Josh Hutcherson

Joshua Ryan Hutcherson is an American actor born on October 12, 1992, in Union, Kentucky. He is best known for playing Peeta Mellark in the film series The Hunger Games (2012–2015). Throughout his career, Hutcherson has earned numerous accolades, including four Teen Choice Awards, four Young Artist Awards, three MTV Movie Awards, a People's Choice Award, and a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Hutcherson is the elder son of Michelle, a former Delta Air Lines employee, and Chris Hutcherson, an analyst for the United States Environmental Protection Agency. He was raised in Kentucky alongside his younger brother, Connor. Expressing an interest in acting from a young age, Hutcherson began auditioning for television pilots in Los Angeles in 2002. He attended New Haven Elementary School before being homeschooled by his mother, later attending Ryle High School for one semester. Outside of acting, he participated in soccer, football, tennis, and competed in a triathlon at age 13.

He began his acting career with appearances in commercials and pilot episodes such as House Blend, ER, and Becoming Glen. In 2003, he starred in the television films Miracle Dogs and Wilder Days, and made his feature film debut in the independent film American Splendor. He provided motion-capture performance for young Hero Boy in The Polar Express (2004) and voiced Markl in the animated film Howl's Moving Castle.

Between 2005 and 2010, Hutcherson gained prominence as a child and teen actor. He starred in feature films such as Little Manhattan (2005), Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), RV (2006), and Firehouse Dog (2007). His performance as Jesse Aarons in Bridge to Terabithia (2007) marked a major career breakthrough, earning him a Young Artist Award. He subsequently appeared in Winged Creatures (2008), Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), Cirque du Freak, and the award-winning feature The Kids Are All Right (2010).

In 2011, Hutcherson was cast as Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games, starring across the four-film series released annually from 2012 to 2015. During this period, he also starred in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), Red Dawn (2012), and voiced Nod in the animated film Epic (2013). Expressing an interest in filmmaking, he served as an executive producer and lead actor for Detention (2011), The Forger (2012), and Escobar: Paradise Lost (2015).

Following The Hunger Games series, Hutcherson took on roles in independent films and television projects. He starred in the television series Future Man (2017–2020) and provided voice work for Ultraman (2019–2023). His subsequent feature film credits include the commercially successful horror films Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2025), as well as the action film The Beekeeper (2024).