Michael Cera Almost Quit Acting After ‘Superbad’ Fame: I Was In ‘Crisis’

Michael Cera became “paranoid” about fame early in his career.

The ‘Arrested Development’ actor revealed to The Guardian who at the age of 19 thought about leaving Hollywood for good. Cera starred in ‘Juno’ and ‘Superbad’ which both came out in 2007 and changed her life in an ‘overwhelming’ way.

“I didn’t know how to act walking down the street,” Cera said. “Fame makes you very uncomfortable in your own skin and makes you paranoid and weird. There were a lot of great things about it and I’ve met a lot of amazing people, but there’s also a lot of negative energy, the ones I wasn’t able to handle.

He continued: “Drunk people would be a classic example. You know, if people are drunk and they recognize you and they’re very excited about it, but it can also be toxic. When you’re a kid, people also feel like they can grab you—they’re not that respectful of you or your physical space. I didn’t know how to respectfully set my boundaries. It was like a burning sensation the whole time, just like everyone was so aware of me. It was a mistake.”

Cera refused to host ‘Saturday Night Live’ in an attempt to tame her growing fame.

“There was a point where I wanted to stop taking jobs that would make me more famous,” the ‘Life and Beth’ star said. “I was going through a bit of a crisis. I wasn’t really enjoying the level of heat. I didn’t really know if I was going to continue being an actor.

Cera was previously signed on for Edgar Wright’s “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” which was later released in 2010.

“I was already committed to that, and I just went and did it,” Cera said of his contract, “and of course I feel so grateful that it happened.”

Cera noted that her career choices weren’t just to seek stardom, but rather the projects themselves.

“I knew it wasn’t just like constantly fanning the flames to get bigger and bigger. I knew that wasn’t really my goal,” he said. “I think I want to be a working actor who can enjoy everyday life and the world that I’ve created for myself. trying to understand.

Now, Cera stars in Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie,’ a film she “desperately wanted to be a part of.” Cera also reprises her lead role for a Netflix animated series ‘Scott Pilgrim’ alongside the rest of the original cast, including Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Kieran Culkin, Brie Larson, Mae Whitman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong and Anna Kendrick . . She was also directing Steven Soderbergh’s streaming series “Command Z.”