Christina Coffman Talks About Being Katniss' Stand In

College sophomore, Christina Coffman, was the stand in for Katniss for 81 days during her summer vacation on set. She talked to Stand In Central about her experience.

"SIC: How did you land your job as Jennifer Lawrence’s stand-in?CC: I had an audition callback in Asheville, North Carolina, that lasted about five hours. Jennifer, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth were there, but most of the time was spent with the casting director, ADs, and the other girls they were considering. At the end we had individual interviews and I was the first one to interview.  Then they sent me home. Early the next morning I got a call saying I had the job!SIC: Cool, Christina!  Were you also hired to photo-double?CC: Yes! On the days that I photo-doubled, they had to spray my braid to make it darker since my hair is naturally a bit lighter than Jennifer’s. Additionally, she is a few inches taller than me so I had to constantly remind myself to stand tall. I was even able to photo-double as “District 4 Tribute Girl” one day.SIC: Working on The Hunger Games was a demanding project. You were working in the woods of Asheville and at high elevations, too. You also shot in a cigarette factory. What kinds of demands did you face?CC: We worked sunrise to sunset six days a week in some of the most isolated and beautiful forests of North Carolina. Base camp was often a good 10-20-minute drive back down the mountain so we had Porta-Johns closer to set but sometimes there just isn’t a chance to break away so you either wait or go behind a tree!The Cornucopia and Reaping scenes were filmed on very hot days under the beating sun. We also had several major downpours–it amazes me how there was always a Plan B for these frequent storms. Sometimes they would put a tarp over the set, add some lights, and continue filming! Watching these scenes you wouldn’t be able to tell it was still raining a few feet away.Not only was the weather an obstacle, but we had some encounters with bears. They were never much of a threat, though–they seemed more afraid of us then we were of them, thank goodness. Snakes were also common, so there was always a snake wrangler on set. After lunch one day at the Cornucopia I was looking for snakes with a few of the actors. We found some, picked them up, and didn’t get bit! So I guess they weren’t poisonous snakes … none of us really knew!SIC: Katniss runs and uses a bow and arrow in the film. What kinds of physical demands were asked of you as a stand-in on The Hunger Games?CC: I didn’t have to know too much about archery other than how to hold the bow and arrow. As for running; there was a lot of that! There was also running through fiery areas, but I was only allowed so close due to the danger of it.  Jennifer and her stunt double, Renae Moneymaker, were actually trained for the fireballs’ flying inches from their face.SIC: By the way, The Hunger Games is becoming very popular.  Would you consider yourself a fan of the story?CC: “Fan” would be an understatement. I absolutely love it! It is brutal but so intriguing. I read the series several years before I knew a movie would be made and it immediately became my favorite. I even dressed up as Katniss for Halloween when I was seventeen–Haha!  Kind of embarrassing when I tell people now, but you can imagine how exciting it was for me to be a part of this film!"

You can read the full interview at Stand In Central, using the link above.
Thanks to Hunger Games Network!