Josh Hutcherson Says ‘The Hunger Games’ Books Are ‘Everything’ To Him

Josh recalls the exact moment he found out he’d be playing Peeta. He was ‘speechless!’

Josh Hutcherson looked every bit the leading man as he made his way down the red carpet March 12 at The Hunger Games world premiere in Los Angeles — and don’t think for a second he took any of it for granted. “I wanted this more than anything in my entire life, literally!” he told reporters. “I was in my kitchen [when I got the news] and I was speechless. The books are everything for me.”

He also talked about how he bulked up for his big role.

“I had to put on 15 lbs. of muscle in four weeks,” he revealed. “Lots of chicken and fish!”