Sam Claflin Finds His Voice: How the ‘Hunger Games’ Scene-Stealer Became a Rockstar in ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. When Daisy Jones first performs at the famed Troubadour in the second episode of Prime Video’s “Daisy Jones & The Six,” she’s not yet a rock star. The titular character, played by Riley Keough, steps onto the low-lit stage with an acoustic guitar awkwardly strapped around her shoulders, her hair hastily done up in prairie braids, her frizz the telltale sign of a broke artist without the time or money to care about aesthetics.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor They say L.A. has no history, and yet, thankfully there are still enough vestiges of the Laurel Canyon folk-rock scene of the 1970s to fully stock a throwback series like “Daisy Jones & the Six.” Set among the flowy dresses and shaggy mustaches of the city’s rock ‘n’ roll heyday, the series gives aspiring rockers Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, played by Riley Keough and Sam Claflin, plenty of classic places to hang out, giving the gauzy musical series a grounding in a specific time and place. The show’s production designer, Jessica Kender, explains that in some cases, it was more important to capture the feeling of the era than to use the exact location. A perfect example is the front of the Six’s house in Laurel Canyon, which was designed to evoke the iconic cover of “Crosby, Stills & Nash” with the band sitting on a brown couch in front of a long-ago torn-down house.

to top the iTunes charts with the release of its first album, “Aurora.” The band was brought to life by Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse, Will Harrison, Josh Whitehouse and Sebastian Chacon for the self-titled Amazon Prime Video show, which was adapted from the book of the same name. “Daisy Jones & The Six” was written by Taylor Jenkins Reid and follows the rise and fall of a Fleetwood Mac-esque band as it gets mixed up in sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll in Los Angeles in the ’70s. The novel quickly became a #BookTok sensation — and popular beyond the social media app — after it was released in 2019.

is now the TV show sweeping the world off of its feet. Though many may have just met Daisy, Billy, and the rest of the fictional band when Prime Video released the show's first three episodes last weekend, the beloved characters have long anchored the fan base for Taylor Jenkins Reid's 2019 book.The novel -- and now the show — chronicles the rise and fall of the titular rock band in a Fleetwood Mac-esque story starring Riley Keough as Daisy Jones, with Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne, Suki Waterhouse as Karen Sirko, Will Harrison as Graham Dunne, Josh Whitehouse as Eddie Roundtree and Sebastian Chacon as Warren Rojas.

Oh, they could make a good thing bad. The Dunne Brothers could only land basement gigs and rundown bar shows in Pittsburgh — until Daisy Jones came along. The rock-obsessed musician (played by Riley Keough) with a broken childhood was officially introduced to Sam Claflin’s Billy Dunne on episode 3 of Daisy Jones & The Six. And, naturally, it didn’t go over well.

Sam Claflin thinks it's become "impossible" for celebrities to escape the attention of fans. The 36-year-old actor believes social media has made it much more difficult for celebrities to fly under the radar. Sam - who has starred in films such as 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' and 'Enola Holmes' - told Sky News' 'Backstage' podcast: "You're seen everywhere - everything you say is immediately broadcast and tweeted and tik-toked and becomes a meme and a gif.

An adaptation icon. A lot of Sam Claflin’s roles have something in common, as the actor has a habit of starring in TV shows and movies based on best-selling books.

“Daisy Jones & The Six” is out and fans are already raving.

Ready, set, slay! The cast of Daisy Jones & the Six has blessed Us with looks after looks during the series’ press tour. 

Ellise Shafer From the moment Riley Keough heard about “Daisy Jones & the Six,” she felt it was her destiny to play the title character. “I just knew I was gonna be Daisy,” she tells Variety about Prime Video’s adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel, which chronicles the rise and fall of a 1970s rock band. “It was very weird.” And then the anxiety set in. Despite having music in her blood — she’s the granddaughter of Elvis Presley — Keough says she had no professional singing experience coming into the show. That seems almost unbelievable upon hearing the first note she sings, her voice velvety yet jagged, in the debut episode.

bestselling novel of the same name, Amazon Prime Video’s TV adaptation of  premiered today, March 3. Starring Riley Keough — daughter of the late Lisa Marie Presley — opposite alum Sam Claflin, the musical drama charts the rise and fall of Daisy Jones & the Six — a fictitious 1970s rock band undeniably inspired by the likes ofFleetwood Mac. The first three episodes of  have arrived with new episodes dropping every Friday until March 24.Watch on Prime VideoThis limited series cast also includes Camila Morrone, Will Harrison, Suki Waterhouse, Josh Whitehouse, Sebastian Chacon, Nabiyah Be and Tom Wright. 24 original songs were written and recorded by the cast for the series, 11 of which will be released on, a real-life debut album from the now-not-so-fictional Daisy Jones & the Six, also out on vinyl and digital platforms March 3.Produced in part by Reese Witherspoon’s company, Hello Sunshine, with the hit author Reid herself serving as executive producer, is shaping up to be a TV show that rivals the success of its popular source material.

