‘Hunger Games’ Actor Josh Hutcherson To Guest Judge On Syfy’s ‘Face Off’
The Hunger Games franchise star Josh Hutcherson is making his reality TV debut this month. No, he’s not going to be on Celebrity Big Brother or The Apprentice, but Hutcherson will be acting as a guest judge on the special effects makeup competition Face Off on the Syfy Channel.
Josh will appear on the third episode of the show this season, titled “Let the Games Begin,” playing on his connection to The Hunger Games. Face Off, now entering its eighth season, has become a huge success for the network as its highest rated unscripted series, discovering new talent in special effects makeup.
If you’re wondering how Face Off landed a huge star like Josh Hutcherson for its show, look no farther then the rest of the judging panel, as Ve Neill is one of the regular three judges. Neill served as the head of the makeup department for The Hunger Games, so she obviously used her connections with Hutcherson to help make the episode happen.
Along with Neill, other regular judges on the show include Glenn Hetrick and Neville Page. The show often taps working makeup artists, rather than actors like Hutcherson, to fill in as guest judges. Special effects makeup legend Rick Baker (American Werewolf in London, Men in Black, Planet of the Apes) will be the guest judge and mentor for the first two episodes of the season.
Face Off premieres January 13, and the episode featuring Josh Hutcherson airs January 27 at 9 pm ET. Typically, the makeup artists’ challenge is related to the guest, so expect a Hunger Games-themed task for the week. In The Hunger Games, Josh plays Peeta Mellark, who uses camouflage makeup in the first film, so perhaps that element will be incorporated into the makeups the contestants create that episode.
For those of you who have never tuned into Face Off, aspiring makeup artists are assigned a challenge each week, which is judged by the panel and a guest judge. The lowest scoring makeup artist is eliminated until the final face off (pun intended) between the last three standing.
This season, the show is trying a new format, where three former champions return to choose teams to coach throughout the season. The former champions returning include Rayce Bird (Season 2), Anthony Kosar (Season 4), and Laura Tyler (Season 5).
If the judging gig doesn’t work out, Josh Hutcherson seems to be doing okay with his film career, as is the Hunger Games franchise. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is expected to easily be the top grossing film of 2014, after all the profits are tallied when it ends its theater run.
[Photo via Syfy press materials]
