Fantasy Casting: Effie

Not a character that I particularly like, Effie is still pretty important to the story. She is our first real glimpse of what someone from the Capitol looks and acts like. We don't have much of a description of her, and what we do get revolves around her various wigs. She is seen as being at best a bit silly and at worst capitalizing on the slaughter of children. She really does her best for her job, and can't really understand why anyone might resent that.

My vision for Effie has always been a naturally blond and fair woman in her late twenties or early thirties. I guess that is really up for debate, she could be any race or ethnicity and we never see her real hair color. The most important thing is that she is always trying to appear upbeat.

"Ladies first!"

Reese Witherspoon is probably my first choice. She has great comedic abilities and is almost the definition of perky. If she brought a little Elle Woods to the role, I think she could pull it off like a charm. Reese is 34.

I didn't think of Rachel McAdams on my own, I heard or read her name somewhere in relation to the part. She could do it and has worked with Robert Downey Jr. in the past. I think she's a good actress, but she has never really jumped out at me in anything. She is 32 years old.

Not originally on my list, but an intriguing thought, is Kristin Chenoweth. She is best known for her guest role on Glee, and her turn as Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked. Although a bit older than the other two contenders (she's 42), her voice might be just the ticket to convey that peculiar Capitol way of talking. I saw her listed in an Entertainment Weekly article as the favorite choice in a poll.