Even in a world full of savage killers and exploitative entertainers, Donald Sutherland’s President Coriolanus Snow remains a chilling force throughout the “Hunger Games” saga. However, Sutherland’s personal viewpoint of his presidential role is not so black and white.
Leading up to the release of the film franchise’s latest installment, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2,” Sutherland talked with Kino TV about his villainous character, who he believes isn’t so villainous. “He’s a bad guy in terms of how people perceive him, but for me, no,” he explains. Sutherland compares Snow’s beliefs and mindset to real-life political figures.
“What does Lyndon Johnson feel about himself when he goes to bed at night? I mean, he’s killed a million Vietnamese,” Sutherland continues. “He runs an organization called the United States … where there’s no health care, where you have capital punishment, where the poor have devastatingly small minimum wage … he doesn’t feel like he’s a bad person, nor does Coriolanus Snow.” Sutherland’s performance more than lines up with the character’s motivation. Such a chillingly accurate description of Snow is more than enough reason why Sutherland was such a perfect fit for the part.
