‘The Hunger Games’: Jennifer Lawrence on How ‘Special’ It Was for Her Nephews To Join the Cast

When it comes to The Hunger Games and its sequels: Catching Fire, Mockingjay – Part 1, and Mockingjay – Part 2, tons of actors were needed to help create the dystopian world of Panem. Since the films dealt with so many moving parts, a diverse and talented cast was essential to the success of the movies. Leading the pack was, of course, Jennifer Lawrence who gave stunning performances as “the girl on fire.” But Lawrence wasn’t the only one in her family to make an appearance in The Hunger Games movies.

Even the most loyal Hunger Games fans might not have known that Lawrence’s nephews make a brief appearance in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 cast. In the final scene, Katniss and Peeta are shown, years after the games, spending time with their two children in District 12. While Peeta is playing with their older child, Katniss tells their younger child about her incessant nightmares and how she copes with them.

Jennifer Lawrence’s real-life nephews played her kids in ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’

The aforementioned scene is particularly special to fans of The Hunger Games as it shows that Peeta and Katniss have finally found some semblance of the peace that they have rightfully owned. But the scene was also special to Lawrence as well for two reasons. The first reason is that the meadow scene is the final scene she shot in the entire Hunger Games franchise. The second reason is that Lawrence’s real-life nephews were cast as her character’s children in the scene.

Lawrence’s nephews, Bear and Theodore, are credited as Everdeen children in the film. Theodore was only 9 months old at the time, so there were back up babies on set just in case. But Francis Lawrence (who directed the last three Hunger Games movies) revealed that Theodore is, in fact, the baby that the audience sees in the film.

Francis Lawrence revealed that back up babies were on standby to join the cast

“We had multiples just in case,” The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 director shared in an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment. “Because what we really wanted to do is have a baby asleep, then we wanted the baby to startle awake as if it was having a nightmare, and be able to get shushed. So we timed the shooting with her and the baby to his naptime.”

But how was the experience for Jennifer Lawrence? In an interview with Collider, she got candid about how special it was for her nephews to briefly join the cast. The scene was particularly bittersweet for the actor because it allowed her to close the door on The Hunger Games in a very memorable way.

Jennifer Lawrence says shooting her final ‘Hunger Games’ scene with her nephews was extremely special

“I feel like I had two final endings with Katniss,” The Hunger Games actor confessed. “There was the one when we wrapped the film in Berlin, when everyone was there and I said goodbye to everyone in the movie. And then, I had a last scene, about a year later, with my nephews, which was so special. They played my children in the scene that I shot. It was amazing closure to this character who I’ve loved for so many years, and I had my blood family there. I got to say goodbye to both, at different times.”