is the captivating limited series chronicling the meteoric rise and fall of the titular rock band as they release their first album and embark on a massive tour before internal conflicts drive them apart. The show stars Riley Keough as Daisy Jones, with Sam Caflin as Billy Dunne, Suki Waterhouse as Karen Sirko, Will Harrison as Graham Dunne, Josh Whitehouse as Eddie Roundtree and Sebastian Chacon as Warren Rojas. Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid's hit 2019 novel -- which was written as an oral history while the series is constructed as a music documentary -- the story set in the 1970s has drawn comparisons to the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac, which has its own tumultuous history in addition to being one of the biggest bands for several decades around that time. While writing the book, the author «watched a lot of ,» Reid told about the hit VH1 docuseries, which featured an episode about Fleetwood Mac, whose mega-successful album,, was released in 1977, the same year as Daisy Jones & The Six's debut record, . «There are certainly parallels to draw,» said Harrison, who plays the band's guitarist and backup vocalist. Of course, most of the show's cast was born in the late-'80s, early-'90s, putting them at the tail end of the Millennial generation.

Daisy Jones & The Six premieres on Amazon Prime Video today (March 3).Starring Riley Keough (Daisy Jones), Sam Claflin (Billy Dunne) Suki Waterhouse (Karen Sirko), Josh Whitehouse (Eddie Roundtree) Sebastian Chacon (Warren Rojas) Will Harrison (Graham Dunne) and Camila Morrone (Camila Dunne), the drama follows the story of the iconic, fictional 1970s band, fronted by two feuding yet charismatic lead singers“Drawn together by personal and artistic chemistry, their complicated musical partnership catapulted the band from obscurity to unbelievable fame. And then, after a sold-out show at Chicago’s Soldier Field, they suddenly called it quits,” reads a synopsis.“Now, decades later, the band members finally agree to reveal the truth.

Author Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote her best-selling novel, “Daisy Jones & the Six,” with a fictional band in the image of Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac’s multi-platinum 1977 album “Rumors” changed everything for the band, but the tensions between the bandmates became just as notable as their music.

Catching Fire premiered in 2013, star Sam Claflin is reflecting on playing fan favorite Finnick Odair. Finnick stole fans' hearts the moment he offered Katniss Everdeen () a sugar cube before the Quarter Quell tribute parade, but the now 36-year-old actor was not nearly as confident as his on-screen counterpart. “At the time, I was shitting myself — the first topless scene I’ve ever done, you know? Oh, my God," he told while promoting his new series, .

Like most other people would, Sam Claflin couldn’t help but fanboy over working with a member of the Presley family.

An edgy evening! Riley Keough, Suki Waterhouse, Camila Morrone and more stars commanded attention at the premiere of Daisy Jones & The Six on Thursday, February 23.

Sam Claflin is getting candid about life as a single dad. In a new interview with , the  actor opened up about being in a «really bad place» following his split from Laura Haddock.«I’d been through quite a lot personally at the time,» Claflin, who separated from Haddock in 2019 after six years of marriage, says.

Katcy Stephan It’s been 10 years since a shirtless Sam Claflin first stole hearts as the charismatic District 4 victor Finnick Odair in 2013’s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” In a conversation with Variety about his upcoming Prime Video series, “Daisy Jones & the Six,” Claflin reflected on the films at length. “It still feels like yesterday…the filming experience of that was just an absolute dream,” he said, beaming as he recalled filming in Hawaii alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. It wasn’t all easy, though. The actor faced backlash at the time of his casting: “‘You were so wrong for this.’ ‘They should have cast this person or this person, not you,’” Claflin remembers hearing when he was selected for the beloved role. His attitude? “Okay, I’m gonna prove you wrong!”

Sam Claflin has given fans a candid insight into his personal life, discussing what it has been like being a single dad after his split from ex-wife Laura Haddock.Speaking with Variety, the 36-year-old - who is set to star alongside Riley Keough in Daisy Jones & The Six - admitted he "was in a dark place" when he got cast for the Amazon Prime Video series.WATCH: Sam Claflin to star in new series Daisy Jones & the Six "I'd been through quite a lot personally at the time," he said about his divorce. "I was in a really bad place."Both Sam and Laura, who started dating in 2011 and were married in July 2013, announced their decision to split in August 2019.