Interview With A Hunger Games Peacekeeper

*UPDATE* 

Do you have any questions that we didn't cover during the interview? Now is your chance to ask them! Post a comment to the story below by April 20, and Sgt. Campbell will tell you whatever you want to know about working on the set of the Hunger Games. You can finally know if Jennifer Lawrence is as pretty in real life as she is in pictures, or what kind of weapons they used for filming the movie.



Hunger Games mania has struck, and I’ve been swept away in the excitement along with everyone else who helped make it the number one movie in America. So far, the movie has earned $251 million, putting it in the same category as movie series like Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter.

That’s partly why I was thrilled to get to interview an actor from the movie, Staff Sgt. Timothy Campbell, who also happens to be an Army recruiter Monroe Recruiting Station. He played a Peacekeeper in the movie that was filmed in the mountains of North Carolina, and yes, you may have seen him on posters for the movie, but no, he isn’t actually quite as intimidating in real life.

Here’s what he had to say about being on camera, meeting the actors and similarities between the fictional Peacekeeper force and the U.S. Army:

Have you had any other experience with acting or film before The Hunger Games?

The Hunger Games filming was my first experience with filming, but I have done other extra work for TV and movies since then.

What made you want to get involved with the movie? Had you read the books or known anything about the story before you got involved?

Initially, my wife purchased and read the books. She loved them. So, when we found out that a movie was going to be made, we just had to try and be in it. We found out that there was an open casting call, and we were sure to submit for it.

What effect did the filming of The Hunger Games have on the towns in North Carolina where it was shot?

Fans of the Hunger Games were obviously excited to know the movie was being filmed nearby. LionsGate had to hire tons of security to keep the filming areas cleared out and free of fans with cameras, etc.

 What was it like being on set?

Some of the scenes were with hundreds of people, while other scenes were just a few of us with the main actors. I did get to meet the main actors, actresses, and director. I had them sign my Hunger Games book, of course.  And it was fun because I had a firsthand experience with seeing the bloopers. People were forgetting their lines and wearing parts of their costume wrong during filming. The most memorable parts are definitely going through hair and makeup. Some of the actors looked completely different afterwards.

What was it like being on camera?

The camera definitely took some getting used to. It was a very “cool” feeling whenever the camera was on you. Just making sure not to look directly into the camera during filming took some conscious effort though.

What did you think of your character of a Peacekeeper? Any similarities at all between the Peacekeeping force and the Army, as far as structure, discipline, etc?

It was very easy for me to get into character while filming as a peacekeeper. It was almost as if I was just wearing a different uniform, but still doing Army stuff.

How did you prepare for your role?

I made sure to take everything in that the director was telling us about what he wanted peacekeepers to be. Luckily for me, he basically wanted me to act like a soldier. So, preparation was very easy.

  

How did acting in a big movie compare to what you thought it would be like?

I actually didn’t realize how many times they had to shoot a scene over and over again; filming a movie turned out to be a lot more work than I expected. It worked out though, because the chain of command was surprisingly cooperative with allowing me to take leave when needed. Of course, I lucked out and some of the filming was on the weekends.

What was it like to see yourself in theaters?

Seeing myself on the big screen, in books, and all over the internet is a really weird, but cool feeling. It’s like I know it’s me, but seems as if it shouldn’t be me, if that makes sense. I have never really thought of myself as being cool. So, when others put me on a pedestal, I feel important (laughs). I even had a little boy ask me to sign his book during the filming. Just the fact that somebody wanted my autograph on a poster was so cool.

Do you plan on doing this again?

I definitely intend to do this again as well as other TV shows and movies. I really have my eye on Iron Man III.

What do most people ask when you tell them you acted in The Hunger Games?

They always want to know how much I was paid and if I met the “real” actors. It has definitely proven to be a useful tool when speaking to teenagers. I’m no longer just some recruiter. I’m that cool peacekeeper guy.

Intern Tales Chapter 1: Inspiration, Sandhills RS and Punk Jeopardy

“In our Army every soldier must care about his job. Often- if the duty seems menial or humdrum- it is hard to cultivate this attitude. But it must be done. What you do in your job each day, you do for the Army.”

Sgt. Maj. of the Army William O. Wooldridge

About a month ago when I was first applying for an internship with the Columbia Recruiting Battalion and anxiously trying to learn as much as I could about the Army, I came across this quote by Sgt. Maj. of the Army William O. Wooldridge. I liked it, and the idea it presented of a working environment where everyone isn’t just trying to make it through the week, but is inspired to bring their best every day, because they’re working for the Army.

So far in my experience as an intern, I’ve found that the people I work with live up to this quote, and do care about their jobs. These are the people I’ll be blogging about over the next few months, as I discover more about what they do and the cause they serve. 

Last night I visited the Sandhills Army Recruiting Station to observe their Future Soldier Training Program. Staff Sgt. Culaine Brown is the Future Soldier manager, and has built up the station’s program to be one of the most successful. These weekly trainings kick-off with a 20 minute drill practice led by recruiters or the especially skillful Future Soldiers. Last night, a Future Soldier with four years of JROTC experience marched the platoon and corrected their form for the recruiters’ inspection.

Following the D&C (Drill and Ceremony) practice, Brown taught a session about Land Navigation and Map Reading, demonstrating the tools and skills the Future Soldiers will need to pass Basic Training. Staff Sgt. Katherine Fortner explained to me the benefit the Future Soldiers receive by going a program such as Brown had created. She reported how the soldiers have enough difficulties while in Basic Training, so being knowledgeable about the various tasks they will be tested on really makes the experience easier. Completing the Future Soldiers training program, if nothing else, assures them that they won’t be one of the unlucky soldiers singled out for not knowing the answer to a question, or how to complete a task. The Land Navigation and Map Reading skills especially are not ones that soldiers want to realize they’re lacking at Basic Training, when dropped in the middle of nowhere and left to find their way back.    

The recruiters also used this training to explain the new protocol following the repealing of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” What can be a sensitive topic, Brown handled with tact by reminding the Future Soldiers that, while everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, “You’re soldiers. You’re not here to judge or critique, just worry about yourselves.” He also warned them about using any offensive words for gays and lesbians, saying “If I hear it, and I’m a ninja, I will hear it, I will jump down your throat.”

The training closed with a suspenseful round of Brown’s “Punk Jeopardy” to quiz the Future Soldiers on the training they had received and, most importantly, the Soldier’s Creed. Each Future Soldier was matched with a Battle Buddy, and both had to answer questions correctly before either was allowed to sit. To further emphasize the importance of doing everything with a team attitude, the entire group was given 30 seconds of planking for each missed question. With Punk Jeopardy, as with every other aspect of the training program, Brown and the recruiters encourage the Future Soldiers’ development of the Army Values, so that the Future Soldiers will graduate training with not only the knowledge and skills to succeed in the Army, but the character as well.  

 By Haley Pearson, Columbia US Army Recruiting Battalion Intern