"The Hunger Games" director "floored" by actress

(CBS News) - Gary Ross, director of the top movie in the country "The Hunger Games," attributes much of the film's success to actress Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the movie's heroine, Katniss Everdeen.

He described her first audition as, "ridiculous."

"It floored me," Ross said. "I could see the whole movie, forgetting about casting Jen. I saw, 'Oh, my God, not only is this going to work, but it's going have nuance and colors that I couldn't even imagine.'"

He added, "I think she's once a generation."

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Lawrence has said she was reluctant for her life to change with the wild success of the movies based on Suzanne Collins' best-selling novels.

"The thing about Jennifer," Ross said, "she has such a depth of talent and such an accomplished actor, she's more interesting in being an actor than being famous."

For more on Ross and his comments on the movie's portrayal of the violence, watch the video in the player above.