Whitney Peak has become accustomed to unexpected attention. The actor recalls being recognized during a street altercation, when one of the people involved paused to ask for a photo. On another occasion, a group of teenage fans followed her through an airport after running up behind her.
Peak, 23, first gained wider recognition as Zoya Lott in HBO Max’s 2021 Gossip Girl reboot. She later appeared as Becca in Hocus Pocus 2, featured alongside Sabrina Carpenter in the singer’s “Nonsense” music video, and began a partnership with Chanel.
Her next project is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, in which she plays Lenore Dove Baird. The character is a musical and determined young woman whose great love is Haymitch Abernathy, portrayed in the film as a teenager before becoming the mentor familiar to fans of the original Hunger Games story. Haymitch is separated from Lenore Dove after being selected as a tribute for the 50th Hunger Games.
Despite having nearly half a million Instagram followers, Peak says she is not especially active online. She does not regularly read reviews, comments, or messages, and says she does not think of herself as a public figure. She also finds it difficult to watch her own performances, although she plans to make an exception for Sunrise on the Reaping because there is material in the film she has not yet seen.
Peak met Rachel Zegler, who starred in the previous Hunger Games film as Lucy Gray Baird, for the first time on the street in their nearby neighborhoods. After Peak’s casting was announced, Zegler sent her a direct message and publicly expressed her support, writing that she would make the Baird name proud. Peak says the two have also noticed a resemblance between them in side-by-side images, prompting speculation among fans about a connection between their characters.
For the film, Peak formed an immediate rapport with Joseph Zada, who plays her Haymitch. They first met during a chemistry read, and later worked together in Germany. Peak says they spent much of the preparation period together, running through their scenes repeatedly before filming their first scene in the countryside.
The scale of the franchise was intimidating for Peak. She says she felt overwhelmed by the importance of the story and by the affection audiences already have for The Hunger Games. To ease her nerves before filming, she deliberately sang badly in front of the cast and crew so she could laugh and move past the pressure. She also listened to music by Irma Thomas, Bettye Swann, and Kendra Morris.
Music is central to Lenore Dove, although Peak describes herself as an enthusiastic rather than accomplished musician. She owns a keyboard and a guitar, and learned one song on the accordion while preparing for the role. Peak says she shares Lenore Dove’s strong attachment to loved ones and community, but views the character as more outspoken and instinctive than she is.
Away from work, Peak says she prioritizes her relationships and everyday life. She spends time reading and catching up with family and friends, and is knitting small yellow clothes for two friends who are expecting a baby.
Although Peak says she can choose not to live online, she recognizes that a role in a franchise as popular as The Hunger Games will follow her beyond the screen. Her advice to audiences preparing to see Sunrise on the Reaping is simple: bring a box of tissues.
Sources: Cosmopolitan.