Josh Hutcherson weighs in on first rejection in industry

Josh Hutcherson has reflected on the challenges he faced after skyrocketing to fame with The Hunger Games.

As fans will know, before Hunger Games, Hutcherson appeared in films including Little Manhattan, Zathura: A Space Adventure, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and The Kids Are All Right.

On the latest episode of the Dinner’s On Me podcast, the actor opened up about how he first learned the sting of rejection, a lesson he says did not come until after his breakthrough franchise.

“I didn’t learn rejection ever,” Hutcherson admitted.

“I knew only success from the age nine to, like, 24, then kind of post-Hunger Games world. Because Hunger Games set things up,” he explained, referring to the series that cemented his career.

“The industry is so goddamn tricky because they set you up in this way where they’re like, ‘You’ve arrived. You now are working with Jennifer Lawrence and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and you’re in this movie that makes billions of dollars, you’re the second lead of the film.’ ”

He added that just as quickly as Hollywood thrusts you into the spotlight, the opportunities can disappear.

Moreover, Hutcherson revealed that it was not until he was around 25 that he truly experienced “disappointment, failure [and] rejection” while struggling to land roles.

“It was just like a string of no one calling, not getting any offers, auditioning, but not getting cast,” he said.

“It’s this whole thing of, ‘Oh wow, I have my career that I’ve had since I was 9 years old. It’s always worked. I always got cast.’"

"Of course, there are things that you don’t get cast in, but I had only known that the chances are, if I was auditioning, was going to book it. That is just not the reality at all,” he remarked before conclusion.