Michael Cera has admitted that he found fame "overwhelming" once his career took off.
During an interview with The Guardian, the 35-year-old actor opened up about his struggles with fame, following his breakout roles in 2007 films Juno and Superbad.
“That was sort of overwhelming,” Michael candidly told the outlet. “I didn’t know how to handle walking down the street. Fame makes you very uncomfortable in your own skin, and makes you paranoid and weird. There were lots of great things about it, and I met a lot of amazing people, but there’s a lot of bad energies, too, ones that I was not equipped to handle.”
The Arrested Development actor noted that “drunk people” were an example of those who had made him feel uncomfortable.
“You know, if people are drunk, and they recognise you, and they’re very enthusiastic, but it can be kind of toxic too,” the actor explained. “When you’re a kid, people also feel they can kind of grab you — they’re not that respectful of you or your physical space. I didn’t know how to respectfully establish my own boundaries. It was like a burning feeling the whole time, just like everybody was so aware of me. It was a mistake.”
Michael shared there was a time when he considered avoiding jobs that would make him “more famous”.
“There was a point where I wanted to stop taking jobs that would make me more famous,” the actor revealed, adding that he had turned down an opportunity to host Saturday Night Live. “I was kind of having a bit of a crisis … I was really not enjoying the level of heat.”
The Scott Pilgrim vs. the World star stated he began to gain perspective on the kind of acting career that he wanted. “I think I wanted to be a working actor who can enjoy my day-to-day life, and the world that I’ve created for myself,” he said. “I think that was the overall thing I was trying to figure out.”
The Canadian actor is currently promoting one of his most recent projects, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, which will hit cinemas on 21 July.
