Michael Cera Was So Overwhelmed With The Success Of Superbad And Juno That He Almost Quit Acting

While the concept of "the overnight success" erases the unseen hard work a person puts in over the years before getting their "big break," a high-profile starring role can absolutely change how an actor moves through the world overnight. One such performer is Michael Cera, who skyrocketed into becoming a household name following the releases of "Superbad" and "Juno" in 2007. In a recent interview with The Guardian (conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike), Cera spoke at length about the immediate shift that fame brought to his life.

"That was sort of overwhelming," he said. "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 ones he felt ill-equipped to handle? Drunk fans and those who can't respect the boundaries of others and keep their hands to themselves.

"You know, if people are drunk, and they recognize you, and they're very enthusiastic, but it can be kind of toxic too," he said. "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." Cera explained how he went to a bar with friends during the opening weekend for "Superbad" and immediately regretted the decision. "It was like a burning feeling the whole time," he described, "Everybody was so aware of me."

If you need proof, look no further than the now-famous photo of Cera and Aubrey Plaza at a Chuck E. Cheese where Cera is surrounded by a group of fans while Plaza is trying to squeeze out of the frame. (For the record, the actors said "No" to the photo but the teens took it anyway.)

It may sound like champagne problems, but no amount of money or fame can prepare someone for the dramatic change that happens to a person after they become a public figure. At best, it's an onslaught of folks asking for pictures and autographs, but at worst, fans have committed atrocities like attempting to assassinate Ronald Reagan and even murder. "There was a point where I wanted to stop taking jobs that would make me more famous," Cera said. That includes his decision not to host an episode of "Saturday Night Live." While it would have certainly been great for his career and presumably a fun experience, it would have also put him on the radar of a lot of folks who might not have already been familiar with his work. "I was kind of having a bit of a crisis ... I was really not enjoying the level of heat."

He said that the increased visibility caused him to question whether or not he was going to continue acting, but he had already signed on to "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," so he would at the very least have to get through that role. "I was already committed to it, and went and did it, and obviously feel so grateful that that happened." 

For what it's worth, it is this writer's opinion that Cera's turn as Scott Pilgrim is arguably one of the most culturally important performances of the 2010s. The film was not hugely successful, but it marked a turn for Cera's career. He pivoted to indie films and YouTube comedy, and continued to make music with his band, The Long Goodbye. "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."