Mckenna Grace and Joseph Zada have noticed fans hoping their Hunger Games characters will become a couple, but the actors say their relationship off screen is more like family. The pair play Maysilee Donner and Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Asked about fans “shipping” them in an interview with Refinery29 Australia, Zada called the idea “pretty weird” and pointed out that both actors have partners. He said Grace feels like his “younger, younger sister.” Grace, who is a year younger than Zada, joked back: “Younger? Definitely not.”
Grace said she understands that fans enjoy pairing characters and people online, as long as it does not intrude on their personal lives. She described Zada as “like family.” Grace is dating her Regretting You co-star Mason Thames.
The actors also suggested other pairings involving their co-stars. Zada said he could see why fans had paired him with Ben Wang, who plays Wyatt Callow, and Grace said Ben and Zada were her favorite pairing. She also mentioned “Maydove,” a pairing of her character, Maysilee, with Whitney Peak’s Lenore Dove.
Grace has also spoken with Josh Hutcherson, who played Peeta Mellark in the original Hunger Games films, about joining the franchise. She said she asked him about his experience filming the arena scenes, and he told her it had been intense for him too.
Sources: E! News.