While Superbad may have helped make Michael Cera a household name, the 2007 coming-of-age comedy almost made him leave Hollywood for good.
Per The Guardian, the actor discussed how appearing in the beloved comedy and the Oscar-winning film Juno made him especially wary of his newfound fame, describing the experience as “overwhelming” when he was a teenager. “I didn’t know how to handle walking down the street,” Cera said. “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.”
When pressed to explain these encounters, Cera elaborated that he sometimes came into contact with “drunk people” who recognized him. These individuals often felt that they could manhandle him since he was both a child and known for generally playing meek characters. “There was a point where I wanted to stop taking jobs that would make me more famous,” he continued. “I was kind of having a bit of a crisis … I was really not enjoying the level of heat… I really didn’t know if I was going to keep being an actor.” Despite this, he ultimately committed to starring in Scott Pilgrim vs The World, a film that is often cited as one of Cera’s best performances.
McLovin Frustration
Cera isn’t the only actor to experience mixed emotions about his role in Superbad. His co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse recently stated that he’s tired of fans shouting “McLovin” to him on the streets. The name is a reference to arguably the most iconic scene of the film wherein Mintz-Plasse’s character Fogell shows off the fake ID he’s acquired in order to purchase alcohol for an upcoming party. Despite his excitement, his friends viciously mock him when they discover that “McLovin” is the only name on the card.
A staple of mid-2000s comedy, Superbad follows three friends as they embark on a quest to round up enough booze to supply a gigantic house party with the aim of impressing two girls in the process. Their mission is complicated when two bumbling police officers get involved in the plan, both slowing everything down and inadvertently assisting them.
Superbad is available to stream on Max.
Source: The Guardian