In The Hunger Games series, the tributes to District 1 have always been known for their ruthlessness, and Gross was no exception. While Gross, the winner of the 63rd Hunger Games, won the Capitol during the Quarter Quell due to his career tribute status, there are strong political ties between his district and the Capitol. Coordination inevitably worked in his favor. His sister Cashmere was also a winner, joining him during the Quarter Quell, and the two united as a team to defeat other teams with brutal effect. In the book, Katniss describes Gros and Cashmere as “polite but cool,” and the two make several attempts to win her alliance, but ultimately fail. Ritchson portrayed Gross as a formidable warrior, particularly skilled at knife throwing, and received very high scores during evaluation trials.
In the game, Gross was a member of the Career Pack along with Cashmere, Brutus, and Enobaria, and was the most ferocious in the bloodfest after the game started. Ritchson’s potential is largely untapped here, but he balances the character’s innate bloodlust with a ruthless complacency over the hypocrisy of the Capitol, forcing us to question the inherent brutality of a broken system. He considers them as his “family”. Compared to the grand scheme of Catching Fire, Gross’ role is fairly limited, so this is an example of an actor doing the best he can with what he’s given.
