A Hunger Games star is surprisingly grateful for a recent “breakdown” on their latest project.

Sam Claflin stole hearts as Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire over a decade ago, but it seems playing grieving psychiatrist Joel Lazarus in Harlan Coben’s Lazarus has stolen something else—his own perspective on life.

“It definitely was new territory,” the 39-year-old told PEOPLE recently of his latest role. “I think he’s very similar to me in many ways, and I’ve spent quite a lot of my career hiding behind masks or characters or physicality, and this felt like it was me — in a new city, in a new world, with new people.”

The Amazon Prime show follows Joel, played by Sam Claflin, who learns his father (Bill Nighy) has died by suicide—though Joel doubts this. Claflin describes Joe

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