Summary

  • Josh Hutcherson's role in Journey to the Center of the Earth showcased his ability to perform and deliver in a more active role.
  • Hutcherson's performance in Across The River and Into the Trees exemplifies his growth as an actor over the years.
  • Bridge to Terabithia is one of Hutcherson's best films, with an outstanding performance and emotional depth.

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

Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson Smiling in Journey to the Center of the Earth

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

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

Markl, Heen, and the scarecrow in Howl's Moving Castle

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

josh hutcherson in tragedy girls

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

josh hutcherson in the disaster artist

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