'Hunger Games' Star Josh Hutcherson Doesn't 'Play It Cool' Like Peeta

For the Josh Hutcherson fans out there who have been onboard with his "Hunger Games" casting in the role of Peeta Mellark since the beginning, you're clearly on the same page as the actor himself, who has told us several times that he feels such a connection to Peeta that it "hurts."

"I feel like so much of who I am is Peeta," Hutcherson told recently. "It drove me crazy during the audition process, because I was like, 'This is so me, it hurts. If I don't get this, I'm not even good at being me, so now what am I? I have no idea what to do next.' "

And when we caught up with the young man behind the boy with the bread during the film's press day, we asked if there was anything he and Peeta don't have in common.

"Peeta has a hard time saying how he feels to women. I have the opposite problem," Hutcherson admitted. "I say it too soon, so we're different in that respect. But, honestly, we're very similar in so many ways it's kind of hard to pick out the difference."

When asked whether his upfront approach in revealing his feelings too soon works in his favor, the "Journey 2" actor had no problem admitting defeat.

"Not at all," he said of his method's effectiveness. "I think I should probably adopt more of Peeta's strategy and maybe play it cool a little longer."

As those of us who have read Suzanne Collins' books well know, however, that Peeta doesn't play it cool for very long. Once he admits his feelings for Katniss, his affection does not waver at all. "Well, it's borderline obsessed and that's never good to be obsessed with anything really, but I think that he's just that in love," Hutcherson said in reference to his character's attachment to Katniss. "He can't help himself; he's just head-over-heels and hopelessly in love."

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