Katniss Everdeen Isn't the Only Empowering Female in Mockingjay — Part 2
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Katniss Everdeen may be the heroine in Mockingjay — Part 2, but there are a few other characters in the movie that shouldn't go unnoticed. In a world convoluted with war and rebellion, the fight to stay alive has always been the most prominent theme of the franchise. While Katniss may have won the games, Annie Cresta and Commander Paylor are survivors in their own right. Not only do these characters, and the actresses who portray them, represent the ever-growing need for strong female roles, but they also contain that same spark as the Girl on Fire. I got the chance to talk with the film's actresses, Stef Dawson and Patina Miller, on the red carpet of the final film's NYC screening back in November, and they were just as inspiring as the people they play. Keep reading to see what they had to say about the film and how their characters compare to the Mockingjay herself.
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Stef Dawson: Annie Cresta
On her character's best characteristic: "I think it’s her ability to also keep hanging onto hope and to love Finnick unconditionally as he does her and to make that choice to survive, because for Annie the battle’s in her mind. It’s not physical. So, there’s something about that, that I think is beautiful and I think every human can relate to that."
On Annie and Finnick's romance: "It’s definitely unconditional love. They are star-crossed lovers. They are each other’s soul mates, there’s no question. There’s this beautiful line in the books that ‘no one could doubt their love’ was that kind of love that people dream about; they have that."
On how their love compares to Katniss and Peeta: "I think Katniss is kind of working out her love throughout the franchise, but with Finnick and Annie, there’s never any doubt. I mean, Finnick has to pretend that he’s one thing, but really his driving force and everything that he’s about is Annie. And that’s very clear by the end of it. That’s something really beautiful. Love is complex, isn’t it? But with Finnick and Annie, I think it’s very simple."
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Patina Miller: Commander Paylor
On her favorite part about playing Paylor: "My favorite part about playing the character was probably tapping into her strong fierceness, her fearlessness. You don’t get to see it a lot on film, women being able to be strong and complicated and doing things like that, and so that was the thing I was really excited to get the opportunity to do."
On how she hopes her character inspires young women: "I hope that it inspires them to have a voice and stand up for what they believe in and that you don’t have to sit pretty in a corner."
On how Paylor is a lot like Katniss: "I think that she is like Katniss in the way that they stand up for what they believe in. They have a way with people. They can stand in front of a crowd and really command attention. I think that’s one of the things in the film where Katniss gets to watch Commander Paylor do her thing. In Mockingjay — Part 1, you were able to see Katniss do her thing, and so it’s nice they have a comrade and it’s really great. She looks up to her as well."