You thought you knew Finnick Odair after “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”? Actor Sam Claflin wants you to meet the real Finnick in the upcoming “Mockingjay – Part I.”
Things get intense in the third film of the series, and Finnick finds he has a lot in common with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), as they take their personal vengeance all the way to the Capital as Panem erupts into rebellion.
“A dark side comes out,” Claflin explains to HitFix's Katie Hasty in the recent video interview at the top of the story. “It's an opportunity for Finnick to unfurl his real emotions,” and not be just a vain victor with a pretty face.
Claflin may not be as famous as Finnick, but he's won over fans who were initially wary of his casting in “Catching Fire.”
“The Character of Finnick was so beloved by fans…so when I was cast and no one knew who I was, there was a lot of disappointment,” he reveals. “It did make me want to work harder and prove those doubts as wrong and prove that I was worthy.”
“They've since kind of changed their minds I think, hopefully,” he adds.
“Mockingjay” also stars Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I” opens Friday.