AS the new face of the Hunger Games film franchise, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes prequel actress Rachel Zegler admitted on The Kelly Clarkson Show that she was a little nervous during her first meeting with Jennifer Lawrence.
In the original four Hunger Games films, Lawrence headlined the films as Katniss Everdeen, a role that turned the Oscar-winner into a global superstar.
“Lawrence and I were at Paris Fashion Week for the Dior show only a couple weeks ago,” Zegler said during the show.
“I didn’t want to be weird. I was just kind of psyching myself up to talk to her. She was so unbelievably kind.”
On cue, Clarkson showed a clip from the event, which captured Zegler and Lawrence embracing each other during a photoshoot, with Zegler evidently laughing.
“In that clip, Jennifer is actually saying, ‘Let’s do another photo where I’m strangling you and saying you’ll never take my part.’” Zegler revealed.
“And that’s exactly what I wanted from her.”
Even though Zegler has taken over for the franchise, with the prequel leaving room for potential sequels, Lawrence told Variety in June that she is open to reprising her role in the franchise.