'Hunger Games' Star Jennifer Lawrence's First Photo As Katniss Revealed

The excitement surrounding the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' beloved best-seller "The Hunger Games" has hit a new high with the release of the first official photo of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen on the cover of this week's Entertainment Weekly.

In the photo, Lawrence is shown staring directly at the camera, with her long, now-dark hair in a braid, bow and arrow in hand, quiver over her shoulder, and mockingjay pin secured on her jacket. It also appears that Lawrence-as-Katniss is standing in the middle of a bright green forest.

The photo is accompanied by an interview with Lawrence, who described her first encounter with "Hunger Games" director Gary Ross during the height of Oscar season.

"He was asking me what the experience was like," she recalled, "and I just kind of opened up and said, 'I feel like a rag doll. I have hair and makeup people coming to my house every day and putting me in new, uncomfortable, weird dresses and expensive shoes, and I just shut down and raise my arms up for them to get the dress on, and pout my lips when they need to put the lipstick on.' And we both started laughing because that's exactly what it's like for Katniss in the Capitol. She was a girl who's all of a sudden being introduced to fame. I know what that feels like to have all this flurry around you and feel like, 'Oh, no, I don't belong here.' "

The 20-year-old Oscar nominee went on to say that when she was offered the role, she had mixed emotions about taking on such a high-profile character, but in the end, her passion for the project pushed her forward.

"I love this story," she said, "and if I had said no, I would regret it every day." [MTV]