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We caught up with Mckenna at the London fan screening of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, where she opened up about taking on the role of fan-favourite Maysilee Donner in the hugely anticipated prequel.

From Hunger Games fans casting her in the role before it was officially announced to the enormous responsibility of bringing such a beloved character to life, Mckenna admits the whole experience has been daunting, overwhelming and completely insane!

As a huge fan of The Hunger Games franchise herself, Mckenna explains just how much Maysilee means to her, why getting the character right was so important and why she wishes she could borrow some of Maysilee's confidence!

#MckennaGrace #HungerGames Report by Jonesl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Transcript
00:00I wish that I had Macy Lee Donner's confidence.
00:02I think that what used some of the pressure was the fact that people seemed to respond
00:07mostly nicely to my casting, which, you know, is not always the case.
00:10And that was like so, that meant so much to me, that the fanbase, you know, liked me as Macy
00:16Lee,
00:16because I was like, I don't even know if I like myself as Macy Lee, like, am I gonna do
00:19this justice?
00:19Like, taking on something like this, and a franchise that I care so deeply about,
00:24and a character that, like, means everything to me, it's been so taunting and insane,
00:29and, I don't know, I'm so grateful for it.
00:32And fan casting, you know, I've been fan casting for a lot of things.
00:35Usually whenever you're fan casted, I find that it doesn't end up working out,
00:39so I always get terrified, I'm like, no!
00:41The casting director's gonna see this, and they're not gonna hire me.
00:44But, I don't know, I think that Francis, I don't know if he pays attention to those things,
00:49but I feel like he's tuned in to what the fans love,
00:52but he's always gonna pick whoever he sees best of it for the role,
00:56and so I'm just so thankful that he even watched my tape,
00:59let alone that he hired me, and now I'm at the premiere, and promoting it,
01:04and I'm in the Hungry Apes!
01:06It's crazy!
01:08I wanted her anger to come across, but also her kindness.
01:10I think that she is a representation of, I don't know, our whole thing is not letting the capital
01:19strip away her humanity, to let them see her like an animal.
01:22And she's so determined in a system that is actively trying to strip everything that she is,
01:29to hold on to her humanity, to hold on to...
01:32Woo!
01:34She's so, I don't know, she's so determined, and I think that for Heymit,
01:38she definitely puts an idea in his mind of that louder rebellion,
01:44because she's never afraid to stand up for what she believes in, and the people around her.
01:48So, I don't know, I think that she...
01:51For me, I really like that she's a kind character that is so outwardly angry,
01:56because you can still express yourself, and you can still be kind.
02:02You don't have to...
02:04You don't have to make yourself more consumable for the people around you,
02:07if you're standing up for what you believe in.
02:08You don't have to fold yourself up to make your needs more manageable for the people around you sometimes.
02:13And I think that that's so important to see in Macelly, that she's not...
02:17She's not...
02:18She's not...
02:19She's not vain.
02:20She...
02:21Everything in her is purposeful, and it is so angry,
02:24but I like watching throughout the movie as she funnels her anger
02:28at what she believes in versus the people around her,
02:31and she kind of becomes a sister and a healer to the people around her,
02:34and I think that that's important, especially for young women to see that
02:37you can stand up for what you believe in.
02:39Your needs can be voiced.
02:41Who you are, you don't have to pipe down on that for, you know,
02:46to make people more comfortable, and you can still be kind and loved and family.
02:50So, I don't know, that's what I loved about her and what I found so cool,
02:54because I wish that I had Macelly Donner's confidence,
02:57so it was so cool to get to embody that for a summer.
02:59I would pece him all right.
02:59keluarga away every number,
02:59you know the updated fashion notwithlevante,
02:59The Oxford lady.
02:59You turned them fast,
02:59OK
02:59You're so nice.
03:00Iessä 어머,
03:00you didn't have the nomination here?

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