Philip Seymour Hoffman Explains Why He Accepted Role of Plutarch Heavensbee

It was a bit of surprise that the übertalented Philip Seymour Hoffman decided to bring his acting skills to the Hunger Games franchise by joining Catching Fire as Plutarch Heavensbee. Hoffman explains to EW why the role caught his eye-

“I liked the people involved,” says Hoffman, who recently signed on to play Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee. “It’s a great group of actors. It’s a great environment. And the character was something I was attracted to. It was just an interesting role. [SPOILER ALERT] He’s somebody who’s part of the revolution, but you don’t know it. The idea that somebody would be risking themselves in such an extreme way to join something that’s that dangerous because he thinks it’s the future…that’s interesting stuff, you know?”
Hoffman hadn’t read Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novels when he found out he might be up for a role, so he watched the first movie and is currently halfway through the second book. “It’s good,” he says. “I’ve read the script, which is true to the book — I kinda ruined it for myself. [Laughs] But I’m reading it anyway, because I really want to find out everything I need to know about this guy.

[Art by October-Gabriella]