets like that, or when you’re even watching movies, it kind of takes you out of the world when all of the sudden, somebody starts lip-syncing and you it just kind of takes you out of it. So, I felt really blessed that Francis [Lawrence} and Nina [Jacobson] trusted me to do that and getting to bring that into the acoustics of the Hob or the stage at the Reaping, and all of the other places I don’t wanna spoil that Lucy Gray gets to sing. It just adds a completely different tone to the scenes. And I felt like it was really, really important, not only to me, but also to the character, that I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t perform live every take. And it was a lot and it was very strenuous, but I trained to do it and I felt really, really confident with the outcome. And I hope audiences do, too.”

On what music helped prepare her for playing Lucy: “For me, it was “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Joan Baez, because I feel like that’s really a Lucy Gray type vibe, where she’s just kind of like, you just ruined my life, but it’s okay.”

On what set, prop, or costume blew her away: “I was definitely curious to see what Trish Summerville [costume designer] was gonna do with the rainbow dress. Because really, the only description it gets in the book is that there are pink, blue, and yellow ruffles, and that’s it. I was really, really wondering how she was gonna bring it to life. And it was even better than I could’ve possibly imagined. I think it really speaks for itself. But then, also with the rest of her costumes, because the rest of her outfits really don’t get described too much in the book. I think Trish just took that, the ‘Covey love color’ line, and ran with it and in such a beautiful direction. I really think it was probably that. Also in postproduction, seeing what the rainbow snakes in Dr. Gaul’s lab looked like. That was really cool for me, as a book fan.

On her own personal strategy to win The Hunger Games:“I feel like I’d have to go the route of Lucy Gray. And I think I would have to win the affections of Panem and then hide and get a lot of sponsors so that I don’t die of hunger. But hide and wait everyone out.”

Who is planning on seeing the movie this weekend?

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity