Actor Garrett Hedlund missed out on a role in The Hunger Games sequel because he was too busy to read the books.

The first novel in the popular trilogy by Suzanne Collins became a big screen hit earlier this year, and production recently began on the second film adaptation, Catching Fire.

Hedlund has now revealed he was offered the part of Finnick Odair in the sequel, but he was so caught up with filming new movie On The Road, he didn't have time to read the books.

He tells MTV.com, "They did (approach me)... I was working on this film at that time. We shot the whole film in 23 days and I was really immersed in it. I couldn't get around (reading the books). Everybody around me is flipping out about the books, and I didn't really have the time to sit down lately to read any book, not just Hunger Games."

The role of Finnick Odair was eventually given to Snow White and the Huntsman star Sam Claflin.