Josh Hutcherson just addressed being called an “internet boyfriend,” saying he doesn’t “identify” with the viral title.
The Hunger Games star has insisted that the term Gen Z, used to describe a popular or famous man who becomes the collective online crush of a large digital fanbase, does not resonate with him.
“I don’t identify with that,” Josh said Rush, and added, “I started acting when I was nine years old because I love movies and I fell in love with being on set and making them.”
He added: “I don’t want to be an internet boyfriend, I don’t want to talk about myself in the press all day.”
Josh further emphasized the importance of understanding the boundary between performance and self.
“What’s the line between ‘I’m playing a character’ or ‘I’m just being me’?” the actor asked.
“It’s a dangerous game because if you don’t know when you’re being performative and when you’re being yourself, you’re going to have a psychotic breakdown,” he explained.
Josh, who started his career as a child actor, said he’s become more comfortable dealing with that tension as he gets older.
“Where I am now in my life and career is that I’ve been in the spotlight for so long that I’ve found this comfortable blend of being myself within performativity. I think it’s because of what I wanted when I got this job: it’s not for attention, it’s not proving anything, it’s not fame, it’s not money,” the 33-year-old said.
“I’ve gotten all these things over the years, but it was because that intention was pure, I think,” Josh Hutcherson concluded.
