Rising Star Joseph Zada: From Sydney to The Hunger Games and East of Eden

TL;DR: Australian actor Joseph Zada, 21, is about to explode onto the global stage. He’s playing young Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and Cal Trask in Netflix’s East of Eden opposite Florence Pugh. In this chat with his Hunger Games co-star Elle Fanning, he spills the tea on nailing Woody Harrelson’s voice, changing his name to honor his great-grandfather, and why the Hunger Games set felt like a big family reunion.

Who Is Joseph Zada?

Imagine being 21 years old and landing two massive roles back-to-back. That’s exactly what happened to Joseph Zada, a young actor from Sydney, Australia.

His Big Break Roles:

• Young Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (the prequel to the famous series)
• Cal Trask in Netflix’s East of Eden (the role that made James Dean a superstar in 1955), acting opposite Florence Pugh

Important Point: Sunrise on the Reaping comes out November 20, 2026. East of Eden drops on Netflix Fall 2026. Mark your calendars!

The Interview: Elle Fanning Gets the Scoop

Elle Fanning (who plays a young Effie Trinket in the new Hunger Games movie) sat down with Joseph in New York City on Friday, June 12, 2026. They’re already friends from filming, so the vibe was super relaxed—like two mates catching up over coffee.

Mastering the Haymitch Voice (Without Losing His Mind)

Playing a younger version of a character made famous by Woody Harrelson is terrifying. Here’s how Joseph handled it:

His Step-by-Step Process:

1. Studied like crazy – Worked with multiple dialect coaches
2. Nailed the exact impression – Practiced until he sounded exactly like Woody
3. Stripped it back – Realized he couldn’t act while obsessing over an accent
4. Found the "cadence" – Focused on rhythm and energy instead of just the drawl
5. Dialed it up or down – Adjusted based on what the scene needed emotionally

Important Point: Haymitch in the original movies has been living all over America for 24 years, so his accent isn’t purely Southern anymore. Joseph had to build a version that becomes that guy eventually.

The Secret Weapon: A single line he looped endlessly:

"Embrace the probability of your imminent death and hope in your heart… there’s nothing I can do to save you."

The Audition Journey: Three Weeks of Pure Hustle

Getting the role wasn’t a quick "yes." It was a marathon.

The Timeline:

• January 2025: Met casting director Deb Zane
• Mid-2025: Got audition sides while filming East of Eden in New Zealand
• The Challenge: One improvised scene, but Joseph said "Give me three weeks"
• The Hustle: Flew home to Australia, recruited his older brother, dad, and friends to help film and edit a proper audition tape
• Callback City: Flew to LA for chemistry reads with Lionsgate execs
• The Call: 7 AM wake-up from his entire team → immediate swearing panic: "Now I have to do this and it’s going to be really hard"

Important Point: Elle Fanning relates—she also had to nail Elizabeth Banks’ weird "mid-Atlantic" Effie accent using YouTube fan compilations. They both admit: fan edits on YouTube are actors’ secret weapons.

Fan Encounters: Pajama Pants from Superfans

Filming in a tiny Spanish town (population ~100) brought 250+ superfans who tracked them down.

The Wildest Gift: Three American fans flew to Spain to give Joseph exact replicas of the pajama pants Woody Harrelson wore to a premiere.

Joseph’s Confession:

"I washed them once, just in case. Or maybe twice. But yeah, I low-key wear those quite a bit."

The Name Change: Honoring His Great-Grandfather

His birth name: Joseph Cumpston (his older brother still uses it)
His chosen name: Joseph Zada (his grandmother’s maiden name)

The Beautiful Backstory:

• His grandmother is Australian Indigenous and Afghan
• The name comes from his great-grandfather, an Afghan cameleer
• Their family built the first mosque in Australia
• He felt a "weird spiritual connection" to the name before his big break
• Now he feels like his great-grandfather and grandmother are his "lucky stars guiding me"

Important Point: Elle Fanning relates—she goes by her middle name (Mary Elle Fanning), and kids used to tease: "So your name’s Elle Elle Fanning?" It’s a Southern family thing.

East of Eden: Dodging the James Dean Shadow

Playing Cal Trask—the role that launched James Dean—is intimidating. Here’s the twist:

The Director’s Orders:

"Promise me you won’t watch the film."

Joseph waited 8 months after wrapping to watch the 1955 classic. His reaction?

"Oh, shit. That is an incredible, incredible performance."

But Here’s the Difference:

• The Netflix series adapts more of the Steinbeck novel (not just the movie’s plot)
• Joseph only appears in the last two episodes
• He got to build Cal from the page up, not from Dean’s performance down

Meeting Woody: No Pressure, Just Blessing

They didn’t meet until AFTER filming wrapped.
Joseph deliberately avoided contact:

"For my nerves… I had to not think about that at all. There was already too much of a task at hand."

When they finally met: Woody was "so, so lovely" and gave his full blessing.

The Hunger Games Set: A Ready-Made Family

This is the 5th film for many crew members. Joseph walked into a perfectly curated team that’s basically a family.

The Vibe:

• Invited to crew dinners from day one
• Not just "accepted at work"—genuinely included in the social circle
• Elle confirms: "It’s so joyous and supportive. I felt the same way."

Acting Runs in the Family

Their Holiday Tradition:

"We’d work up to eight hours on auditions. Drive each other to the proper limits of a scene and try to do it 100 different ways just for fun."

First Call With Big News: His little sister—they jumped up and down and cried together.

What’s Next? London? LA? New York?

Currently: "Chilling" in Australia (his safe place)
Dream Move: London (to watch Arsenal play every day with his brother) OR LA / New York
Mom’s Vote: "Stay home!"

Fun Side Note: Elle went to a Man City game → Joseph: "That’s a horrible thing to say. You kind of look like you could be related to Erling Haaland."

Florence Pugh as a Mom? "Scary. She Shouldn’t Be That Scary."

Joseph plays Florence’s son in East of Eden. His take:

• "Very daunting" but she’s "so friendly and makes everyone feel comfortable"
• "Such a leader" with a "very old soul" despite being young
• "Very powerful" — worked incredibly hard
• Prediction: "I think her performance will live on forever."

Bucket List Actors? "I’m Shit Scared of Working With Them."

Joseph admits:

"I love the actors I love, but I’m shit scared of working with them. I don’t know how excited I’d be as opposed to deathly nervous."

The Shoot Details (For the Fashion Nerds)

Glam Team: Groomer Kumi Craig (La Mer), Photo Assistant Diego Salcedo, Styling Assistant Izaake Zuckerman, Production Director Alexandra Weiss, Photo Producer Georgia Ford, Special Thanks Wendy Fentress (Priority One Productions)

Summary: Why Joseph Zada Is About to Be Everywhere

1. Two massive franchises, one year – Hunger Games prequel + Steinbeck adaptation
2. Smart, not mimicry – Built Haymitch from the inside out; avoided James Dean’s shadow
3. Deep roots – Name honors great-grandfather who built Australia’s first mosque
4. Family foundation – Brothers, mom, dad all in the industry; audition prep was a family sport
5. Grounded human – Wears gifted pajama pants to bed, wants to move to London for Arsenal, calls his sister first
6. Respected by peers – Elle Fanning, Florence Pugh, Woody Harrelson all sing his praises
7. The Hunger Games family – Walked into a 5th-film crew that adopted him instantly

FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered

Q: When do the projects come out?

A: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters November 20, 2026. East of Eden drops on Netflix Fall 2026 (likely October/November).

Q: Is Joseph Zada his real name?

A: No! He was born Joseph Cumpston. He changed it to Zada (his grandmother’s maiden name) before his big break to honor his Afghan-Indigenous great-grandfather who built Australia’s first mosque.

Q: Did he talk to Woody Harrelson before filming?

A: Nope. They deliberately didn’t meet until after Joseph wrapped. He didn’t want the pressure. Woody gave his blessing when they finally met.

Q: How did he prepare for the Haymitch accent?

A: Worked with coaches until he nailed Woody’s exact voice, then stripped it back to focus on cadence and energy. He adjusted the "dial" based on each scene’s emotional needs.

Q: Are his siblings really actors too?

A: Yes! Older brother (6 years up, lives in London), younger brother—both actors. Their mom was a producer. They grew up doing acting courses every school holiday and made short films for family friends.

Final Thought from Joseph to Elle:
"You’re just so freaking talented, Elle. I really hope we get to work together again soon."
Elle: "We will. I want that too. I love you."

Keep an eye on this guy.