Josh Hutcherson has had several great roles in the 20 years he has been acting, with incredibly moving and powerful performances. Hutcherson is now in his early thirties, but having started his acting career at the age of 10, he has been in this line of work for decades now. Despite appearing in some hugely popular films like The Polar Express as the motion capture actor for the Hero Boy, Howl’s Moving Castle, as the English dubbed voice of Markl and the older brother Walter in Zathura: A Space Adventure, it wasn’t until 2007 that Hutcherson landed his breakout role.
Hutcherson continued acting throughout his younger years and successfully made the transition to becoming a more mature actor with later roles to continue actively making new projects today. His career has seen him tackle the role of Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games franchise, and recently starred in the new franchise inspired by the game, Five Nights at Freddy’s. Hutcherson’s career appears to be on the up and up, but it’s also important to look back at some of his best work to date.
10 Journey To The Center Of The Earth
2008
Journey to the Centre of the Earth received mixed reviews upon release, but Josh Hutcherson’s performance manages to stand out. Despite his young age, Hutcherson is able to convey emotion, and humor, and hold his own next to an incredible talent like Brendan Fraser. The writing and direction could have potentially improved the overall project, but Hutcherson is a scene stealer throughout, proving his ability to perform and deliver in a more active role.
9 Across The River And Into The Trees
2022
Across the River and Into the Trees is a film based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. While the film debuted in 2022 at the Sun Valley Film Festival, it has yet to receive a general release in the US and continues to tour film festivals. However, it is easily one of Hutcherson’s best performances and exemplifies how his talents have grown over the years of his career. Hutcherson stars alongside Liev Schreiber. The artistry of the film, and the shifting between black-and-white and color also add to the film’s character.
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8 Howl’s Moving Castle
2004
Prior to Hutcherson becoming widely popular, he was cast as the English voice actor for the character Markl in Howl’s Moving Castle. The film is from the popular Japanese animation team, Studio Ghibli, and was one of Hutcherson’s earliest voice acting roles, which would be a skill he would continue to apply to voice acting for video games in later years and a handful of animated films. Landing such a significant role so early in his career was a big step forward, and his ability to pivot this role toward being cast in more live-action work is impressive.
7 Little Manhattan
2005
Little Manhattan deserved to get far more attention than it has and could have easily been Hutcherson’s breakout film if it had received a wider release. Hutcherson plays Gabe, a 10-year-old boy who meets his first love, an 11-year-old girl in a karate class. The story about first love and heartbreak plays out over two weeks before the kids part ways with life getting in the way, and it’s incredibly touching and emotional for a story with children as the leads.
6 Tragedy Girls
2017
Hutcherson only appears briefly in Tragedy Girls, but the blend of comedy and charm from his character Toby Mitchell makes it worth mentioning. The film follows two murder-obsessed girls with a podcast who decide to spice things up in their quiet town by committing murders themselves. Toby becomes one of the first victims that the girls kill, but after all their hard work, his death is deemed an accident. Hutcherson delivers, and he is a great cameo for the film.
5 The Disaster Artist
2017
The comedy film based on the process of making the iconic film, The Room, was released in 2017 as The Disaster Artist. Josh Hutcherson again plays a smaller role but leans heavily into comedy, which he possesses a clear talent for. The film is a movie about the process of making a movie, and as such, Hutcherson plays two very different characters, but the transitions and performances throughout are perfect.
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4 The Hunger Games
2012
One of Josh Hutcherson’s most notable roles comes in The Hunger Games. The film is adapted from the novels by Suzanne Collins, and Hutcherson appeared in all four of the original films as the male lead, Peeta Mellark, alongside Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen. The role offers Hutcherson the chance to display multiple sides during his performance. As a young man who is scared and finds love and compassion in the arms of his teammate, and he also acts as the fearless and confident tribute from District 12 who wins over sponsors and helps to earn freedom for him and Katniss.
3 Bridge to Terabithia
2007
Bridge to Terabithia is easily one of Hutcherson’s best films of all time. The film sees Hutcherson play Jess Aarons, who struggles at school with bullies, and at home with a strained relationship with his father, before befriending the girl next door. Hutcherson delivers an incredible performance in the wonderfully inspiring scenes as he and Leslie play in the woods of Terabithia, and in the darker, more emotional scenes that round out the movie. It’s easy to forget how young Hutcherson is at this point in his career, as his delivery is outstanding.
2 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
2013
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second entry in The Hunger Games series and easily the best film of the bunch. Both Hutcherson and Lawrence are on top form as they settle into a role they have become intimately familiar with and the stakes of the film are raised with a second Hunger Games tournament putting their lives and future on the line. Peeta becomes more complex in this entry, with his feelings for Katniss confused and damaged by her earlier actions. However, he continues to be a shining light to stand by her and protect her whenever possible.
1 The Kids Are Alright
2010
The Kids Are Alright is a heartwarming dramedy about two children who were conceived via artificial insemination, and they decide to bring their biological father into their unconventional family. Hutcherson plays the son, Laser, and the dynamics between the entire cast are sheer perfection. Playing opposite stars like Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Annette Bening, and Mia Wasikowska, Hutcherson slots perfectly in to complete the dynamic family. Josh Hutcherson displays genuine depth and emotion in every scene and continues to inspire despite his youth.
