Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: Dakota Shapiro, exclusive, francis lawrence, interview, lionsgate, peter dinklage, Rachel Zegler, the hunger games, The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes, Tom Blyth, Viola Davis

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes: Dakota Shapiro on Hitting His Stride

Dakota Shapiro (Eye Without a Face) spoke to Bleeding Cool about The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, co-stars & more.

There will always be pressure whenever you become part of the torch-bearing process of becoming the next generation in a beloved franchise. As a fan of the original Suzanne Collins novels, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes star Dakota Shapiro was ready to tackle that challenge as Billy Taupe, the one-time love interest of Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). Lucy serves as the protagonist set 64 years before the events of the 2012 original film directed by Gary Ross. Directing the prequel is director Francis Lawrence, who took over the franchise starting with the second film in 2013's Catching Fire and worked on Mockingjay: Part I (2014) and Part II (2015). The film chronicles the rise of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) to becoming the tyrannical leader of Panem, with Lucy serving as the female tribute from District 12. Donald Sutherland originally played the role in the Jennifer Lawrence-starred films. Shapiro spoke with Bleeding Cool about his fandom of the series before auditioning, working with Francis Lawrence, if he had any interactions with stars Peter Dinklage (Casca Highbottom) and Viola Davis (Dr. Volumnia Gaul) despite not sharing any scenes with them, and what he took from the experience.

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes: How Dakota Shapiro Went from Hunger Games Fan to Joining the Franchise

Bleeding Cool: How did you get involved with the 'Hunger Games' franchise?
Shapiro: It was a slow period. I got an audition, and the rest is history. I did a couple of tapes and then had a virtual call with the director [Francis Lawrence], and that was it. I was lucky.

Before getting into this, what's your experience personally with the franchise? Did you read the original Suzanne Collins' works? Were you exposed to the films?
Growing up, I read all the books, so I was familiar with the universe. When I got the audition for the movie, I didn't know that another one would be written, but I was excited to read it. When I got to the audition, I was pleasantly surprised with how the script turned out and knew I'd be a good fit for Billy Taupe.

Were there any other parts you auditioned for?
Always for Billy. That was the only one that was right.

Did you feel any pressure to up the ante to match the Jennifer Lawrence-starred films, or was it a clean slate with this going in as a prequel?
It's such a beloved universe, but I wanted to do it justice. I didn't feel overly pressured or anything, but I had high expectations of how to take care of something so close to so many people's hearts. I put my best foot forward on that one.

You're fortunate enough to work with the original director of the films. Could you tell me the kind of set that Francis Lawrence ran?
Oh, man! That's a pro. So many people are on that set, including extras and crew. It could be absolute chaos, and he made it feel so easy, fun, and light. That was a masterclass in being organized. All the crew had done the movies before, so they had such a shorthand, and it just felt incredibly smooth.

With some of the veterans in the cast, were you able to share any time off-camera with Peter [Dinklage] and Viola [Davis] and pick their brains, perhaps learn something from their presence?
I would have loved to, but they all film this stuff in the Capital. My character was in District 12, so I didn't get to meet those legends, but I would have loved to, and hopefully, someday soon.

How do you describe working with your castmates? Did you feed off each other?
They were fantastic. I learned a lot from all of them. Everybody I worked with was talented and professional and made it easy for me to do my job. I'm grateful to them.

Was there any scene or aspect of production difficult keeping in mind spoilers?
My first day of filming was the scene where I was interrupting the show that Lucy Gray was giving, and I had to run into a crowded room and yell over the top of everybody. I was nervous for that to be my first day on set. It was great once that was over; there was nothing what it was about. It was a great way to start.

Now that you had your first taste of working on a huge franchise, is it something you want to do again in your career, like Star Wars, DC, or Marvel?
I would love to. It was a total blast working on this. If every job could feel like working on this one, I would be happy to do it. I'm open to all of it, big and small. As long as it's fun and I'm right for it.

If you had one thing to take away from that in your future work?
I approach all the work the same, whether it's a big series or a smaller indie movie. The process is the same; you won't be overly impressed with everything going on and focus on your job.

Written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt, Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes also stars Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Jason Schwartzman. The film is currently in theaters.

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