Hunter Schafer and Rachel Zegler know how to let loose during an intense film shoot.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the stars A ballad about songbirds and snakes (now in theaters) reveal that it was a nightclub scene in Berlin, Germany, where Hunger Games the prequel was filming, which allowed them to have fun.
“Berlin is the capital of techno, so we had really good resources for dancing,” Schafer, 24, says with a smile. “To decompress after an intense day of recording, something with a high BPM – ‘boom, boom, boom’ – can exorcise whatever you need.”
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Zegler, 22, says the film’s director Francis Lawrence made work-life balance a priority for the cast and crew.
“Francis is so intent on not letting the work go on too long so everyone has a chance to relax a bit,” she shares. “He’s really a guy who likes to enjoy a meal at the end of the day and say good night. And so there was a lot going on, a lot of restaurants, a lot of nightlife on weekends.”
Enjoying the sights and sounds of cities across Germany and Poland helped bond the actors, the story from the west side adds the star. “I feel like we all got to know each other really well because of it.”
Hunter Schafer and Rachel Zegler.
Liam Woods
‘Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’: Everything you need to know about the ‘Hunger Games’ predecessor
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Adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ hit novel, A ballad about songbirds and snakes centers on a young Coriolan Snow (Tom Blyth, inheriting the role from Donald Sutherland in the original franchise), who has been instructed to mentor the tributes in the 10th annual Hunger Games.
Zegler plays that tribute singer Lucy Gray Baird — who, like Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen before her, hails from District 12. Schafer plays Coriolanus’ fashionable cousin Tigris (played by Eugenie Bondurant in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2).
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Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
Murray Close
After stepping into the Hollywood spotlight as young adults, both actresses know the importance of balancing intense work schedules with self-care. Zegler, whose upcoming projects include directing the animated film 2024 Enchanted and in 2025 Snow White live-action remake, says that “recognizing that things are different and that it’s not a bad thing” is what grounded her.
Just as important: “Surround yourself with good people,” says Zegler. “Your friends, your family are the people who will actually bring you back down to earth when it seems impossible.”
Schafer, who had a successful run as Jules on HBO Euphoriawith which he debuts in a feature film A ballad about songbirds and snakes. “This feels different than any fan experience I’ve had in the past because with a TV show, fans kind of accumulate over time,” she says.
with Hunger Games cinematic universe, “we’re getting into something,” she continues. “There are literal communities that organize around their love of these things.”
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Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Serpents.”
Murray Close
As for moving into the spotlight in general, Schafer calls it “a journey I’m still working on. I’m definitely healthier in all of this than I was at the beginning. It threw me for a loop, the way things change your life.
“It just takes time to adjust. But now I think, this is what we do. This is my life. This is really cool.”
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes it’s in theaters on November 17. It stars Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Jason Schwartzman and Josh Andrés Rivera.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education